Practice Airbag Safety

Air bags must inflate very rapidly to be effective, and therefore come out of the steering wheel hub or instrument panel with considerable force, generally at a speed over 100 mph. Because of this initial force, contact with a deploying air bag may cause injury. These air bag contact injuries, when they occur, are typically very minor abrasions or burns.

More serious injuries are rare; however, serious or even fatal injuries can occur when someone is very close to, or in direct contact with an air bag module when the air bag deploys. Airbag injuries may be sustained by unconscious drivers who are slumped over the steering wheel, unrestrained or improperly restrained occupants who slide forward in the seat during pre-crash braking, and even properly restrained drivers who sit very close to the steering wheel. Never attach objects to an air bag module or place loose objects on or near an air bag module, since they can be propelled with great force by a deploying air bag, potentially causing serious injuries.

An unrestrained or improperly restrained occupant can be seriously injured or killed by a deploying air bag. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recommends drivers sit with at least 10 inches between the center of their breastbone and the center of the steering wheel.

Children 12 and under should always ride properly restrained in a rear seat. Never put a rear-facing infant restraint in the front seat of a vehicle with a front passenger air bag. A rear-facing infant restraint places an infant’s head close to the air bag module, which can cause severe head injuries or death if the air bag deploys.

For this and other important Tennessee highway safety tips visit the website of the experienced Nashville automobile accident attorneys at Phillip Miller & Associates. Call 615-356-2000.

Dangerous Vehicle

I have been following a horrific interstate accident that took the life of a young woman and seriously injured several others on I-40 West of Nashville. The accident draws attention to the dangers of 15 passenger vans like those used by churches, day care centers, colleges and universities.

In recent warnings issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the NHTSA said that it is directing the advisory to church groups, other non-profit organizations and colleges that may be keeping older 15-passenger vans in service longer than usual because of tight transportation budgets.

Pre-primary, primary and secondary schools should not use 15-passenger vans for transporting school children, as they do not provide the same level of safety as school buses. It is also against federal law for schools to buy new 15-passenger vans for school transportation purposes.

Here are some safety tips for anyone planning a trip in 15-passenger vans:

* If you are an owner, make sure the vehicle is properly maintained.

* Owners should make sure drivers are fully trained and experienced in operating a 15-passenger van and are properly licensed.

* 15-passenger vans are very sensitive to loading and should not be overloaded under any circumstances. Agency research shows overloading not only increases rollover risk but makes the vehicle more unstable in any handling maneuvers.

* Owners should make sure that properly sized tires are being used on their vehicles.

* Before every trip, drivers should check the tires for proper inflation, and make sure there are no signs of wear. Correct tire size and inflation pressure information can be found in the owner’s manual.

* If you are a passenger, make sure you buckle up for every trip.

The driver of the van in question was a 24-year-old church member who, according to local media reports fell asleep while driving. The deceased child was not wearing a seat belt.

If you or a loved one is injured or killed in an accident caused by a 15 passenger van, contact the experienced Nashville automobile accident attorneys at Phillip Miller & Associates. Call 615-356-2000

Seat Belts Save Lives

It seems to this experienced Tennessee auto accident lawyer that we are having an epidemic of one-car roadway departure crashes here in Tennessee this summer. I blogged several times this past week about these dangerous crashes.

Jackson Tennessee police are investigating another fatal one-car crash that took the life of a 22-year-old woman. According to police and local media reports the crash happened about 2:15 a.m. in the 100 block of Berry Street.

The facts are similar to all of the others, her car left the roadway, the SUV overturned in the ditch and she was ejected and died. She was not wearing her seat belt. It only takes a few seconds to buckle up, avoid a ticket and possibly save your life. Yet many, like this young woman, still fail to take the time.

Tennessee law requires the use of seat belts. An overwhelming number of studies show that seat belts, when used correctly, save lives. We need, all of us, to take a second or two and buckle our seat belts and stay alive. If you wish to learn about this or other highway safety tips and suggestions visit the web site of the experienced Nashville automobile accident attorneys at Phillip Miller & Associates. Call 615-356-2000.

Intersection Accident

Whenever an experienced Nashville automobile accident lawyer reads about an accident in which a driver or passenger is ejected from the vehicle, the first thought is that the person had not taken time to fasten their seat belt.

That seems to be the case in an accident in Clarksville, Tennessee the other day. According to local media sources two drivers were injured in a wreck at the intersection of 101st Airborne Division Parkway and Parkway Place.

A 23-year-old man was driving a camouflaged Dodge pickup truck and he turned directly into the path of an oncoming BMW that had the right-of-way. The Beemer T-boned the pickup and the pickup driver was ejected as a result of the crash and not wearing his seat belt. Luckily, neither man was killed. The pickup driver suffered head trauma and is in stable condition.

It’s really a simple concept that takes only a second or two to complete, but failure to exercise it can lead to catastrophic results. The use of seat belts are required by Tennessee law.  Seat belts can, and often do, help save you and your passengers’ lives in the event of a traffic crash.

For more information about Tennessee highway safety and some good accident prevention tips go to my website at www.seriousinjury.com.  If you need further information and or the advice of a group of experienced Tennessee automobile accident lawyers call Phillip Miller & Associates for the answers.

Practice Driver safety

The Centers for Disease Control, a federal agency aimed at addressing public health concerns, released a report Wednesday revealing tragically high figures with respect to nationwide car accident injuries and fatalities. Despite a commitment to improvement on state roadways, California tops the list as being the largest contributor to nationwide vehicle fatality and injury statistics.

For starters, vehicle crashes cost the U.S. $41 billion annually in medical and work loss costs. Out of all fifty states, ten states account for half of this figure. In other words, 20% of U.S. states account for 50% of the loss. Of these top losers, California is accompanied by Florida, Texas, Georgia, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, New York, Illinois, Ohio and Tennessee.

