What Casued the Distraction?

A 43-year-old Tennessee woman died yesterday morning as the result of a head-on collision with a tractor-trailer on US 41-A. My prayers go out to the family and friends of this unfortunate woman. Since she was driving alone we will probably never really know what caused her to be distracted from keeping her eyes on the road and causing her to cross the centerline and slam into an oncoming tractor-trailer.

Whenever you see an accident, usually involving one car that leaves the road, an experienced Nashville automobile accident attorney starts thinking about driver distractions. Just what was the driver doing moments before the crash that caused his/her vehicle to go off the highway? What caused the driver to change focus from driving to other things?

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.  Primary causes of driver inattention are distracting activities, such as cell phone use, and drowsiness.

As an experienced Nashville automobile accident attorney we know that these crashes are referred to as “Roadway Departure Crashes” (RDCs). The Federal Highway Administration defines a RDC as a non-intersection crash that occurs when a vehicle crosses an edge line or a centerline, or otherwise leaves the traveled way.

According to the Federal Highway Administration roadway departure crashes are frequently severe and account for the majority of highway fatalities.

If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Tennessee automobile accident caused by a distracted driver you owe it to yourself to contact the experienced Nashville auto accident lawyers at Phillip Miller & Associates and find out about your rights and remedies.

Passing Fatality

In Tennessee 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. Study and learn the following passing rules well and practice them each time you pass another vehicle.

Had a 54-year-old Maynardsville Tennessee woman followed that advice she would be alive today. According to police and local media reports the woman was killed when she hit an oncoming car head-on as she tried to pass other vehicles in front of her. Two people in the other vehicle were injured, the extent of those injuries are unknown at the time I write this Blog. My prayers go out to the victim and her friends and family and for the innocent injured parties my prayers go out for a speedy and complete recovery.

If you or a loved one is seriously injured or killed in a Tennessee auto accident caused by a negligent driver, contact the experienced Nashville auto accident attorneys at Phillip Miller & Associates.

Keep Your Eyes On Your Driving

A head-on collision on Interstate 81 Tuesday afternoon killed a 56-year-old Blountville woman Tuesday afternoon. Witnesses report that she was driving along the outside lane when she drifter toward the center and clipped an SUV in that lane. Her vehicle went out of control and she crossed the median and slammed head-on into a tractor-trailer going the opposite direction.

As an experienced Nashville automobile accident lawyer my immediate thoughts about the cause of the accident went to what the woman was doing just prior to drifting into the outside lane. Was she distracted while talking on the cell phone, texting, did she fall asleep at the wheel, have a medical emergency or just forget for a second about what she was doing.

The lesson for the rest of us as we head out onto the highways and byways of Tennessee is that we have to remain vigilant and alert at all times. If you have to talk on the cell phone, find a safe spot and pull over. If you are drowsy or begin to feel ill pull off of the road until you can go on.

Distracted driving is the root casue of approximately 80% of all accidents and with some renewed attention we can reduce the carnage that it causes. Contact the experienced Nashville automobile accident attorneys at Phillip Miller & Associates if you are involved in a serious auto accident.

Drugged Driving

As an experienced Tennessee automobile accident attorney I can only guess what caused a Sweetwater Tennessee to lose control of his car, cross the centerline and hit two oncoming motor vehicles. The driver was killed and his three other passengers, one a young child, are listed in a local hospital in critical condition. When police searched his vehicle they found materials and equipment for making Methamphetimine.

Meth is a dangerous drug that creates a total maniac behind the wheel of a car. The products and equipment used in making the drug are toxic and can cause everything from unconsciousness to long-term brain damage.

The principal concern regarding drugged driving is that driving under the influence of any drug that acts on the brain could impair one’s motor skills, reaction time, and judgment. Drugged driving is a public health concern because it puts not only the driver at risk, but also passengers and others who share the road.

Despite these acknowledged concerns, drugged driving laws have lagged behind alcohol legislation, in part because of limitations in the current technology for determining drug levels, and resulting impairment. For alcohol, detection of its blood concentration (BAC) is relatively simple and concentrations greater than .08% have been shown to impair driving performance. Thus, 0.08% is the legal limit in this country. For illicit drugs, there is no agreed upon limit for which impairment has been reliably demonstrated. And determining current drug levels can be difficult, since some drugs linger in the body for a period of days or weeks after initial ingestion.

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

Tennessee Head-On Collision

As an experienced Nashville automobile accident attorney I can only guess what could have occurred in the last few seconds before a Greene County man, with his 3-year-old daughter as a passenger, crossed the centerline and slammed head-on into an oncoming car? The other car, driven by a 16-year-old with his 19-year-old friend as a passenger, was seriously damaged.

The 3-year-old was treated and released and her father is in critical condition. The 19-year-old received minor injuries and the condition of the 16-year-old driver’s condition is unknown.

Distraction from the primary task of driving could present a serious and potentially deadly danger. In 2008, 5,870 people lost their lives and an estimated 515,000 people were injured in police-reported crashes in which at least one form of driver distraction was reported on the crash report. While these numbers are signi!cant, they may not state the true size of the problem, since the identification of distraction and its role in the crash by law enforcement can be very difficult.

The lesson here for Tennessee drivers is that, no matter what is going on inside your vehicle, you must do everything to can to avoid being distracted and keep your mind and your eyes on the road

If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Tennessee car crash by a distracted driver or a case like the present one that will require an experienced Tennessee automobile accident lawyer contact the lawyers at Phillip Miller & Associates for a free consultation to learn about your rights and remedies.

The Kingsport Times-News reported that the driver of a Toyota was killed and his passenger was injured following a head-on collision in Kingsport Tennessee on August 18^th. As an experienced Tennessee car accident lawyer I am sure that once you hear the facts that lead up to the collision there will be no doubt as to who is responsible for this tragedy.

The article reports that a Chevrolet Blazer was traveling eastbound along a two-lane highway and was negotiating a right curve. As the driver came around the curve a black Toyota pick-up truck was attempting to pass another vehicle in a no-passing zone striking the Blazer head-on. The driver of the Blazer was wearing his seatbelt and sustained minor injuries. The Toyota driver did not have his seatbelt on and was dead at the scene. Investigators say the man would have survived if he had been wearing his seatbelt.

Well, I hope wherever this guy was going in such a hurry was worth it. There seems to be a certain Darwinian aspect to this incident and I guess all we can do is be thankful that the Toyota driver didn’t kill anyone else

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.