Watch For Pedestrians

A pedestrian was killed and another was seriously injured early when they were struck by a Ford Ranger pickup truck on Interstate 40 near the Walker Springs Road exit. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene.

According to the  police report, the victim’s car had run out of gas and they were walking on the right-hand shoulder of the interstate toward the exit when the Ford Ranger crossed onto the shoulder and struck the two victims. The driver continued on and was located with the Ford Ranger a short time later on Walker Springs Road a short distance from the ramp, according to the police report.

According to the report, in the last 15 years, more than 76,000 Americans have been killed while crossing or walking along a street in their community. More than 43,000 Americans – including 3,906 children under 16 have been killed this decade alone. This is the equivalent of a jumbo jet going down roughly every month, yet it receives nothing like the kind of attention that would surely follow such a disaster.

The majority of cases of Hit & Run involve someone is a car hitting a pedestrian. This man added a different twist. Hit & Run drivers are, in my consideration, the worst kind of human being. Most H&R drivers are under the influence of alcohol, others have already run afoul of the law and have lost their driving privileges, yet they continue to get behind the wheel and ignore the rules.

Many H&R drivers are trying to avoid detection because they don’t have insurance and they don’t want to face the responsibility for their actions. No matter which category they fall into they are the very worst type of person, someone who will leave an injured or dying pedestrian lying in the street.

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.

Nashville Pedestrian Fatality

As an experienced Nashville automobile accident attorney, I can tell you that pedestrian/car collisions usually don’t come out in the win column for the pedestrian. That was the case in Nashville when a pedestrian was killed by a vehicle driven by a wanted felon. It’s a sad story, and one that will hopefully end with the felon being taken off of the street for many years.

The victim, Kenneth Jones was doing what many people do everyday, walking along a sidewalk in his neighborhood when he was run down by a car that was fleeing the police. The incident began when Metro Nashville Police officers were conducting an educational roadblock to make sure that drivers knew that when it was raining they need to turn on their headlights.

In Tennessee, drivers are required by law to turn on their headlights whenever they turn on their windshield wipers. If a driver is involved in a collision in the rain and they do not have their lights on there is a presumption that they are at fault.

A car driven by a 28-year-old Nashville man approached the road block, this wanted ex-convict, pulled up momentarily, sped up and then fled the scene. Police radioed dispatchers with the vehicle information. As this criminal was driving away he lost control and his vehicle drove onto the sidewalk and struck the 55-year-old man. Officials said Jones was knocked into a nearby field. He was transported to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in critical condition. He died shortly after his arrival.

This criminal was charged with aggravated assault, reckless endangerment, leaving the scene of an accident, failure to render aid, driving on a revoked license and motor vehicle theft as well as with five outstanding warrants, four probation violations and domestic assault. Charges are likely to be changed to include vehicular homicide following Jones’ death.

Police got lucky in this situation because the criminal left his wallet and ID in the vehicle and fled on foot. He was apprehended after witnesses spotted him trying to break into John Early Middle School. There is little an experienced Nashville personal injury lawyer can do in a situation like this to help the family of the victim recover damages against criminal, but lesson for Nashville drivers and pedestrians is that there are people out there that care nothing about others and will do anything to stay free.

Driving on the highways and byways of Nashville require us to remain constantly vigilant and always be prepared to practice solid defensive driving. For this and other information about Tennessee highway safety tips and suggestions visit the website of the experienced Nashville auto accident attorneys at Phillip Miller & Associates, or call them at 615-356-2000.

Practice Pedestrian Safety

A tragic pedestrian fatality in Surgionsville, Tennessee points out just why, when Tennessee drivers have breakdowns they must take special care to let other drivers know there’s a problem. Always engage your emergency blinkers and pay particular attention when you are out of your car.

If you have vehicle trouble, move to the right shoulder or emergency stopping area as soon as you can. Turn on your emergency flashers to warn other traffic. If you need help raise your hood and tie a white cloth to the hood or radio antenna. If possible, it is better to stay in or near your vehicle on the side away from traffic. Walking along or crossing a highway is very dangerous. Keep children away from traffic.

In this fatal accident, a 64-year-old Kingsport man had broken down and his car was parked in the center turn lane. He had crossed the highway to a store to call for assistance. As he crossed back toward his car he was struck by a pickup truck and as his body was lying in the road he was struck again by a car coming the other way along the highway. The accident happened just after 5:30 in the evening at dusk.

Neither driver was seriously injured and both were required by law to provide samples to test for drugs or alcohol, but the Troopers report stated that she didn’t think that they were a contributing factor. My prayers go out to the family and friends of this unfortunate man, and special prayers go out to the drivers of the other cars.

If you are a pedestrian and injured or killed by a negligent driver, contact the experienced Nashville auto accident attorneys at Phillip Miller & Associates and take advantage of a free consultation to find out about your rights and remedies.

