I-75

As an experienced Nashville tractor-trailer accident attorney I regularly keep up with Tennessee media reports about trucking accidents on Tennessee highways. My reading leads me to one conclusion and that is that Interstate 75 is one of the most dangerous roadways in the United States of America.

Where is I-75 and why is it so dangerous? I-75 is the major north-south artery of the Eastern U.S. running from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to Miami, Florida, covering 1,785 miles of roadway which makes it the longest interstate highway in the U.S.  Traffic accidents on I-75 are common in busy urban areas like Tampa, Lexington, Knoxville, Detroit, Toledo and the Lima-Findlay area of Ohio. At any giving time there are over a million vehicles on I-75.

I have some advice that I would like to share with the families of those who are injured or killed in Tennessee by a negligent tractor-trailer driver. For a trucking company whose vehicles travel millions of miles per year, accidents are an everyday occurrence. Trucking companies have gotten this process down to a science and in many cases have specialized accident investigators at the scene of an accident interviewing the truck driver even before he/she talks to the police investigation.

What does this mean to you if you or a family member are the victim of a Tennessee tractor-trailer accident and suffer a serious or life threatening injury?  It means that the trucking company has a huge advantage in investigating the cause of the accident and developing a strategy for its defense to any claim that arises. During one of these situations evidence can disappear and negligent drivers can be coached on what to say to police investigators. The trucking company has the benefit of an expert that was actually at the accident scene. This may not be possible for the victim since injuries are usually severe in nature. Needless to say it is important to act quickly so that an expert can examine the evidence on your behalf.

Time is of the essence in these type of cases. Although most cases can be reconstructed at a later time it is important to have someone looking out for your best interests as soon as possible. That’s why it’s important to contact an experienced Tennessee tractor-trailer accident lawyer like those you will find at Phillip Miller & Associates. If you or a loved one is injured in a car tractor-trailer accident act quickly and take advantage of a no-cost no-obligation consultation and learn about your rights and put our crack team of lawyers and investigators on the case.

Tailgating-Two Dead

As an experienced Tennessee automobile accident attorney I can tell you that if you are distracted in any way as you drive on the highways and byways of Tennessee things can get hinky in just a second or two. Reference an article from the website of the Lexington, Kentucky Herald-Leader about a four vehicle crash on I-75 in East Tennessee.

According to the facts in the article automobiles had stopped on the highway because of an accident ahead. A tractor-trailer driven by a 63-year-old Tennessee truck driver, failed to keep his vehicle under control and rammed into the rear-end of a car carrying five passengers on their way to a religious convocation. The crash killed a 52-year-old woman and a 3-year-old little girl, and injured the others.

Tennessee law states: “The driver of a motor vehicle shall not follow another vehicle more closely than is reasonable and prudent, having due regard for the speed of such vehicles and the traffic upon and the condition of the highway.” When another driver makes a mistake, you need time to react. Give yourself this time by keeping a “space cushion” around your vehicle. This space cushion will give you room to brake and avoid hazards when needed.

Good drivers keep this safe following distance or space cushion to have a better view of the road. The more space you allow between your car and the car ahead, the more time you will have to see and react to traffic hazards or crashes down the road. Many drivers don’t see as well as they should because they follow too closely (tailgating). The vehicle ahead of them blocks their view of traffic and road conditions. Rear-end crashes are very common and most of these crashes are caused by drivers who are “tailgating.”

What does this mean to you if you or a family member are the victim of a Tennessee tractor-trailer accident and suffer a serious or life threatening injury?  It means that the trucking company has a huge advantage in investigating the cause of the accident and developing a strategy for its defense to any claim that arises. During one of these situations evidence can disappear and negligent drivers can be coached on what to say to police investigators. The trucking company has the benefit of an expert that was actually at the accident scene. This may not be possible for the victim since injuries are usually severe in nature. Needless to say it is important to act quickly so that an expert can examine the evidence on your behalf.

If you or a loved one is injured in a Tennessee tractor-trailer accident caused by a driver who is distracted or following too close, you owe it to yourself to immediately contact the experienced Tennessee tractor-trailer attorneys at Phillip Miller & Associates.

Passing Can Be Deadly

As an experienced Nashville motorcycle tractor-trailer accident lawyer I have been noticing a number of Tennessee highway accidents involving improper passing. Passing another vehicle is a normal part of driving, but it can be very dangerous. Collisions resulting from improper passing are often fatal, since the impact is greater in this type of crash. Before you attempt a pass, be sure you have enough room to complete the maneuver.

If you have to cut back to your lane too soon, you risk sideswiping the vehicle you are passing. If you do not cut back to your lane soon enough, you risk a head-on collision. It is equally important to know when NOT to pass, as well as when to pass. The decision of whether or not to pass is influenced by the knowledge, judgment, attitude and behavior of the driver. BE PATIENT.

