Speed Kills

A 25-year-old Kingsport woman was critically injured Thursday in a roadway crash on Interstate 26 in north Johnson City. She was traveling west on I-26 near mile marker 14 when she lost control in a curve.

The woman’s 1993 Dodge Dynasty went off the left side of the road, crossed back over both westbound lanes, ran off the road to the right along an embankment, rolled several times and came to rest in a ditch, according to the police report. She remains in critical condition.

In an interesting turn of events, and something about which I am not clear, the Johnson City Police Department’s Traffic Homicide Team was investigating. There seems to more to this then appears in the local media reports.

As an experienced Nashville auto accident lawyer, when I hear that someone lost control in a curve on an interstate it means that the driver was either speeding and/or distracted. Nearly 80 percent of crashes and 65 percent of near-crashes involved some form of driver inattention within three seconds before the event.

Speeding is one of the most prevalent factors contributing to traffic crashes. Speeding was a contributing factor in 31 percent of all fatal crashes, and 13,040 lives were lost in speeding-related crashes.

If you or a loved is seriously injured or killed in a Tennessee motor vehicle accident by a speeding driver you ought to contact the experienced Tennessee automobile accident attorneys at Phillip Miller & Associates and take advantage of a free consultation to find out about your rights and remedies.

Speed Kills

A four vehicle automobile collision in Anderson County, Tennessee took the life of a Knoxville man. According to local media reports the 36 year-old man was headed south on Clinton highway near Turkey Rd. when an oncoming F-150 in the southbound lanes, lost control and crossed into the path of a Jeep. The vehicles collided and the F-150 rolled over in the other lane and was then struck by the vehicle driven by the deceased man.

So what was it that caused the F-150 to lose control? From the minimal facts reported by a local media outlet it appears that the truck fish-tailed, which would probably indicate that the driver was speeding and was unable to negotiate the curve.

As an experienced Tennessee automobile accident attorney, I see dozens of highway fatalities every year that involve speeding. Those speeding drivers who survive have all kinds of reasons to justify their behavior, and they usually involve something that is easily characterized as selfish motives.

It is incumbent upon each of us to travel at safe and reasonable speeds on highways, not only because it saves lives but it promotes the nation’s productivity. Most highways and motor vehicles are designed and built for safe operation at the speeds traveled by most motorists.

Speeding, exceeding posted limits or driving too fast for conditions, involves many factors including public attitudes, personal behavior, vehicle performance, roadway characteristics, enforcement strategies, and speed zoning (a safe and reasonable limit for a given road section or zone). Nevertheless, speeding on the nation’s roadways is a contributing factor in as many as one third of all fatal crashes.

If you or a loved one is involved, and seriously injured in a Nashville automobile accident caused by a speeding driver, you owe it to your family to get in touch with the experienced Nashville auto accident attorney’s at Phillip Miller & Associates.Call 615-356-2000

Speed Kills

A Millington man died Tuesday in a one-car crash near the Millington Regional Jetport, according to a report of the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office and local news media. The 57-year-old man, died in the crash shortly after 5 p.m. on Armour Road south of Aycock. Our prayers go out to his family and friends.

The report revealed that he was driving a Mazda 626 north on Armour when the left rear tire separated, causing the vehicle to slide and hit a power pole. He was trapped inside as the car roof caved in. Police said he was wearing his seatbelt, but the investigation points to excessive speed as the leading factor in the crash.

Speeding is one of the most prevalent factors contributing to traffic crashes. In 2009, speed was a contributing factor in 31 percent of all fatal crashes, and 13,040 lives were lost in speeding-related crashes.

If you or a loved is seriously injured or killed in a Tennessee motor vehicle accident by a speeding driver you ought to contact the experienced Tennessee automobile accident attorneys at Phillip Miller & Associates and take advantage of a free consultation to find out about your rights and remedies.

Alcohol and Speed Combine to Kill

Local Johnson City, Tennessee news media reported that one woman was killed and four others were seriously injured in a two-vehicle intersection crash on Saturday night. The wreck occurred at 10:30 p.m. Saturday and involved a green Dodge Caravan carrying four people, including an infant, and a Ford F-250 truck.

The driver of the truck crossed the centerline and struck the driver’s side of the Dodge Caravan, which was traveling south on the same road. The truck went on for some distance down the road before losing control and hitting a tree. The deceased, a 56-year-old woman, was a passenger in the Dodge. The other passengers were treated and released along with the pickup driver. Investigators say that speed and alcohol were contributing factors in the crash and charges will be filed pending the completion of the investigation.

Drunk driving is one of America’s deadliest crimes. In Tennessee in 2008, 327 people were killed in crashes where the driver or motorcyclist 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.

