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.

Thanks To The Brave Men and Women of Law Enforcement

The prayers of the lawyers and staff at Phillip Miller & Associates go out to the family of Tennessee State Trooper Andy Wall who was killed while on duty yesterday in a traffic accident. Out prayers and best wishes for a speedy and complete recovery go out to fellow Trooper Buddy Head who was injured in the same accident.

The two Troopers were escorting members of the U.S. Air Force’s Thunderbird Team to the Great Tennessee Air Show. According to local media sources the accident involved the two troopers and three other vehicle. Details of the accident have not been released as the investigation is ongoing.

I have said over and over in this Blog that the brave men and women of law enforcement go to work everyday and never know whether they will return home to their families. All Tennesseans have lost one of our finest and we should be thankful for his service.

If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Tennessee motorcycle accident, contact the experienced Tennessee automobile accident lawyers at Phillip Miller & Associates and take advantage of a free consultation with a Board Certified civil trial lawyer. Call 615-356-2000.

Speed and Distractions

From the information I gleaned from local media reports it appears to me that speed was the main factor, and probably a bit of distracted driver, lead to a most unhappy birthday for a 23-year-old Elizatethton woman.

For some reason, probably a distraction of some sort, she left the road and went into a ditch. After hitting the ditch, her car traveled over 200 feet before it hit a boulder that sent the VW airborne and back into the path of another vehicle coming the other way on the highway. The distance she traveled in the ditch indicates that she had a good head of steam as she left the roadway.

Neither the condition of the woman in the VW or those in the other vehicle are known at the time I write this Blog. 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.

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.

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

Increase In Fatalities

As an experienced Nashville automobile accident lawyer I am saddened by the news today from the Tennessee Department of Safety. There was an increase in traffic deaths over the 2010 Thanksgiving holiday. Twelve people died this year as opposed to ten from last year. The saddest thing about these numbers is that seven of the victims were not wearing seatbelts.

Ladies and gentlemen, seatbelts save lives. 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 proper use of seatbelts is required by Tennessee law. Seat belts can, and often do, help save you and your passengers’ lives in the event of a traffic crash.   Restraint use is clearly designed to reduce injury severity and prevent occupants from being ejected from their vehicles.

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.

Teach Your Children Well

I’ve written often about a parent’s responsibility to teach their teens about highway safety. A recent article on the web site of WBIR TV in Knoxville highlighted and interesting concept that is taking wings across the country.

The process is called ‘Commentary Driving”. You should start this process when the child first starts showing an interest in driving, about the age of 13 or 14. Here’s how it works: As you drive with you teen in the car you actually do a play-by-play like you would hear from a football game on the TV.

Comment on what you see as a driver. Look for things you see as the driver that might make you change direction or speed. Turn off the radio and cell phone off so that you have no distractions.

The article points out that a driver has to deal with 200 events per mile of city driving and from those events has to make 100 decisions during that same distance. It is suggested that you keep up this dialogue for five minutes or so and then let the child comment on what he/she sees.

Once the child is old enough for driving lessons have them comment from behind the wheel. So, what do we learn by using this process? We learn that driving a car on a public street is a serious and dangerous business and that the person behind the wheel cannot take chances or become distracted.

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

Child Safety Seats Work

The Kingsport Times-News reported that a fast moving sedan slammed into the rear end of a parked van containing five small children and three adults. Miraculously none of the children were hurt, but the van’s driver and two other passengers were transported to the hospital. The sedan driver was uninjured but was cited failure to yield and failure to have automobile insurance.

The report went on to say that, “Rescue workers severed the middle post connected to the passenger door panel while getting one hurt passenger out of the van. The authorities did not release the names of any of the victims. According to the reporter, the children were crying and as they were being ushered to the side of the road, one little girl yelled, “I love you, Daddy” while one passenger was placed on a stretcher.

The staff here at Phillip Miller & Associates sends our deepest condolences to the family along with our great relief that none of the children were injured. It appears that the thoughtful parents had these kids safely secured in their car seats.

Driver inattention is the leading factor in most crashes and near-crashes, according to a landmark research report released today by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI). 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.

As an experienced Tennessee automobile accident attorney I look at this situation and ask myself why it is that a fast moving car rams into the rear-end of a van parked along a city street at 9:30 in the morning. It’s improbable that the car driver intended to ram the van so there must have been either a medical emergency or another type of distraction that caused the driver to take his eyes off the road. In that the driver was ticketed at the scene and not taken for medical treatment, nor was he arrested for driving under the influence it appears that the investigating authorities will focus on what distracted the driver. A good starting point is to examine the driver’s cell phone and determine whether he was making or taking a call. I will follow this accident and let you know what the investigators find out.

If you or a loved one is injured by a distracted motorist contact the experienced Tennessee automobile accident lawyers at Phillip Miller & Associates immediately to find out about your rights and remedies.