A Lenoir City woman drove her car through the front windows of the Lenoir City Eye Center has sent two women to a hospital with minor injuries. The driver told police that there was some problem with the accelerator. The car went through the glass and 15 feet into the store. The driver was unhurt.

Local media reports fail to identify the woman or anything about her, such as age, medical condition or driving records.  Age and medical condition are important to determine what might have caused the problem.

The good news is that seniors are among the safest drivers on the road and many limit their driving to compensate for age related health and functional changes.

Confused Driving

The bad news is that seniors are more likely to be seriously injured or killed when involved in a crash. With advancing age come changes in medical health and function that impact on the ability to drive safely.

If you or a loved one is injured or killed in an accident caused by an elderly driver contact the experienced Nashville automobile accident attorneys at Phillip Miller & Associates and take advantage of a free consultation. Call 615-356-2000

Double Tractor-Trailer Fatality

The Tennessee Highway Patrol is investigating a one-vehicle accident that killed two New York men riding in a tractor-trailer just before 6 a.m. today on Interstate 40 in Decatur County. Officials said the truck was west bound on I-40 and six miles west of Sugar Tree when it ran into the median, hit a beam, went over a bridge barrier and caught fire.

As an experienced Nashville automobile accident attorney my best guess is that one of three things caused this accident. The driver had a medical emergency, fell asleep at the wheel of was somehow distracted and left the roadway.

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.

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.

As our population ages we might expect to see more Tennessee automobile accidents caused by drivers who suffer medical emergencies while they are driving. 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.

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.

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

Roadway Departure Crash

A Springfield, Tenn., man was killed Sunday in a two-vehicle collision in Logan County, Kentucky. The 58-year-old man was driving a GMC pickup truck on Main St in Adairville when for some unknown reason, lost control and crossed into the oncoming lane of traffic striking another pickup truck driven by a 53-year-old man. As a result of the collision both men were trapped in their respective vehicles and had to be extracted by emergency personnel.

Driver one was pronounced dead at a local hospital and driver two was flown to Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville where he is listed in stable condition. The investigation is continuing and police will have to determine what happened that caused driver one to lose control.

Possible causes include, the driver was distracted from the task at hand, he was under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or he suffered a medical or medication emergency. An autopsy will assist in this determination. On the other hand, if he simply fell asleep at the wheel, that determination will rely on his history in the hours preceding the crash.

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.

Roadway Departure Fatality

As an experienced Tennessee automobile accident attorney when I read about a fatal crash like one I read about this morning in Morgan County, Tennessee, a number of things come to mind. The local media report of the crash gives few details, but the accident occurred when a 49-year-old local man, traveling southbound on Highway 27 drifted across the centerline, the oncoming lane, the shoulder and left the road.

After leaving the road, the man hit one of those small electric trailer signs before continuing along until coming to a stop in a driveway far off the roadway. From the report, it appears that the man made no attempt to, or was unable to correct his trajectory.

Several things come to my mind in a case like this. Did the man have some sort of medical emergency? Did he fall asleep? Was he under the influence of drugs or alcohol? Investigators have their work cut out for them.

An autopsy will reveal the presence of drugs or alcohol, and if a medical condition caused him to lose consciousness. As for the sleep angle, they will have a more difficult time. Investigators will have to recreate the mans last twelve or so hours to determine whether he might have been sleep deprived.

My prayers go out to the family and friends of this man, and I hope the investigation into his death can bring them closure. The lesson here for Tennessee drivers is that when we get behind the wheel of a motor vehicle and set out onto the highways and byways of Tennessee we have to be prepared, both physically and mentally for the task at hand.

Have you or a loved one been injured in a Nashville motorcycle accident or auto accident as a result of distracted driving or other negligent driving?  If so, you should call the experienced Nashville personal injury lawyers at Phillip Miller & Associates, a Nashville motorcycle accident lawyer from our law firm will fight to help you win. We will treat you with the utmost compassion and respect. Call us today and speak with an experienced Nashville personal injury lawyer to discuss the details of your case. Call (615) 356-2000.

Avoid Distractions

According to witnesses following a white Chevy S-10 driven by a 28-year-old Henry County Tennessee man, he was not weaving or showing any signs that he was impaired, he simply drifted over into the oncoming lane and slammed head-on into a vehicle driven by a 48-year-old man. The 28-year-old was killed and pronounced at the scene, the other man was flown to Nashville and his condition today is unknown.

Investigators are unsure what caused the accident but as an experienced Tennessee automobile accident attorney I can tell you that one of two things are in play here. The first is that the S-10 driver suffered a medical emergency or some kind of a drug reaction. An autopsy will reveal the answer to this question.

The second, and probably the most likely, is that the S-10 driver was distracted by something, probably a cell phone or other electronic device. Investigators will study the dead man’s cell phone records to determine whether he was using the device at or near the time of the crash.

