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.

Hit & Run Drivers

In my many years as a Tennessee automobile accident lawyer I can tell you that 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.

Reference and article today on the website of WBIR TV in Knoxville, reporting on the H&R killing in Harriman Tennessee, of 33-year-old Alicia Gilreath. Police are looking for a gray Ford pick-up truck with right side damage. The scumbag who was driving this truck, hit a woman hard enough to tear parts of the right side of his/her pickup and then left her lying in the street to die alone.

Tennessee is joined by 46 other states in making H&R a felony as it should be. If you or a loved one is injured or killed by a Tennessee 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.

Holiday Fatalities Down

Although ten people were killed in Tennessee highway accidents during the New Years holiday weekend there is a positive side to the statistic. According to the Tennessee Department of Safety in Nashville preliminary reports indicate that the ten people killed in Tennessee traffic crashes during the 2009-2010 New Year’s holiday weekend, is down from last years 12 fatalities. Preliminary reports also indicate two people were killed during the 2009 Christmas holiday weekend, compared to 9 fatalities during last year’s Christmas holiday.

Ten people were killed in eight fatal crashes during the 2009-2010 New Year’s holiday period. Two of the ten fatalities occurred in alcohol-related crashes in DeKalb and Sumner counties. Four of the eight people killed who were vehicle occupants were not wearing safety restraints and two of the fatalities were pedestrians. Troopers said two of the 10 fatalities involved alcohol and occurred in DeKalb and Sumner counties. Four passengers who were killed weren’t wearing seat belts, and two of the fatalities were pedestrians. According to the THP, one of the fatalities was a 16-month-old girl who wasn’t properly restrained and died in a triple fatality crash on Interstate 75 in McMinn County.

Over the two holiday weekends, the Tennessee Highway Patrol conducted more than 100 sobriety and driver license checkpoints across the state as Troopers arrested drivers for driving under the influence and speeding. Preliminary statistics indicate that 954 people died in Tennessee roadway accidents in 2009, a decline of 89 deaths compared to 1,043 fatalities in 2008.

One of the things that stood out to this Nashville automobile accident attorney is that if four of the eight fatalities had been wearing their seat belts as required by Tennessee law, the fatality rate might just be half of what it is. It’s real simple folks, it just takes a second or two to secure yourself and your passengers. Seat belts work if you work them.

If you or a loved one was injured or killed in a Tennessee car crash during the holiday season contact the experienced Tennessee automobile accident attorney’s at Phillip Miller & Associates and take advantage of a free consultation to find out about your rights and remedies.

Hit & Run

On December the 14^th my Tennessee auto accident attorney blog identified the chief contender for the most thoughtless Tennessee driver of 2009. She was drinking, texting and driving with her several day old baby unrestrained when she hit a sign and crashed her car injuring the baby. I thought that this late in the year I wouldn’t find a driver that even came close to this person, but then I read an article in several Nashville media outlets describing the arrest of Angela Marie Shenkle and I think I will be forced to reconsider.

It seems Ms. Shenkle has been charged following an incident in which she stuck and killed a Madison pedestrian as he walked along Gallatin Pike in Nashville. Investigators quoted in the articles believe that she was under the influence of alcohol and drugs. When they located her they found two syringes and two bottles of liquor in her vehicle. To take this tragic story to another level of madness, investigators believe she was involved in a Hit & Run on another pedestrian earlier that same evening. Ms. Shenkle was charged with unlawful use and possession of drug paraphernalia, drug possession without a prescription and DUI. I would expect that homicide charges will follow after the investigation is completed. The identity of the Madison man was not released but I have added him to my prayers along with Ms. Shenkle.

As an experienced Nashville automobile accident attorney I’ve seen dozens of Hit & Run cases, but never have I seen one that makes me think at first glance that a driver was going around town trying to hit pedestrians. Now, don’t get me wrong, I only know about this what I read in the articles but this gal is cold-blooded. Imagine, hitting a human being with your car and leaving them to die alone in the street. After Ms. Shenkle is finished with whatever punishment she gets for this crime, she should permanently forfeit her privileges to operate a motor vehicle in Tennessee.

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 or a loved one is injured or killed by a drunk Hit & Run driver recovering damages for your loss can be a tricky propostition and you will need an experienced Nashville automobile accident attorney to help you protect your rights. At Phillip Miller & Associates we can help you.

Practice Pedestrian Safety

It’s every parents dream to have a teenager who gets it. One who works hard at two jobs to pay for her education and who is loved and respected by her family and friends. It’s every parent’s nightmare when they get the call that this wonderful child has been killed in a motor vehicle accident.

Reference an article on the website of NewsChannel5 describing the accident that left 18-year-old Maria Gonzalez dead on Gallatin Road, the victim of an Nashville automobile pedestrian accident. According to the article Metro Police identified 29-year-old Anthony Kim of Hermitage as the driver of the car. Mr. Kim told police that he was driving southbound along Gallatin Pike when the 18-year-old darted across the street from the west side of Gallatin Pike wearing dark clothes. Neither drugs nor alcohol were involved but no information has been released about Mr. Kim’s speed at the point of collision.

In 2008, 61 pedestrian fatalities occurred on state highways. While the incidence of traffic crashes involving pedestrians is a small percentage of overall traffic-related fatalities, there is still a great need to ensure the safety of all roadway users. In 2004, the State Department of Transportation recognized the need to make a better environment for increased pedestrian safety by instituting a “Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Policy.” This policy specifically addresses the need to improve transportation conditions for pedestrians by designing infrastructure that provides safe, accessible facilities for walking on all new and reconstructed state highways. As a result, many of Tennessee’s roadways are now safer and more accommodating to pedestrian travel, but apparently not this intersection.

The state strategy is to create driver education courses to teach students about the importance of sharing the highways in a safe manner and when and how they are required to yield the right-of-way to pedestrians. Other programs, including the “Safe Routes To School” initiative are now available to teach students how to safely walk and bicycle to school and also raise awareness for motorists about traveling safely during school time and through school zones.

Ms. Gonzalez’ family is calling on state and local authorities to establish a crosswalk at this busy intersection so that no other parents need suffer the loss of a loved one.

If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Nashville pedestrian motor vehicle accident contact the experienced Nashville automobile accident attorney’s at Phillip Miller & Associates and take advantage of a to learn about your rights and remedies.