Medical Emergencies

It appears that a Tennessee automobile accident near Russellville, TN that took the lives of two Tennesseans, was caused by a medical emergency that incapacitated an 84 year-old woman driver. According to an article at the website of the Knoxville News, whatever the medical episode, it prevented the driver from stopping at a stop-sign. As she ran through the stop-sign she hit a tractor-trailer going the opposite direction and then she hit head-on with another automobile. The driver of the second vehicle a 50-year-old woman also died at the scene. The driver of the commercial truck was injured and transported to an area hospital.

Incidences of drivers who had crashes precipitated by their 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.

Medical Emergency or Texing?

Back on October 12, 2009, in my blog The Tennessee Auto Accident Attorney I wrote about a fatal Nashville interstate accident involving an ambulance and a TDOT road safety truck. For some unknown reason the ambulance rammed into the rear-end of the TDOT truck. In my blog I asked the question, “How does an accident like this happen?” In an accident report released yesterday we still aren’t sure, but investigators have boiled it down to one of two reasons, texting or a medical emergency.

An article on the website of WKRN TV in Nashville reports that a medical emergency may have been the cause. It appears that the deceased ambulance driver suffered from narcolepsy and epilepsy and had a history of seizures. In fact, the report says that he had a similar accident ten years ago when he suffered a seizure and swerved off the road and struck a utility pole. At the time his license to drive was suspended but it was later reinstated.

Toxicology reports showed an increased level of amphetamines in his system from his anti-narcolepsy medication but showed none of the traces of his epilepsy medication.

Telephone records also show that the driver was sending and receiving text messages at the time of the accident. As an experienced Nashville automobile accident/personal injury attorney I’m somewhat astounded by the medical findings. How in the world could a man suffering from these conditions be considered for employment as an ambulance driver in the first place? I don’t represent the victims, Ms. Sue Bly, or TDOT worker Mr. Robert Green, who recently underwent brain surgery as the result of this accident, but if I did, I would certainly be asking the employer to answer that question.

If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Nashville, Tennessee automobile accident caused by a driver with a serious medical condition or one who was texting while driving you owe it to yourself to contact the experienced Nashville automobile accident attorneys at Phillip Miller & Associates and take advantage of a free consultation to learn about your rights and remedies.

Roadway Departure Crash

Fifty miles north of Nashville, a 62-year-old man lost his life when the vehicle he was driving south on I-24 in Kentucky just above of the Tennessee state line left the road, crossed the median and slammed head-on into a north-bound tractor-trailer truck. An article in the Leaf-Chronicle, quoted the investigator, a Kentucky State Trooper as saying that the deceased driver suffered from some sort of medical emergency that caused him to lose control of his vehicle.

Recently I read an interesting article outlining the finding of a study conducted by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. According to the survey, 95 percent of respondents 55 and older have one or more medical conditions and 78 percent use one or more medication, yet only 28 percent  indicated some awareness of the potential impact on driving performance associated with  those medications. Previous research indicates that use of a single potentially driver impairing medication as well as use  of multiple medications increases the risk of being in a crash.

As we reach a certain point in the aging process we begin notice that many of the things we rely on to be safe drivers, eye sight, hearing, response time, are not as sharp as they once were. Another factor is that we suffer medical conditions and take medication for them that further limit our ability to be the drivers we once were.

No matter what your age, if you take one or more medications check with your physician about the possible effects that the meds might have on your driving. Many medications react in a totally different manner when used with alcohol or with other medications. Some medications have a tendency to make a driver drowsy and create the risk of falling asleep while driving.

If you are the victim of a Nashville or Tennessee automobile accident caused by a driver who was taking medication or who had a serious medical condition that impaired their driving, we urge you to contact our Nashville 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.

Roadway Departure Crash

A tragic loss for the family and friends of Barbara A. Krantz and her 18-year-old son Clifford, who were killed yesterday when their automobile driven by Ms. Krantz, departed the roadway and hit a tree. My sympathies and prayers go out to the family. For more information about the accident check out The Nashville Tennessean. 

As an experienced Nashville automobile accident attorney we know that these types of 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. In 2008, there were 19,794 fatal roadway departure crashes resulting in 22,080 fatalities, which was 53 percent of the fatal crashes in the United States.

