Distracted Truck Driver

In heavy traffic, one act of negligence can turn into a chain reaction collision that might well have fatal consequences. That was the case this past week when two people were badly injured in a rear-end collision that began when cars began to slow for an upcoming construction project zone.

Somewhere back in the line was a tractor-trailer that failed to slow down and slammed into the vehicle ahead of it, and on and on, to the vehicle ahead of it. Fortunately no one was killed but a number of vehicle were wrecked and their drivers and passengers injured.

When questioned by police, the truck driver told them he was adjusting his mirrors and when he looked ahead it was too late to stop. As an experienced Tennessee accident attorney, I would remind this truck driver and all Tennessee drivers that the time to adjust your mirrors is before you put your vehicle on the road.

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.  Primary causes of driver inattention are distracting activities, such as cell phone use, and drowsiness. Investigators will most probably review his cell phone records and find that he was engaged in a conversation with someone and concocted the mirror story to avoid getting fired.

This accident brings to mind some advice that I would like to share for 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. Call 615-356-2000.

Tractor-Trailer Fatality

This is the scene. I-75 in rural east Tennessee somewhere near 3 AM. A 43-year-old professional truck is traveling in excess of 85 MPH in the right lane. In front of him is another tractor-trailer traveling at 45 MPH with his safety blinkers. For some unknown reason driver one doesn’t notice the safety lights or the fact that he is bearing down on the trailer and slams into it.

The speeding trucker died at the scene. What was going on in the cab of his truck? Did he fall asleep? Was he talking on his cell phone? These are all questions that police investigators are going to have to answer, and the chore won’t be an easy one. Bottom-line here is that something kept the driver from seeing the road ahead.

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 tractor-trailer attorneys at Phillip Miller & Associates.

This past week there was serious motorcycle accident in Memphis, Tennessee involving a motorcycle and a tractor-trailer. A 61-year-old Bartlett, Tennessee man was following a tractor-trailer on I-40 in a construction zone when the truck slowed for traffic the motorcyclist, from what I can gleen from media reports, was following too close, was unable to brake in time, was thrown from his motorcycle, and collided with the rear-end of the trailer.

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

This is serious business my friends, serious indeed. If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Tennessee wreck caused by a driver following too close, you owe it to yourself to contact the experienced Nashville automobile accident attorneys at Philip Miller & Associates

Maintain A Safe Distance

and take advantage of a free consultation to learn about your rights and remedies.

Don't Stop On Interstate

Traffic on interstates usually moves more safely and efficiently because access is controlled. There are no stop signs, no railroad crossings and no traffic lights. Interstates usually have few steep hills or sharp curves to limit the view of the road ahead. Limited access or controlled access means that drivers enter or leave the roadway only at entrances and exits, called interchanges, without ever crossing the path of other traffic.

In most driving situations, you slow down or stop before you enter a busy road, but when entering an interstate, you do the opposite. You must use the merging or acceleration lane to speed up and merge with fast-moving traffic already on the interstate. Good judgment and good timing are necessary to merge smoothly with fast-moving traffic.

Upon entering the interstate on-ramp, stay to the right and increase your speed in the acceleration lane/entrance ramp. Use the ramp to reach interstate speed so you can merge smoothly into the travel lane when the way is clear. Be sure to give the proper left turn signal to indicate your need to enter the traffic lane.

Drivers already on the interstate should, for their own safety, make allowance for vehicles attempting to enter. It is your responsibility to yield the right-of-way to other cars on the interstate.

An elderly driver was injured after their car apparently stopped on the entrance ramp going from Briley Parkway onto Interstate-40 eastbound, and was rear-ended by a tractor-trailer. Fortunately, neither of the elderly people in the vehicle were seriously injured.

If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Tennessee automobile accident involving an elderly driver you owe it to yourself to contact the experienced Tennessee car accident attorney’s at Phillip Miller & Associates and take advantage of a free consultation to learn about your rights and remedies.

Tractor-Trailer Wreck

A Tennessee tractor-trailer hauling cars overturned on U.S. Highway 43 near the Hampshire Pike exit ramp in Maury County. The driver, who was uninjured, told police he blacked out.

Incidences of drivers who had crashes precipitated by medical emergencies while driving are relatively rare and account for only 1.3 percent of all road fatalities. Older drivers have relatively higher incidences of crashes precipitated by drivers’ medical emergencies when compared to young and middle-age drivers.

Drivers in crashes precipitated by medical emergencies were more likely than other drivers to be severely injured or to die as a result of the crash.

Patient education by health care providers on early warning signs of a health crisis, such as warning signs before seizure attacks, diabetic or hypoglycemic comas and potential side effects of medications are recommended as the most effective countermeasure.

If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Tennessee automobile traffic accident contact the experienced Nashville automobile accident attorney’s at Phillip Miller & Associates and take advantage of a free consultation to determine your rights and remedies.

Report Dangerous Commercial Drivers

Thousands of drivers every year are injured and killed because of commercial truck accidents. One of the main causes of these accidents is driver fatigue. Commercial trucking is a vital component to our economy and every year it seems to this experienced Nashville tractor-trailer lawyer that this commercial pressure causes more and more commercial drivers to violate the law by driving longer and further to make an extra buck.

Driver fatigue and lack of sleep are at the root of many truck accidents. Driver’s with many companies are paid by the mile driven and are therefore encouraged to try to cheat the system to make more money. This cheating the system results in thousands of serious injuries and deaths nationwide.

One of the best ways to protect your self from these roadway giants is to always remain alert when you are near a tractor-trailer on the highway. Give them plenty of space and remember that they have limited maneuverability and stopping ability as compared to a car. If you see a commercial truck that is slowing down and speeding up, swerving across the centerline, speeding or driving in a dangerous fashion report it to the local police. In Tennessee you can call *847 for the Highway Patrol or 911 for the police or sheriffs department. Make the call and you might very well save a life down the line.

If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Tennessee car/tractor-trailer accident time is of the essence. Contact an experienced Tennessee truck accident lawyer like those you will find at Phillip Miller & Associate and take advantage of a free consultation.

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.