Pedestrian Fatalities

Stupid is as stupid does, and a Chattanooga man stands as a great example of this axiom. A 42-year-old Chattanooga woman was walking to work and as she crossed The street at the intersection of Walnut and Fourth Sts. A 26-year-old man driving a red Nissan 240SX hit and killed her.

This low-life then drove away without stopping to render assistance or call emergency workers. He stopped a gas station where he took time to buy chips and a soft drink before calling police and reported a fake car-jacking report.

During his trial this week on charges of DUI and vehicular homicide the state provided video from the gas station that showed the man lingering around and his vehicle parked outside while he called in the false report.

This guy is where he needs to be, before a jury of his peers who will pass judgment on him. When you are in a wreck, whether there is a personal injury or simply property damage, you must stop and share information necessary to identify you and your insurance company. You should immediately notify emergency responders.

More crashes happen at intersections than at any other place. Intersections constitute a very small part of rural and urban street/highway systems, yet they are implicated in 31.9 percent of all motor vehicle crashes and 15.5 percent of all fatal crashes (2004 NHTSA data). Be very careful when approaching any intersection or driveway. Never assume another driver will yield the right-of-way to you. Wait until the coast is clear and always be prepared to stop.

If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Tennessee auto accident caused by a Hit & Run driver contact the experienced Nashville automobile accident attorneys at Phillip Miller & Associates and take advantage of a free consultation.

Look Both Ways

As an experienced Tennessee automobile accident lawyer I have regularly reminded clients and readers of my Blog, that pedestrians have the right of way. That said, a Tennessee pedestrian has certain responsibilities.

A pedestrian is required to cross at a crosswalk and if none is available to cross carefully looking both ways and then not play chicken with the oncoming traffic. A pedestrian, even if they have the right of way, can never assume that a motor vehicle operator is going to stop and allow them to cross. Acting other wise can be fatal.

Fatal was the case for a Lutrell, Tennessee woman who, according to local media reports, walked out of a market at the intersection of Maynardsville Highway and Seymour Lane about 5pm and stepped out into the intersection and was run down by vehicle carrying a Kentucky family. The driver said he had no time to avoid the collision. Police said, the driver is not expected to be charged in the incident. The media report didn’t mention what the pedestrian was doing that distracted her and caused her to step into the street.

If you or anyone you know has been injured or killed in a Tennessee car accident, please contact Nashville injury attorney Phillip Miller and the Nashville personal injury attorneys at Phillip Miller and Associates at (615) 356-2000.

Motorcyclist Dies

Police are investigating the death of an, as of yet, unidentified motorcyclist who died in an intersection crash when a car driven by an 18-year-old driver entered a roadway from a private commercial driveway and failed to yield to the oncoming motorcycle. The 18-year-old driver and his 22-year-old passenger immediately fled the scene but police caught up with the passenger aster he was identified by a witness in a parking lot across the street from scene. The driver was found at his home hiding under a bed.

Do the facts tell you anything about the maturity level of the driver? He left the car which is registered in his name and went home, to the address on the registration, to hide under a bed. This guy is looking like a candidate for my worst driver of the year award. After charges are filed he is going to have plenty of time to ponder whatever it was that distracted him from seeing another human being driving along the highway.

More crashes happen at intersections than at any other place. Intersections constitute a very small part of rural and urban street/highway systems, yet they are implicated in 31.9 percent of all motor vehicle crashes and 15.5 percent of all fatal crashes (2004 NHTSA data). Be very careful when approaching any intersection or driveway. Never assume another driver will yield the right-of-way to you. Wait until the coast is clear and always be prepared to stop.

The lesson for Tennessee drivers here is perfectly clear. Keep your mind and you eyes on the road and avoid doing things that distract you from focusing on this task.

If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Tennessee auto accident caused by a distracted driver contact the experienced Nashville automobile accident attorneys at Phillip Miller & Associates and take advantage of a free consultation.

Intersection Crash

As an experienced Tennessee automobile accident attorney I can tell for certain that more crashes happen at intersections than at any other place. Intersections constitute a very small part of rural and urban street/highway systems, yet they are implicated in 31.9 percent of all motor vehicle crashes and 15.5 percent of all fatal crashes. Be very careful when approaching any intersection or driveway. Never assume another driver will yield the right-of-way to you. Always be prepared to stop.

The most common faults when making turns are (A) failing to signal, (B) not signaling long enough, (C) failing to search for hazards, (D) turning from the wrong lane and (E) failing to turn properly. Rules for turning apply at all locations, even driveways and alleys, not just at intersections.

An 82-year-old Shelbyville man was turning into a medical center parking area and failed to yield the right-of-way to an oncoming vehicle and hit it head-on. Two of the three people in the other car are in critical condition and the third was treated and released. The 82-year-old driver appeared unharmed and initially refused treatment but later died at Vanderbilt Medical Center. His cause of death is unknown and will be determined by an autopsy.