In crashes of this sort investigators will be focusing on two areas of interest. They will focus first on the possibility of  some sort of medical emergency that might have incapacitated Ms. Krantz, a finding that will be made by the coroner. The second area of interest is whether she was distracted and the distraction caused her to leave the road. Distraction investigations are very difficult because the only people that were there at the time are unable to tell investigators what happened.

If you or a loved one is injured in a Nashville automobile accident contact the experienced Nashville automobile accident attorney’s at Phillip Miller & Associates for a free consultation to learn about your rights and remedies

Seven Tennessee women died in an automobile accident in Lewis County, Tennessee, forty miles south of Nashville, this past weekend when a single passenger vehicle crossed a yellow line and rammed head-on into a van carrying women on their way to work at a nearby factory. The 69-year-old driver of the car was dead at the scene and police said they had no idea what caused her to cross into the other vehicle. i send my sympathy and prayers to the families and friends of all of those injured or killed in this tragic accident.

Unfortunately, neither her family, nor the families of the victims will ever be able to answer that question for sure. As an experienced Nashville automobile accident attorney it’s clear that one of three things happened. The driver was either distracted by something in her car, a cell phone, radio, GPS device, or she just lost concentration and failed to focus on the task at hand, or she had some kind of medical emergency that caused her to lose control of her vehicle.

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.

According to a survey conducted by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, 95% of respondents 55 and older have one or more medical conditions and 78% use one or more medications, yet only 28% indicated some awareness of the potential impact on driving performance associated with  those medications.

The lesson to be learned following this accident is that no matter where we are going, down to the corner to the local store or cross-country, we have to be vigilant and never lose focus of the task at hand. If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Tennessee automobile accident you owe it to your self to take advantage of a free consultation with one of the experienced Nashville automobile accident attorney’s at Phillip Miller & Associates

Distracted Driver

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Tennessee Trucker Dies In Crash

According to an article in the Greeneville Sun trucker driver Carl Seaton, 76, of Greene County died from injuries received in a one vehicle tractor-trailer wreck on Tennessee Highway 81. The information in the article came from the report of the State Trooper investigating the accident and claims that 2005 Freightliner, pulling an empty trailer, veered from the highway and crashed into a ditch. The initial investigative report indicated that Mr. Seaton either fell asleep or had some sort of medical emergency. The investigation is continuing.

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. In 2008, there were 19,794 fatal roadway departure crashes resulting in 22,080 fatalities, which was 53 percent of the fatal crashes in the United States. FHWA uses the Fatal Analysis Reporting System (FARS) compiled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to compute statistics on roadway departure crashes.

The FHWA’s Roadway Departure Safety Program provides important information for transportation practitioners, decision makers, and others to assist them in preventing and reducing the severity of roadway departure crashes, but no matter what steps they take this problem will never be successful if drivers refuse to observe the speed limits, avoid distractions, refuse to drive when sleepy and continue to drink and drive.

The lesson here for Nashville drivers is that you must keep all of your attention on the acting of driving and avoid distractions. You never know when another driver is going to fall asleep, have a medical emergency or get distracted and leave their lane and initiate a deadly collision.

If you or a loved one is injured in a Nashville car crash contact our experienced Nashville automobile accident lawyers at Phillip Miller & Associates and find out about your rights and remedies. If you are not sure you need a lawyer to handle your claim, at least check out our website for helpful information that will help you with this complex and confusing adventure.

The Automobile accident personal injury firm of Phillip Miller & Associates is not representing any of the parties mentioned in this article at the time the article was posted. Our information source is cited in the article. If you were involved in this incident or a similar incident and have questions as to your rights and options, call us or another reputable law firm. Do not act solely upon the information provided herein. Get a consultation. 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.

Avoid Distractions While Driving

WTVC News Channel 9 in Chattanooga, Tennessee reported that Christopher L. Phillips age-35 was operating his 1999 Suzuki motorcycle and while negotiating a sharp curve, lost control and was thrown from the motorcycle and pronounced dead at the scene. That same day WTVC also reported that Robert Myers, age-53 while driving his 1993 Honda, swerved into the median and crossed into the oncoming lanes of traffic then hit a ditch and was ejected from the car and was pronounced dead at the scene.

