Why Was The Church Van Speeding?

A recent accident in East Tennessee points clearly to the reason why you need an experienced Tennessee auto accident lawyer if you are involved in a Tennessee motor vehicle accident. Why was the driver of a church van full of people speeding and running a stop sign moments before he crashed leaving 14 people injured?

Why was the registration on the church van expired and who was responsible for keeping it up-to-date? Why was the van driver not wearing his seatbelt? So many questions exist about liability and compensation that if one of the injured parties seeks compensation for injuries they better contact one of the experienced Tennessee automobile accident attorneys at Phillip Miller & Associates.

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 Roadway Departure Crash

It seems that everyday I check the state news I find at least one, and usually several roadway departure crashes leading to fatalities. I’m always amazed at the number of fatalities that could have been prevented had the driver and passengers been wearing their seat belts.

Reference an article this morning from the website of the Northwest Tennessee Today in which a 46-year-old woman from Dyer County lost control of her vehicle in a turn, left the roadway and went into and a long way along a roadside ditch before coming to a stop. She was not wearing her seatbelt according to the article and the investigating officer said he thought the outcome would be different had she taken a second to buckle up.

The initial question is, what caused her to lose control. Was she speeding? Was she distracted by something inside the car like a radio, cell phone, GPS or other electronic device? It’s hard to say but the lesson here for Tennessee drivers is that you must keep all of your attention on the act of driving and avoid distractions.

As an experienced Nashville automobile accident attorney we know that these crashes are referred to as “Roadway Departure Crashes” (RDCs). The Federal Highway Administration defines a 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.

If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Tennessee car crash by a distracted driver or a case like the present one that will require and experienced Tennessee automobile accident lawyer contact the lawyers at Phillip Miller & Associates for a free consultation to learn about your rights and remedies.

Early Morning Higway Fatality

The facts of a man’s death according to the local media outlets are simple. A 32-year-old man is driving down a Tennessee interstate highway at 3AM and loses control of his pickup truck, it flips several times, and he dies. Not much information about the end of the life of a human being, but that’s the full story. So many questions remain for the family and friends of the deceased, questions that will never be answered.

Investigators at the scene opined that the cause of the crash was excessive speed, but as an experienced Nashville automobile accident attorney, I am certain that there were other factors present that exacerbated the situation. Distractions can seriously impair a driver’s ability to navigate, especially at high speeds. It only takes a second to lose control. At 3AM drowsy driving could have been the culprit. Nodding off to sleep while traveling at high speeds is a certain way to bring your trip to a deadly ending. An autopsy will tell whether this man was under the influence. My prayers go out to the family and friends of this unfortunate man.

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.

Double Fatality

As an experienced Nashville automobile accident lawyer I have learned over the many years and many Tennessee automobile accident cases that most people have a higher opinion of their ability to driver than they actually possess. This faulty opinion leads them to believe that the Tennessee Rules of The Road and especially the speed limits do not apply to them.

Reference a single car crash in Knoxville that took the lives of two people in a roadway departure crash. The wreck occurred at  4 AM on Saturday morning. The crash investigators believe that speed was the cause of the accident.

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.

The Basic Speed Rule (BSR) is not a Tennessee law, but it is a general safety principle. The BSR does not set an exact speed limit; instead, it teaches that the speed you may drive is limited by current conditions. For example, if the posted speed limit is 65 mph and you are driving at night on a two-lane state highway and it’s raining or foggy, 65 mph is too fast for those conditions.

If you or a loved one are injured or killed in a Tennessee auto accident caused by a speeding driver contact the experienced Nashville automobile accident lawyers at Phillip Miller & Associates and find out 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.

Speed Kills

It’s hard to tell whether the new “Super Speeder” law passed this week by the Tennessee Senate is about safety or revenue enhancement. On the one hand Republican Senator Jack Johnson says the bill is needed because the Supreme Court has held that excessive speed alone is insufficient to charge motorists with reckless driving.

On the other hand, the good Senator is concerned that tickets issued by the State Troopers, and the revenue that comes with them, have declined by approximately 50% during the first decade of the 21^st Century. The bill would fine motorists who are caught going 25 mph or more over the posted speed limit, an additional $500.00.

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 total economic cost of crashes was estimated at $230.6 billion in 2000.

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.

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.

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.

For more information about 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.

Drunk and Speeding

As an experienced Tennessee automobile accident lawyer I tell you for certain that speeding is one of the most prevalent factors contributing to traffic crashes. The economic costs of speed-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.

Adding alcohol to a speeding driver and the death and destruction levels rise exponentially. A Nashville woman was lucky that she avoided being one of these fatality statistics. The facts are simple and all too often repeated, she was speeding on a two-lane highway, lost control, left the road and hit a power pole. The pole caught afire as did her car, yet she escaped unharmed.

Drinking and driving do not ever mix. Every day, 36 people in the United States die, and approximately 700 more are injured, in motor vehicle crashes that involve an alcohol-impaired driver. The annual cost of alcohol-related crashes totals more than 51 billion dollars. But there are effective measures that can help prevent injuries and deaths from alcohol-impaired driving, education is an important tool and enforcement with stiff penalties is critical to changing the drinking driving culture that has developed in our country.

If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Tennessee automobile accident caused by a drunk, or otherwise impaired driver, contact the experienced Nashville automobile attorneys at Phillip Miller & Associates.

Speed, Distractions?

A Monroe County woman was killed this past weekend when the car she was driving rounded a curve and began to slid across the road striking a boulder. Neither she nor her nine-year-old passenger were wearing seat belts at the time of the crash. It’s hard to say what caused the driver to lose control of the car, she might have been distracted, she might have been going too fast for the conditions, or she might have had faulty equipment such as bald tires. It’s not hard to say what caused her fatality and the injuries to the child, and that is that they were not wearing seatbelts.

Speeding is one of the most prevalent factors contributing to traffic crashes. The economic cost of speed-related crashes is estimated to be in excess of $40.4 billion 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.

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.

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

Roadway Departure Crash

In March media sources all over the country covered the tragic tractor-trailer roadway departure crash in Kentucky that took the lives of eleven people. A report yesterday by the Kentucky State Police said that an Alabama truck driver who caused the collision was on his cell phone sending and receiving calls leading up to the crash.

The report also says that the Jasper, Alabama driver was driving in excess of the 70 mph speed limit and did not have his tractor-trailer under control when he crossed the median on March 26 and struck a van carrying Mennonites to a wedding in Iowa.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, which oversees the trucking industry, gave Hester Inc. a driver safety evaluation area of 88.4 in February, based on inspections of the company’s 30 drivers during the past 30 months. The agency uses a scale of 1 to 100, with 100 being the worst score. The company was not considered deficient in other areas, so the agency had not targeted it for a compliance review.

Federal records show the agency has conducted 194 driver inspections on Hester drivers in the 30 months before the wreck. Those inspections resulted in 21 drivers being taken out of service for log book violations, exceeding the 11-hour driving limit or the 14-hour on duty limit.

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.

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.

If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Tennessee car crash caused by a distracted driver or a case like the present one that will require an experienced Tennessee automobile/tractor-trailer accident lawyer contact the lawyers at Phillip Miller & Associates for a free consultation to learn about your rights and remedies.