California reportedly lost or expended $4.6 billion dollars in 2005 for medical injuries, fatalities and lost work time due to traffic accidents. The CDC reiterates that nearly all traffic fatalities are preventable and urges all Americans to adamantly insist upon seat-belt use for them and their families 100% of the time. Up-to-date child safety seats and nationwide motorcycle helmet use could also reduce the injurious impact of vehicle accidents as well.

The United Nations has actually dubbed 2011-2020 the Decade of Action for Road Safety. The CDC’s report is in cooperation with the global initiative to dramatically lessen fatalities and injuries and keep costs down at the same time. The CDC strongly encourages states the maintain or enact graduated driver licensing laws to ease teens into the responsibilities and duties of becoming a driver. Many states still allow teens on the roadway will full drivers’ licenses after just weeks with a learner’s permit. The CDC urges that granting driving privileges in stages as opposed to all at once gives teens just the right amount of responsibility congruent with a lowered amount of risk as many graduated licensing programs do not permit driving after dark or after certain nighttime hours.

“We think any added safety measures or precautions that will prevent traffic fatalities and roadway injuries are great and should be implemented in California” stated attorney Emery Brett Ledger of Ledger Law and Associates. Ledger Law is an Orange County personal injury firm dedicated to advocating for accident victims and their families.

4,478 Californians lost their lives in 2005 from fatal car accidents. This staggering number is the direct result of increased driver distraction and the influx of handheld devices controlling drivers’ every thought and turning their eyes and attention away from the roadways. Ledger Law urges drivers to never utilize a cell phone while driving. No text message or phone call is worth your life.

At Phillip Miller & Associates, our experienced Nashville auto accident lawyers encourage each and every one of you to avoid distractions while you are behind the wheel. If you someone driving while distracted get the identity, license number and description of the driver and pull ove and call police.

Seat Belts Save Lives

There were very few facts about a  roadway departure crash in Williamson County Tennessee, but one thing caught my attention. One of the occupants was ejected from the vehicle and injured seriously. When a person is ejected it is apparent to all experienced Tennessee personal injury lawyers is that the person was not wearing a seatbelt.

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 or a loved one is injured or killed in a Tennessee automobile accident caused by a negligent driver, contact the experienced Nashville auto accident lawyers at Phillip Miller & Associates and find out about your rights and remedies.

Do Drive Carefully

If I’ve said this once I’ve said it a hundred times, “motor vehicle are not toys to be played with, they are deadly weapons waiting to kill.” I usually write about accidents and driver foibles that occur in Tennessee, but I read a media report of, probably the worst case of driver negligence and stupidity that I have ever heard of and the case comes out of Naples Florida.

First of all, there are seven people in a pickup truck in a vacant lot. None of them have their seatbelts on and the driver decides to spin some donuts.  The vehicle flipped over, ejects the driver and front seat passenger and rolls over on them, killing them at the scene. Another passenger was killed and several others were seriously injured. Does this sound like fun to you?  It takes all kinds.

The lesson for Tennessee drivers, repeated once more, is that motor vehicle are dangerous and if you play with them like they are toys you’re going to be sorry, real sorry. One more thing, seat belts work, they save lives but only if you buckle them.

If you or a loved one is killed or injured in a Tennessee automobile accident caused by a candidate for “The Stupidest Tennessee Driver”, contact the experienced Nashville automobile accident attorneys at Phillip Miller & Associates and find out about your rights and remedies.

Seat Belts Make A Difference

In Tennessee, seat belts, child safety seats and child booster seats, are required by law. Seat belts can help save lives in the event of a traffic crash. One of the main benefits of using seat belts is that, during a crash, they prevent 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.

Reference a recent Tennessee highway fatality in which a Elizabethton woman was killed on Highway 19E, near mile marker 16. The family and friends of the 38-year-old woman will probably never know what she was doing in the seconds prior to her vehicle leaving the road, but whatever it was, it distracted her.

She left the road, crossed the median, the other lane and as she hit the ditch her vehicle rolled, ejecting her. The investigating Trooper, according to local media reports, said that he believed that had she taken the time to secure her seat belt, the outcome of the accident would have been different. Seat belts save lives. Take a second before you turn the ignition key and buckle up.

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 personal injury 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.

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.

Buckle Up Smokey

With all of the present emphasis on securing your safey belts when driving, this latest information from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is somewhat interesting. In the past three decades, according to the administration, 42 percent of the police officers who died in crashes were not wearing seat belts. In Utah, the number is a lot higher.

Utah’s Highway Safety office says since 1990, seven of the 10 officers killed in line-of-duty crashes were not wearing seat belts. The figures include a crash that killed North Salt Lake Police officer Charles Skinner in 2008, and a June 2010 crash in which Bureau of Indian Affairs Officer Joshua Yazzie was killed.

Restraint use is clearly designed to reduce injury severity and prevent occupants from being ejected from their vehicles. Tennessee law requires the use of seat belts. An overwhelming number of studies show that seat belts, when used correctly, save lives.

Officers complain that the belts get caught on their equipment or that they can’t exit their vehicles as quickly as some instances call for. This is dangerous thinking, and in states like Tennessee, illegal. I spoke with a spokesperson from the Metro Nashville Police Department and they told me that the seatbelt policy is strictly enforced and violation can include fines, suspension and for multiple violations, discharge from the force.

What’s good for the goose is good for the gander. We need, all of us, to take a second or two and buckle our seat belts and stay alive. If you wish to learn about this or other highway safety tips and suggestions visit the web site of the experienced Nashville automobile accident attorneys at Phillip Miller & Associates.