On that same day WBIR TV in Knoxville reported that Mike Little, age unknown, who had been reported missing earlier in the week had been found dead in the remains of his pick-up truck which had been found crashed in a ditch. The Staff and Attorney’s at Phillip Miller & Associates send our deepest condolences to the family and friends of these men. Their deaths leave so many questions, questions that may never be answered.

As an experienced Nashville automobile accident attorney I couldn’t help but think of the many factors that could have caused these car and motorcycle accidents. Each of these men left the road for no apparent reason. Was there a medical emergency, a vehicle malfunction such as a blown tire, were they distracted by something such as a cell phone, or were they drowsy and nodded off for just a second?  So many reasons and so many unanswered questions left for the families of these men to process. The one thing they do know is that their loved ones are gone, and have become just another traffic fatality statistic.

Stories like these remind us that when we get behind the wheel of a motor vehicle we have to have our full attention on the task at hand. We must regularly check the condition of our tires and brakes, we must avoid doing things like texting and using our cell phones and any other action that causes us to take our eyes off the road, and if we begin to feel drowsy or ill we need to quickly and safely get off the road and address these issues.

If you or a loved one is injured in a car accident contact our experienced Nashville accident attorneys at Phillip Miller & Associates and learn about your rights and remedies. Do this before you deal with the other persons insurance company so that you are prepared and on an equal footing.

Child Safety Seats Work

The Kingsport Times-News reported that a fast moving sedan slammed into the rear end of a parked van containing five small children and three adults. Miraculously none of the children were hurt, but the van’s driver and two other passengers were transported to the hospital. The sedan driver was uninjured but was cited failure to yield and failure to have automobile insurance.

The report went on to say that, “Rescue workers severed the middle post connected to the passenger door panel while getting one hurt passenger out of the van. The authorities did not release the names of any of the victims. According to the reporter, the children were crying and as they were being ushered to the side of the road, one little girl yelled, “I love you, Daddy” while one passenger was placed on a stretcher.

The staff here at Phillip Miller & Associates sends our deepest condolences to the family along with our great relief that none of the children were injured. It appears that the thoughtful parents had these kids safely secured in their car seats.

Driver inattention is the leading factor in most crashes and near-crashes, according to a landmark research report released today by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI). 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 Tennessee automobile accident attorney I look at this situation and ask myself why it is that a fast moving car rams into the rear-end of a van parked along a city street at 9:30 in the morning. It’s improbable that the car driver intended to ram the van so there must have been either a medical emergency or another type of distraction that caused the driver to take his eyes off the road. In that the driver was ticketed at the scene and not taken for medical treatment, nor was he arrested for driving under the influence it appears that the investigating authorities will focus on what distracted the driver. A good starting point is to examine the driver’s cell phone and determine whether he was making or taking a call. I will follow this accident and let you know what the investigators find out.

If you or a loved one is injured by a distracted motorist contact the experienced Tennessee automobile accident lawyers at Phillip Miller & Associates immediately to find out about your rights and remedies.

One Truck Driver Dies

Tennessee media sources reported two Tractor-trailer crashes on I-40 yesterday leaving one trucker dead and several others seriously injured. WKRN Channel 2 in Nashville reported that in a Nashville tractor-trailer accident a rig hauling steel veered off of East bound Interstate 40 just before white Bridge Rd. Police believe that the 42 year-old driver suffered some type of medical emergency which caused the accident. He was taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center where he was pronounced dead. The driver was not wearing his seatbelt. Had he veered seconds later and not hit the barrier he would have driven headlong into an active construction zone.

Two hundred miles to the West, just outside of Memphis Tennessee, the Commercial Appeal reports on another Tennessee tractor-trailer accident. From the report it appears that a North Carolina driver pulled his three-trailer rig onto the shoulder and went off into the grass causing his tractor-trailer to veer back into traffic where he clipped a Saturn and ended up on his side blocking the East bound lane for several hours. The tractor-trailer driver was taken to the Regional Medical Center at Memphis in non-critical condition while the condition of the car driver and passengers is unknown at the present time.

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.