Add speeding to the mix and the outcome is usually not a pretty sight. Speeding is one of the most prevalent factors contributing to Tennessee traffic crashes. Speeding was a contributing factor in 31 percent of all fatal crashes, and 13,040 lives were lost in speeding-related crashes

If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Nashville automobile accident by a drunk driver contact the experienced Nashville automobile accident attorney’s at Phillip Miller & Associates and take advantage of a free consultation so that you can get a complete picture of your rights and remedies.

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.

Tennessee Motorcycle Fatality

Combine a high-powered motorcycle, alcohol and high speed and the outcome isn’t going to come under the category of pretty. A Knoxville Tennessee man was speeding along at 12:45 in the morning when he lost control of his motorcycle as he rounded a curve on the ramp connecting I-40 to I-640 in Knoxville. His body slid across the highway, slammed into a guardrail, leaving him dead at the scene.

As an experienced Tennessee motorcycle accident attorney I am concerned that while all other types of fatal crashes involving cars, trucks and pedestrians are on the decrease, motorcycle fatalities continue to rise. What lies at the cause of this phenomenon? Several things come to mind.

Manufacturers continue to make these motorcycles bigger and faster. These high-powered bikes require more skill and unfortunately anybody with the money or credit can buy one and without any specialized training, take to the highway.

As is the case here, motorcycles are more likely to be involved in a fatal collision with a fixed object than are other vehicles. In 2007, 25 percent of the motorcycles involved in fatal crashes collided with fixed objects, compared to 18 percent for passenger cars, 13 percent for light trucks, and 3 percent for large trucks.

Motorcycles made up nearly 3 percent of all registered vehicles in the United States in 2006 and accounted for only 0.4 percent of all vehicle miles traveled. Per vehicle mile traveled in 2006, motorcyclists were about 35 times more likely than passenger car occupants to die in a motor vehicle traffic crash and 8 times more likely to be injured.

If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Tennessee motorcycle/car accident caused by a careless motorcycle rider, contact the experienced Nashville highway accident attorneys at Phillip Miller & Associates for a free consultation to learn about your rights and remedies.

Motorcyle Fatality

It’s the same old Tennessee story. Late night, high powered, high speed motorcycle fails to negotiate a curve and the driver slams into a guard rail or some other solid object and that’s all she wrote. A 35-year-old man was riding his motorcycle at high speed, lost control and died. Not many words to describe the death of a man.

As an experienced Tennessee motorcycle accident attorney I am concerned that while all other types of fatal crashes involving cars, trucks and pedestrians are on the decrease, motorcycle fatalities continue to rise. What lies at the cause of this phenomenon? Several things come to mind.

First of all manufacturers continue to make motorcycles bigger and faster. Sometimes known as “crotch rockets” these high-powered bikes require more skill and unfortunately anybody with the money or credit can buy one and without any specialized training, take to the highway.

As is the case here, motorcycles are more likely to be involved in a fatal collision with a fixed object than are other vehicles. In 2007, 25 percent of the motorcycles involved in fatal crashes collided with fixed objects, compared to 18 percent for passenger cars, 13 percent for light trucks, and 3 percent for large trucks.

Motorcycles made up nearly 3 percent of all registered vehicles in the United States in 2006 and accounted for only 0.4 percent of all vehicle miles traveled. Per vehicle mile traveled in 2006, motorcyclists were about 35 times more likely than passenger car occupants to die in a motor vehicle traffic crash and 8 times more likely to be injured.

If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Tennessee automobile accident caused by a careless motorcycle rider, contact the experienced Nashville automobile accident attorneys at Phillip Miller & Associates for a free consultation to learn about your rights and remedies.

Red Light Fatality

Initially there was a lot of anger at a local Tennessee driver who appeared to have run a red light and collided, with fatal consequences, with a car driven by a popular local police officer. The officer survived the crash and was recovering but later died from complications from his surgery.

After the final report of an investigation by the Tennessee Highway Patrol the Maury County Grand Jury declined to pursue charges against him. The investigation showed that the deceased was driving at least 30 miles over the speed limit.

Speeding is one of the most prevalent factors contributing to traffic crashes. The 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 speed at which you drive determines how much time you have to act or react and how long it takes to stop. The higher the speed, the less time drivers have to spot hazards. Judge the speed of other traffic, and react to avoid the mistakes of other drivers. Speed is a major contributing factor that causes fatal accidents in Tennessee. Unless otherwise posted, the speed limit on primary and secondary state and federal highways is 55 m.p.h.

If you or a loved one is injury or killed in a Tennessee motor vehicle accident caused by a speeding driver contact the experienced Tennessee automobile accident lawyers at Phillip Miller & Associates and take advantage of a free consultation to learn about your rights and remedies.