Yield To Pedestrians

It only took the deaths of three pedestrians to get the political leaders of Clarksville Tennessee to think that they might have a traffic problem and to talk about doing something about it. According to the Tennessee Department of Safety, seven pedestrians have been hit trying to cross this road since 2005. Four of those were fatalities.

A local businessman opined that the problem is caused by the diverse population that exists at Fort Campbell, soldiers and support pesonnel who come from all over the country. I think that’s a cop out. No matter where these people come from they have similar traffic laws and one of the main laws that is in effect all over this nation is that you yield to pedestrians and not just run them down.

A pedestrian is defined as any person not in or upon a motor vehicle or other vehicle. In 2007, 4,654 pedestrians were killed in traf!c crashes in the United States, a decrease of 13 percent from the 5,321 pedestrians killed in 1997. On average, a pedestrian is killed in a traffic crash every 113 minutes and injured in a traffic crash every 8 minutes.

There were 70,000 pedestrians injured in traffic crashes in 2007. Most pedestrian fatalities in 2007 occurred in urban areas (73%), at non-intersection locations (77%), in normal weather conditions (90%), and at night (67%). More than two-thirds (70%) of the pedestrians killed in 2007 were males. In 2007, the male pedestrian fatality rate per 100,000 population was 2.19, more than double the rate for females (0.91 per 100,000 population). In 2007, the male pedestrian injury rate per 100,000 population was 26, compared with 20 for females.

If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a pedestrian collision, contact the experienced Nashville auto accident lawyers at Phillip Miller & Associates and find out about your rights and remedies.

Fatal Hit & Run

As an experienced Nashville auto accident lawyer I can tell you that a pedestrian is defined as any person not in or upon a motor vehicle or other vehicle. In 2007, 4,654 pedestrians were killed in traffic crashes in the United States — a decrease of 13 percent from the 5,321 pedestrians killed in 1997. On average, a pedestrian is killed in a traffic crash every 113 minutes and injured in a traf!c crash every 8 minutes.

There were 70,000 pedestrians injured in traf!c crashes in 2007. Most pedestrian fatalities in 2007 occurred in urban areas (73%), at non-intersection locations (77%), in normal weather conditions (90%), and at night (67%). More than two-thirds (70%) of the pedestrians killed in 2007 were males. In 2007, the male pedestrian fatality rate per 100,000 population was 2.19 — more than double the rate for females (0.91 per 100,000 population). In 2007, the male pedestrian injury rate per 100,000 population was 26, compared with 20 for females.

In a local media article this week we find that Tennessee Highway Patrol troopers and Mt. Juliet Police believe that a hit-and-run on Interstate 40 eastbound killed a pedestrian early Wednesday and caused two other accidents. The initial vehicle left the scene of the accident and is being sought by police. Some time during the period 3:30 AM to 5:15 AM a man was hit by a car on I-40 in the East bound lane. Some time later drivers trying to avoid the man’s body in the interstate swerved and ran off of the road.

If have any information about the driver who left the scene or the victim of this collision contact the Tennessee Highway Patrol or the Lebanon PD. For more information about Tennessee highway traffic safety or what to do if you are the victim of a Tennessee automobile accident check out the experienced personal injury lawyers at Philip Miller & Associates and take advantage of a free consultation with a Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer.

Get A Lawyer Now

I read this morning on a Memphis media web site about the death of a skateboarder who died after being run over by a garbage truck. This is one of the text-book cases that bring home my point that an accident victim or their family needs to immediately contact an experienced Tennessee automobile accident lawyer like the ones you will find at Phillip Miller & Associates in Nashville Tennessee.

The facts, simply stated, are that local skateboarders regularly use a church parking lot to get their thrills. The Pastor of the church was aware that the boarders regularly used the lot to skateboard, and according to the media report, was so concerned about the safety issue that he had planned have a youth summit to discuss the hazards of skateboarding. This can be an important issue for a trained personal injury lawyer. The church had knowledge of the danger and did nothing to prevent it from happening.

A quick review of the facts shows that each party to this tragedy, the boarder, the property owner, the garbage truck driver and his company bear some measure of responsibility for the death. To get to the bottom of this situation and collect damages an experienced Nashville automobile accident needs to be in on the case as soon as possible.

Contact the experienced Nashville auto accident attorneys at Phillip Miller & Associates and find out about your rights and remedies.

Hit & Run Arrest

As an experienced Nashville auto accident lawyer I have become well acquanted with the Forrest Gump rule of “…stupid is as stupid does.” This guy is a powerful example of that rule.

In order to avoid a possible DUI citation a Campbell County Tennessee man ends up charged with criminally negligent homicide, leaving the scene of an accident involving death and filing a false police report. This is good example of the kind of good thinking you do when you are under the influence, but hey, he didn’t get a DUI.

According to local news articles the 29-year-old man was driving along at about 11PM when he struck a pedestrian who was walking home from work. The other man was also 29-years-old and his body was found lying alongside the road at 7 AM the following morning. According to police investigators they were able to determine the make and color of the truck from debris left at the scene of the crash.

