It appears that a Tennessee automobile accident that took the life of a Dickson County man was caused by a medical emergency that incapacitated him and caused him to lose control of his truck. The driver was not wearing his seatbelt and as the car went out of control and slammed into a house the man was ejected through the windshield. Two passengers, a woman and a 4-year-old boy were uninjured.

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.

Leave The Highway And All Bets Are Off

Would wearing a seat belt have spared this 59-year-old Cocke County Tennessee woman’s life? Investigators think that the roadway departure crash was so severe that a seat belt would not have made a difference. According to the Tennessee State Trooper who investigated the crash, the woman was either distracted or going to fast when she attempted to negotiate a curve in the road. She left the road for about 200 feet and rolled down an embankment and struck a tree.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, rear-end, lane change and roadway departure crashes account for approximately 3.6 million police-reported crashes each year on United States roadways. These three crash types result in about 27,500 of the Nation’s 42,000 annual traffic fatalities and contribute to a considerable economic loss due to injuries, property damage and decreased productivity.

If you read my blog you will know that I have been directing attention to what I have called an epidemic of roadway departure crashes. I have called for education and public service announcements by the Tennessee Department of Safety and the Department of Transportation. If you feel the same was I do, contact your local Sheriff, State legislator and ask them to seriously look at this epidemic of death that has our state in it’s grips.

If you or a loved one is killed or seriously injured in a roadway departure crash contact the experienced Tennessee auto accident lawyers at Phillip Miller & Associates for a free consultation.

Another Death In A Raodway Departure Crash

The family of a 36-year-old Goodlettsville, Tennessee man will probably never know what caused him to lose control of his Mustang, leave the road and overturn in a ditch. He was not wearing his seatbelt and was ejected from the vehicle and killed. My prayers go out to the family and friends of this unfortunate young man. From this horrible vent we should look for a positive lesson and that lesson is that wearing your seat belt just might save your life.

The cause of his death is not much of a mystery, during the crash he was ejected because he did not have his seat belt on.

Tennessee law requires the use of seat belts. An overwhelming number of studies show that seat belts, when used correctly, save lives. Seat belts help prevent injury five different ways, by:

1. Preventing ejection: Ejection greatly increases the chance of death or serious injury.  The chance of being killed in a crash by being ejected from a vehicle is one in eight.  Safety belts virtually eliminate ejection.  The belted driver stays inside the car and is better protected from injury.

2. Shifting crash forces to the strongest parts of the body’s structure.  To get the most benefit from a seat belt, be aware of the following points:

• The lap belt should be worn low over the pelvis with the bottom edge touching the tops of the thighs snugly.

• The shoulder belt should be worn over the shoulder and across the chest, not under the arm and over the abdomen.  Make certain that the shoulder belt is not worn so loosely that it slides off the shoulder.

• Pregnant women should wear the lap belt below the abdomen and the shoulder belt above the belly.

3. Spreading crash forces overa wide area of the body.  Safety belts reduce the possibility of injury from “hostile” surfaces inside the car (steering wheel, dashboard, windshield, controls, etc.).  Even if the belted driver collides with some of these surfaces, it happens with much less force and often results in less serious injury.

4. Keeping the body more closely in the “properdriving posture.” The belt keeps the driver “in the driver’s seat.”  The belted driver is better able to deal with emergencies and often avoids more serious trouble.

5. Protecting the head and spinal cord. The belted driver is less likely to be stunned or made unconscious by the crash and is better able to cope with the situation. Research has found that proper use of lap/shoulder belts reduces the risk of fatal injury to front seat passenger car occupants by 45 percent and the risk of moderate-to-critical injury by 50 percent (for occupants of light trucks, 60 percent and 65 percent respectively)

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 a Nashville 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.

Too Young To Die

A pair of fatal Tennessee roadway departure crashes this week have left family and friends of the victims in shock. As an experienced Nashville automobile accident attorney we define an 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 Sumner County, Tennessee two teen boys were killed when the vehicle in which they were riding failed to negotiate a curve in the road, crossed the centerline and crashed into an oncoming vehicle. A 25-year-old Union City man crossed the centerline and over corrected, sending his pickup rolling into a ditch. The man was not wearing his seatbelt and was partially ejected and was dead at the scene. My prayers go out to the family and friends of these young men.

The lessons to be learned from these accidents are simple, but often not learned. The first crash was obviously due to an inexperienced driver going well in excess of the speed limit. The second was caused by inattention to the task at hand. The driver was somehow distracted and failed to stay in his lane. Speed could well have been a cause in this accident also.

If you or someone you love has been hurt in a serious Tennessee car accident due to somebody else’s negligence, then you may be feeling angry, frightened, or even alone in your suffering.

There is no reason for you to bear your burden alone.  The experience of a Tennessee auto accident is traumatic enough and your recovery will bring its own challenges.  You don’t need the added stress of worrying about who will pay for the medical care you need, how your car will be repaired, and if the individuals responsible for your suffering will be brought to justice.  This is the time to call Phillip Miller & Associates, the law firm of local Tennessee attorneys and staff who for the past 25 years have dedicated their lives to protecting the rights of injured men, women, and children in Tennessee.