Distractions are said to be the cause of over 80% of the accidents and near accidents on the highways of the United States. Studies show that using a cell phone, whether hands free or hand-held, impairs the driver at the same level as if he/she were legally intoxicated. (.08)

Have you or a loved one been injured in a Nashville motorcycle accident or auto accident as a result of distracted driving or other negligent driving?  If so, you should call the experienced Nashville personal injury lawyers at Phillip Miller & Associates, a Nashville motorcycle accident lawyer from our law firm will fight to help you win. We will treat you with the utmost compassion and respect. Call us today and speak with an experienced Nashville personal injury lawyer to discuss the details of your case. Call (615) 356-2000.

Ambulance Roadway Departure Crash

Usually it’s the EMTs who are the lifesavers taking injured people to emergency facilities, but this week, in Knoxville, Tennessee, it was the EMTs who were being extracted from their overturned ambulance and transported to the University of Tennessee Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries.

Local media reports don’t shed any light on just what caused the ambulance to lose control and leave Interstate-640, hitting the guardrail before overturning. As an experienced Tennessee automobile accident attorney I can’t tell from the media report what caused the accident but I supposed that one of three things happened; the driver fell asleep at the wheel, the driver was distracted by something before losing control or the driver had a medical emergency that caused a loss of control.

Investigators will look at the drivers cell phone records to see if he/she was texting or talking at the time of the accident, interviews with the two injured EMTs will shed some light on the cause. The bottom line is that you don’t drive off the road like this absent some distraction.

If you or a loved one are seriously injured in a Tennessee motor vehicle accident caused by a distracted driver, contact the experienced Nashville personal injury lawyers at Phillip Miller & Associates and learn about your rights and remedies during a free consultation.

It’s the same old story being played out on highways across Tennessee. A driver, not wearing a seatbelt, crosses the center line of a highway, hits andother oncoming car , or two, and is killed. This story played this past Sunday night when a 70-year-old man in a Toyota pickup truck, crossed the line, side swiped a Dodge Q15 and then slammed head on into Chevrolet 4SK.

The man was not wearing his seat belt and was killed. The three people in the two other vehicles were slightly injured, although one man was hospitalized and his condition is unknown. My prayers go out to the family and friends of the deceased man, and my wishes for a quick and complete recovery to the others.

Crossed The Center Line

The usual cause of a crash like this one is driver distraction, something taking the drivers attention off of the road, something like a cell phone, or talking to a passenger and not paying attention. When a driver is in his 70s, another consideration is that he might have suffered a medical or a medication emergency.

Police investigators will look into each of these theories. If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a serious Tennessee automobile accident caused by a negligent driver, contact the experienced Tennessee auto accident lawyers at Phillip Miller & Associates and find out about your rights and remedies.

Medical Emergency

It appears that an I-75 tractor-trailer accident that took the life of a 52-year-old man was caused by a medical emergency that incapacitated him and caused him to lose control of his truck. He was driving south bound on I-75 when his truck entered the median, traveled across the northbound lanes and crashed on the shoulder.

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 seizures, heart 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.

Tractor-Trialer Roadway Departure Crash

Since we don’t know the Tennessee tractor-trailer driver’s condition at this time, it will be hard to determine what exactly it was that distracted him and caused him to leave the roadway and crash through the interstate fence, across a service road and into the woods running along the highway. I think it’s fair to say that, whatever happened to this driver, he did not slow down as he left the road.

It seems to me, that distracted drivers cause most Tennessee interstate highway accidents. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, driver inattention is the leading factor in most crashes and near-crashes. Nearly 80 percent of crashes and 65 percent of near-crashes involved some form of driver inattention within three seconds before the event. In studies by the NHTSA the most common distraction for drivers is the use of cell phones.

However, the number of crashes and near-crashes attributable to dialing is nearly identical to the number associated with talking or listening.  Dialing is more dangerous but occurs less often than talking or listening.

Reaching for a moving object increased the risk of a crash or near-crash by 9 times; looking at an external object by 3.7 times; reading by 3 times; applying makeup by 3 times; dialing a hand-held device (typically a cell phone) by almost 3 times; and talking or listening on a hand-held device by 1.3 times. Drivers who engage frequently in distracting activities are more likely to be involved in an inattention-related crash or near crash

Another possibility in this crash is some sort of medical emergency, a stroke, heart attack or a reaction to medication.

I advise people that before putting the key in the ignition, stop for a moment and remind your self that you are getting behind the wheel of a potentially deadly weapon and that if you want to arrive at your destination alive or without killing others, use common sense and avoid distractions.

If you or a loved one is injured in a Tennessee car/tractor-trailer accident caused by a distracted driver, call one of our experienced Nashville tractor-trailer accident attorney’s at Phillip Miller & Associates and find out about your rights and remedies.

Medical Emergency?

It only takes a second when you are somehow distracted while driving and you find yourself off the road and hitting something that doesn’t move. The distracted roadway departure crash has reached epidemic proportions in Tennessee over the past several years and the problem only seems to be getting worse.

A 48-year-old Nashville man and his girlfriend were driving along Buena Vista Pike in north Nashville when the car veered from the road hit a tree and rolled over. Police investigators say that both people were wearing their seat belts and that a medical emergency may have been the cause of the accident.

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.