This is exactly what happened the other day on I-40 in Jefferson County Tennessee when a 33-year-old Tennessee man riding his Harley-Davidson passed a tractor-trailer and as he pulled back into the lane his rear wheel clipped the bumper of the tractor-trailer causing him the lose control and hit the pavement at high speed. My prayers go out to the family and friends of this unfortunate man.

The lesson here for the rest of us is that we have to be totally focused on the task at hand and when we are passing we have to pay extra special attention to this event. If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Tennessee motorcycle tractor-trailer accident you owe it to your self and your family to contact the experienced Tennessee motorcycle tractor-trailer attorneys at Phillip Miller & Associates and take advantage of a free consultation to learn about your rights and remedies.

Distracted Tractor-Trailer Driver

A distracted tractor-trailer driver rear-ends a stopped vehicle sending it into the other lane and into two other vehicles. As an experienced Tennessee automobile accident attorney were I to represent the initial vehicle’s driver in a personal injury lawsuit my main focus would be to determine what in the world the truck driver was doing that took his eyes and his mind off of the road ahead of him.

Nearly 80 percent of crashes and 65 percent of near-crashes involved some form of driver inattention within three seconds before the event.  Primary causes of driver inattention are distracting activities, such as cell phone use, and drowsiness.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates conservatively that each year drowsy driving “is responsible for at least 100,000 automobile crashes, 71,000 injuries, and 1,550 fatalities.” But among all the major factors that cause or contribute to crashes, like speeding, alcohol use, and weather situations, drowsiness is the most difficult for police and other crash investigators to detect and quantify.

Was the driver using his cell phone? An experienced Nashville car crash attorney would study the drivers cell phone records to determine if he was using the device at the time of the wreck. Another avenue that investigators would use is a blood alcohol test to determine whether the driver was under the influence. Either way the truck driver and the company for which he drives will most probably have liability and damages to pay for this very avoidable act.

If you or a loved one is injury or killed in a Tennessee automobile accident caused by a distracted tractor-trailer driver time is of the essence. Contact the experienced Tennessee tractor-trailer accident attorneys at Phillip Miller & Associates and take advantage of a free consultation to find out about your rights and remedies.

Fatal Tractor-Trailer Car Crash

As an experienced Nashville auto accident attorney I cannot for the life of me picture the moments preceding a fatal accident between a speeding tractor-trailer and a mini-van occupied by a Pittsburgh family. An article on the website of WSB-TV in Atlanta Georgia reports that a tractor-trailer driven by Willie Hill of Jacksonville Florida was traveling at a high rate of speed moments before it rammed into the rear-end of a 2007 Toyota Siena and forced it off the road and into trees lining the interstate.

According to the article a three-year-old boy was killed, his mother is in critical condition and another child is in serious condition. The article goes on the report that charges are pending against the truck driver. My sympathy goes out to the family and friends of this innocent family whose lives are transformed by this thoughtless tragedy.

So many things go through the mind of an experienced Tennessee tractor-trailer car crash attorney in an accident like this. What could have caused the truck driver to ignore the slower moving vehicle directly in front of him? The first thing that comes to my mind would be to check his driving log and determine whether he had been driving for too long and had become drowsy and had fallen asleep at the wheel. The next thing I would do is determine whether he had any medical conditions that might have prevented him from controlling his vehicle.

Other avenues of inquiry would be to determine from investigative toxicology tests whether the driver was under the influence of drugs or alcohol. And finally I would subpoena his cell phone records and determine whether he was distracted by texting at or near the time of collision. The United States Department of Transportation recently announced new measures that restrict the use of cell phones and banning texting by operators of commercial motor vehicles. Nearly 80 percent of crashes and 65 percent of near-crashes involved some form of driver inattention within three seconds before the event.  Primary causes of driver inattention are distracting activities, such as cell phone use, and drowsiness.

If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a roadway collision caused by a negligent tractor-trailer driver contact the experienced Nashville automobile accident attorney’s at Phillip Miller & Associates and take advantage of a free consultation to find out about your rights and remedies.

Tractor-Trailer Collision

Three wrecked tractor-trailers spread out all over I-65 with one driver fatally injured made for a messy road closure in Hart County Kentucky just North of Nashville. According to an article on the website of Radio Station WCLU in Glasgow Kentucky, heavy rains made the weather horrible and a Tractor-trailer driven by Floyd Frye, of Franklin Alabama, traveling in the Northbound lane was rammed from behind by another tractor-trailer driven by Sukri Haji, 27, of Nashville. Both trucks were disabled from the collision so that these two drivers could not pull to the shoulder of the road but rather, stopped in the right lane of traffic and got out of the trucks to survey the damages and try to direct traffic around their trucks.