Elderly Driver Killed

An 81-year-old man was killed in Knoxville Tennessee when the car he was driving hydroplaned on a downtown street hit a tree in the median leading to the man being ejected from the vehicle. Police investigators say that the weather played a major role in the crash. As an experienced Nashville auto accident lawyer I only have the few facts that were contained in the article, but based on those facts, there appears to me to be two more important factors that lead to his death.

Hydroplaning is not something that occurs simply because there is heavy rain. The problem of hydroplaning becomes an issue when the driver is carrying to much speed for the wet conditions. I can tell you without hesitation that speed and no seatbelts never lead to a happy ending.

Speeding is one of the most prevalent factors contributing to traffic crashes. Th economic cost of speeding-related crashes is estimated to be in excess of 40.4 billion dollars per year. In 2007, speeding was a contributing factor in 31 percent of all fatal crashes, and 13,040 lives were lost in speeding-related crashes. The total economic cost of crashes was estimated at $230.6 billion in 2000.

Tennessee law requires the use of seat belts. An overwhelming number of studies show that seat belts, when used correctly, save lives. Seat belts help prevent injury by Preventing ejection. Ejection greatly increases the chance of death or serious injury.  The chance of being killed in a crash by being ejected from a vehicle is one in eight.  Safety belts virtually eliminate ejection.  The belted driver stays inside the car and is better protected from injury.

For more information on these and other topics check the web site of the experienced Nashville automobile accident attorneys at Phillip Miller & Associates.

Distracted Driving Fatality

We will probably never know what caused a 23-year-old Clarksville woman to pull out directly into the path of an oncoming Tractor-trailer. She was most probably distracted by something, a cell phone, radio, GPS for a second or two and simply pulled out without looking. Such a tragic way to die.

As an experienced Nashville automobile accident attorney I am acutely aware that 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.

We will also never know why she didn’t take the time to buckle up her seat belt. The outcome of this tragic accident might have had a different ending if she had. Tennessee law requires the use of seat belts. An overwhelming number of studies show that seat belts, when used correctly, save lives.

If you or someone you love has been hurt in a serious Tennessee car accident due to somebody else’s negligence, then you may be feeling angry, frightened, or even alone in your suffering.

There is no reason for you to bear your burden alone.  The experience of a Tennessee auto accident is traumatic enough and your recovery will bring its own challenges.  You don’t need the added stress of worrying about who will pay for the medical care you need, how your car will be repaired, and if the individuals responsible for your suffering will be brought to justice.  This is the time to call Phillip Miller & Associates, the law firm of local Tennessee attorneys and staff who for the past 25 years have dedicated their lives to protecting the rights of injured men, women, and children in Tennessee.

Alcohol Related Fatality

As my goal with this Blog, “The Tennessee Auto Accident Attorney” is to educate my readers in the hope that you all will practice safe driving and instill in your family and friends the need to do the same, today I thought I would share a tragic story reported on the website of News Channel 5.

It appears that the crash happened just before midnight when a 27-year-old man veered from the highway in his SUV, hit a concrete culvert and flipped over several times, ejecting and killing him instantly. Investigators say that alcohol was a factor in the accident and that the young man was not wearing his seatbelt. They also said that he was driving on a suspended license and had a long history of driving offenses

How tragic that a young man has to lose his life because he just didn’t get it. It’s impossible to say what caused him to lose control of his vehicle, it might have been the alcohol, he might have fallen asleep or he may have been distracted by a cell phone or radio.

Drunk driving is one of America’s deadliest crimes. In Tennessee in 2008, 327 people were killed in crashes where the driver had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher. That is down from 377 people killed in 2007 with a BAC of .08 or higher, but even one death is too high of a rate.

If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Tennessee automobile accident contact the experienced Nashville automobile accident attorney’s at Phillip Miller & Associates and find out about your right and remedies.

Speeding ad No Seatbelt

An 18-year-old man, speeding and no seatbelt proved a deadly combination for a Knox County man. According to an article on the website of  Knoxville TV station WBIR , the young man was driving alone in the East bound lane when he crossed the double yellow line and ran head-on into a vehicle driven by 64-year-old Emma Chaney of Concord. Ms. Chaney and her two passengers, 36-year-old Dana Faulkerson and 67-year-old Barbara Faulkerson, were transported to the UT Medical Center and their condition was unknown at the time of the article.

Investigators from the Knox County Sheriff’s Department reported that the three people in the Chaney vehicle were wearing their seatbelts and that Mr. Goodman was speeding and not wearing his. Authorities said they believe Goodman was speeding and may have contributed to the wreck.

There you have it, a familiar story to be sure. A teenage driver, for no apparent reason crosses the double yellow and rams another car. As an experienced Tennessee automobile accident attorney it appears to me that this teen was somehow distracted just moments prior to the collision. We will probably never know the exact cause of the distraction but I’m sure investigators will be looking at his cell phone and his call records to determine whether he was using his cell phone to talk or text.

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 significant, 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.

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.

If you or a loved one is injured in a Tennessee automobile accident involving a distracted driver or a teen aged driver contact the the experienced Tennessee automobile accident attorney’s at Phillip Miller & Associates and take advantage of a free consultation to learn about your rights and remedies.