The driver filed a police report the following day saying that his yellow GMC pickup truck had been stolen sometime the evening before. Another stupid move. Police found the vehicle abandoned in a secluded area and arrested the owner-driver a short time later.

Those of you who are regular readers of this blog know how I feel about people who hit and possible kill another human being and resist the normal urge to stop, get out and help that person, but instead drive off and hide, leaving the unfortunate victim to die in an effort to avoid responsibility for their dastardly deed.

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.

Tennessee Pedestrian Fatality

As an experienced Nashville auto accident lawyer I have to ask myself was the driver involved in a roadway departure crash stunned when he got out of his wrecked vehicle? He was able to call a family member and report that he had been involved in an accident, so why didn’t he call 911? It was 2AM, had he been drinking? These are some of the questions investigators and family members will have to answer as they sort out the facts of this fatal pedestrian accident.

As a Nashville auto accident lawyer all I know about the facts of this case is what I read on the website of Knoxville TV station WBIR. It appears that the deceased had, for some reason, left the roadway, struck a concrete barrier and came to a stop. At this stage investigators think that he was not seriously injured. After making the call the man made a fatal mistake. He stepped out into the roadway and was struck by another vehicle going the same direction. The driver of the other vehicle said that the man just stepped out in front of him and that he had taken evasive action but to no avail. My prayers go out to the family and friends of the deceased.

According to the Tennessee Rules of the Road if you have vehicle trouble, move to the right shoulder or emergency stopping area as soon as you can. Turn on your emergency flashers to warn other traffic. If you need help raise your hood and tie a white cloth to the hood or radio antenna. If possible, it is better to stay in or near your vehicle on the side away from traffic. Walking along the interstate is dangerous.

If you want to learn more about the Tennessee Rules of the Road or other issues related to Tennessee highway safety go to the website of the experienced Tennessee automobile accident lawyers at Phillip Miller & Associates for answers.

Hit & Run Fatality

As an experienced Nashville automobile accident lawyer, I have seen all sorts of things that make question the human condition.  The worst kind of person, the most selfish and cold-blooded, that I have run into in this business is the Hit & Run driver. They run someone down, it may or may not be their fault but they choose to run and hide, leaving a fellow human being lying, dying in the street.

Reference an AP story out of Kentucky. A 69-year-old man was run down by a car at an intersection, allegedly driven by a 19-year-old woman who’s now locked up in the county jail under a $100,000 bond on a charge 2^nd degree manslaughter and leaving the scene of a personal injury accident. We won’t know until she faces trial why she chose to leave the man dying in the street.

Most H&R drivers are under the influence of alcohol, others have already run afoul of the law and have lost their driving privileges, yet they continue to get behind the wheel and ignore the rules.

Many H&R drivers are trying to avoid detection because they don’t have insurance and they don’t want to face the responsibility for their actions. If you witness someone hitting and running, be a good citizen. Get the license plate number and report it to the police. If you can do it safely, whip out your cell phone camera and make a picture of the car that has hit and run . . . emphasizing its tag, of course.

If you witness someone hitting and running, be a good citizen. Get the license plate number and report it to the police. If you can do it safely, whip out your cell phone camera and make a picture of the car that has hit and run . . . emphasizing its tag, if you are able.

If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Tennessee automobile pedestrian fatality by a drunk hit & run driver, recovering damages for your loss can be a tricky proposition and you will need an experienced Nashville automobile accident attorney to help you protect your rights. At Phillip Miller & Associates we can help you.

Pedestrian Fatality

I have often written about the need to hire an experienced Nashville automobile accident if you are the victim of what appears on first glance to be the result of a negligent driver. In order to be compensated for your lost, both for property damage and personal injury you have to show two things, that the driver of the other car was negligent and the negligence was the cause of your loss.

The job of an experienced Tennessee car crash lawyer is to prove exactly that. Some cases are easy to prove while others maybe not so easy. Reference a recent collision in which two Pikeville Kentucky pedestrians were walking along, minding their own business when they were run down and killed by an out of control tractor-trailer truck.

According to a report on the website of WYMI-TV The driver turned the truck to avoid hitting a building and hit the pedestrians instead. According to police, after an initial investigation they determined that the problem was caused by a mechanical failure in the truck itself. At first glance it might appear to a lay person that it wasn’t the driver’s fault. He did the best he could but the trucks failure made it impossible for his to prevent hitting the pedestrians.

An experienced Nashville automobile accident lawyer would look at the situation through a different pair of glasses, finding out whether there was, in fact, a mechanical failure. Was the mechanical problem known to the driver and or the trucking company and had they made reasonable attempts to repair the problem. They would determine whether the truck had been properly maintained.

There are a number of steps that an experienced Tennessee car accident lawyer like those you will find at Phillip Miller & Associates. If you or a loved one is involved in an automobile accident give us a call and take advantage of a free consultation to determine your rights and remedies.