According to the article that’s when another tractor-trailer driven by Manjitt Gill, 31, of Ontario, Canada and was unable to see the two stopped vehicles and crashed into them. The collision threw Mr. Gill through the windshield and the truck caught fire. Mr. Gill was pronounced dead at the scene. The other drivers were not injured. The cleanup took ten hours. My prayers go out to the friends and family of Mr. Gill and I’m thankful that the other truck drivers and other people at or near the scene didn’t suffer the same fate.

A number of things went wrong in this accident. First of all it was the weather, an all day heavy downpour that severally reduced visibility, coupled with an obvious failure to keep an eye on the traffic in front of Mr. Haji’s truck and then came the disablement of the two trucks with prevented them from pulling to the shoulder of the road and out of the lane of traffic. It would easy to second guess the actions of the two initial drivers, could one of them have been on the CB radio broadcasting a warning to oncoming traffic? Would that have made a difference? It’s impossible to say.

If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Nashville Area Tractor-trailer/car collision contact the experienced Nashville automobile accident attorney’s at Phillip Miller & Associates and find out about your rights and remedies.

Distracted Driver Runs Stop Sign

These days, drivers are faced with so many distractions both outside the car as well as devices inside the vehicle that are supposed to help us accomplish more tasks and save us time. Often other activities, including talking to your passengers, eating dinner, talking on the cell phone, adjusting the radio, lighting a cigarette take place behind the wheel. Experts estimate that drivers are doing something potentially distracting more than 15 percent of the time their vehicles are in motion. Multi-tasking is not our friend when we are driving on the highways and by-ways of Tennessee.

At a minimum you are: operating a piece of heavy machinery at high speed; navigating across changing terrain; calculating speeds and distances; and responding to all the other drivers and obstacles around you. Adding one more activity in the mix can be enough to make you lose control of your vehicle or fail to respond in an emergency.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration driver inattention is the leading factor in most crashes. Nearly 80 percent of crashes and 65 percent of near-crashes involved some form of driver inattention within three seconds before the event.

We will probably never know what Mr. Larry W. Lynch, 64, of Bethel Springs was doing when he failed to stop at a stop sign and drove his pickup truck directly into the path of a tractor-trailer at the intersection of Highway 45 and Hopkins Road. The tractor-trailer driver, Jesse L. Greene, 38, of Kenton, who was wearing his seatbelt, was injured in the wreck, the extent of  his injuries were not reported in the article in the Jackson Sun. My sympathy goes out to the family and friends of Mr. Lynch and my hopes for a quick and complete recovery go out to Mr. Greene.

In the case of Mr. Green it’s critically important that he contact an experienced Tennessee automobile accident attorney because he has two important issues to deal with. He was probably an employee of the company for which he was driving so he has to go through the worker’s compensation issues and then he has to take a careful look at a personal claim against Mr. Lynch’s insurance carrier.

Think carefully about the statistics, 80% of all crashes are caused by a driver who was distracted within three seconds before the collision. This means that it up to us to keep our eyes and our minds on the task at hand when as we pilot a three thousand pound deadly weapon down the road. If you want to read some guidelines for becoming a safe driver, check out my blog of November 21, 2009.

If you or a loved one are injured in a Nashville automobile accident involving a distracted driver contact the experienced Nashville automobile accident attorney’s at Phillip Miller & Associates and take advantage of a free consultation to find out about your rights and remedies.

The Baker County Press of Glen Mary Florida reported Wednesday that a 62 year-old Nashville man driving a pick-up west on I-10 veered across the median and ran head on into an East bound tractor-trailer which burst into flames. The driver of the tractor-trailer was wearing his seatbelt and got out of his vehicle before it burst into flames. The Nashville man’s truck came to a stop over one hundred yards from the site of the collision. Another vehicle, a 2005 BMW with two passengers sustained damage from the jack-knifing trailer but the two passengers were unhurt.

Of specific interest to an experienced accident and injury lawyer is the fact that the Nashville man was the ninth person to die on Baker County roads this year and the second fatality in nine days. For a rural community in North Florida it appears to me that this is an extremely high mortality rate which makes me wonder what could be going on there. Lot’s of questions remain unanswered about this particular pickup/tractor-trailer accident. Once again we see a vehicle veer of the road and cross directly into the oncoming traffic. Further investigation will show whether the Nashville man had some sort of medical problem which led to this tragedy but absent proof of such an emergency we may never know what distracted the man and lead to his death.

This tractor-trailer/pick-up truck fatality is a good example of what I write about all of the time. When you are driving a motor vehicle, you must avoid distraction and pay attention to everything that’s going on around you.

If you are the victim of a Nashville or Tennessee automobile accident we urge you to contact our car accident attorneys today for a free consultation. When you hire an auto accident attorney from Phillip Miller & Associates, you’re getting a qualified and dedicated lawyer. Details about our attorneys and staff can be found by viewing our website at www.seriousinjury.com where you can get to know the men and women who will be looking out for your best interest.