It’s hard to tell what caused the accident. Did the elderly driver have some sort of a medical emergency? Did the driver become distracted by a cell phone or other electronic device, or was he simply not paying attention to the oncoming traffic? These and other like it will probably never be answered.

If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Tennessee auto accident contact the experienced and Certified Tennessee civil trial lawyers at Phillip Miller & Associates for a free consultation.

Tennessee Intersection Collision

WRBC TV in Chattanooga Tennessee reports on a tragic but very preventable automobile motorcycle accident just across the Tennessee line in Georgia. The victims, an adult driver and a 7-year-old passenger who was hospitalized and is expected to recover. The pickup was stopped at an intersection and for some unknown reason, he was probably distracted, pulled out into the path of the oncoming motorcycle. The distracted pickup driver was driving without a license.

More crashes happen at intersections than at any other place. Intersections constitute a very small part of rural and urban street/highway systems, yet they are implicated in 31.9 percent of all motor vehicle crashes and 15.5 percent of all fatal crashes (2004 NHTSA data). Be very careful when approaching any intersection or driveway. Never assume another driver will yield the right-of-way to you. Always be prepared to stop.

Approaching intersections safely. To do the Tennessee Rules of the Road suggest that you employ a concept called “Traffic Checks”, which is the process of looking frequently and carefully for vehicle traffic approaching from each direction. “Traffic Checks” is especially important when merging or changing lanes AND when approaching and crossing intersections. Below are five things to remember to navigate an intersection safely:

Preventing injuries and deaths at intersections should be a high priority for towns and cities. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that in 2005 alone, nearly 9,200 people died and approximately one million people were injured in intersection-related crashes which account for approximately 40-45 percent of all crashes.

If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Tennessee intersection collision contact the experienced Nashville automobile accident attorneys at Phillip Miller & Associates. The best law firms will provide a free consultation. We provide a free, confidential consultation to not at fault persons named in this article. The free consultation offer extends to family members as well.

Tennessee Intersection Fatality

A 71-year-old Cleveland Tennessee woman was killed when she was broadsided by another vehicle in a Tennessee intersection accident. The woman pulled out from one street to enter another directly into the path of an oncoming vehicle. After the initial collision on the driver-side door her car spun around into another lane and was hit again by an SUV. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene. My prayers go out to the family and friends of this unfortunate woman.

More crashes happen at intersections than at any other place. Intersections constitute a very small part of rural and urban street/highway systems, yet they are implicated in 31.9 percent of all motor vehicle crashes and 15.5 percent of all fatal crashes. Be very careful when approaching any intersection or driveway. Never assume another driver will yield the right-of-way to you. Always be prepared to stop.

“Traffic checks” at intersections is the process of looking frequently and carefully for vehicle traffic approaching from each direction. “Traffic checks” is especially important when merging or changing lanes AND when approaching and crossing intersections. Below are five things to remember to navigate an intersection safely:

Preventing injuries and deaths at intersections should be a high priority for towns and cities. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that in 2005 alone, nearly 9,200 people died and approximately one million people were injured in intersection-related crashes which account for approximately 40-45 percent of all crashes.

If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Nashville intersection collision contact the experienced Nashville automobile accident attorneys at Phillip Miller & Associates. The best law firms will provide a free consultation. We provide a free, confidential consultation to not at fault victims. The free consultation offer extends to family members as well.

Intersections Are Dangerous

As an experienced Tennessee automobile accident attorney I have learned that although intersections constitute a very small part of the highway and street network, still nearly half of the motor vehicle crashes occur there. Driving near and through intersections is one of the most complex conditions that drivers will encounter. Previous studies have indicated that a significant percentage of crashes involving elderly drivers seem to occur at intersections.

A recent article in the Daily Post-Athenian reported a two-vehicle accident that sent three people to the hospital. The collision occurred at an intersection just outside the Athens, Tennessee city limits. According to police a car with two occupants was struck by a tractor-trailer in the signaled intersection. My first thought is that one of the drivers had run a red light leading to the collision.

One of the primary causes of crashes at signalized intersections involves a vehicle entering an intersection when the red light signal is displayed. This type of collision occurs frequently. Clearly, red-light running, which is reported by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to be on the rise as with other aggressive driving behaviors such as speeding, tailgating and not stopping or even slowing at stop-controlled intersections, has become a national safety problem.

Red-light running is also a complex problem. There is no simple or single reason to explain why drivers run red lights. My experience here in Nashville is that red light runners are more likely to be younger than 30-years old, have a record of moving violations, are driving without a valid license and/or have consumed alcohol.

If you are the victim of a Nashville or Tennessee automobile accident we urge you to contact our Tennessee 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.