Seat Belts Save Lives

A Maynardsville, Tennessee woman is dead after she lost control of her vehicle late Friday night, according to local media reports. The 38-year-old woman was driving on Monroe St. in Maynardville when she lost control of her Chevy Blazer and was ejected when it overturned on an embankment. The article mentioned that she was not wearing her seat belt. Our prayers go out to her family and friends.

This Tennessee highway fatality presents two important issues, the first one is seat belt use, or rather, failure of seat belt use and the other is what caused her to run off the road.

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. As an experienced Tennessee auto accident lawyer, whenever I read about an accident in which a driver or passenger is ejected, I automatically relate it to failure to wear seat belts.

The primary cause of this accident was that she left the roadway. Police investigators will look to see whether speed was a factor, or whether the driver was somehow distracted and not paying attention to the road ahead. Distraction is a factor in 80% of  all accident in the United States, and the leading cause of distraction is the use of a cell phone. Police investigators will look to her cell phone records to see if she was using the device at, or near, the time of the crash.

The lesson here for Tennessee drivers is to take a few seconds to secure yourself and keep your eyes and mind on the road.

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.

Cell Phone Distraction

A 47-year-old Tennessee woman lucked out when her car left US Highway 41, over-corrected, lost control then left the roadway again striking an embankment and then rolled over. The cause of the crash was that she had dropped her cell phone and took her eyes off of the road in her attempt to reach it. She was transported with non-life endangering injuries.

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.

Drivers who use a cell phone – either handheld or hands-free, are four times more likely to be involved in a crash, according to a 1997 New England Journal of Medicine examination of hospital records, and a 2005 study funded by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety linking injury crashes to cell phone records.

About 30 research studies conclude that there is an increased crash risk when using a cell phone while driving. Many of these studies further conclude that using a hands-free phone while driving is just as risky as talking on a handheld phone.

As an experienced Nashville automobile accident attorney I implore you to put the cell phone down when you are driving. You might think that you are a good enough driver to driver and talk at the same time, but statistics say you are not.

If you are injured or killed in a Tennessee auto accident caused by a cell phone using driver, you owe it to yourself to contact the experienced Tennessee personal injury lawyers at Phillip Miller & Associates and secure your rights and remedies.

A Seat Belt Would Have Mattered

When we talk about distractions leading to Tennessee fatal automobile accidents we are talking about a serious issue in these days of cell phone’s, GPS and other navigation devices. The distraction can take only seconds and lives change forever. Take for example a recent crash in Thorn Hill, Tennessee. A Grainger County man was killed in a single-vehicle rollover crash Saturday night on state Highway 131 near Delmer Welch Road at approximately 7:35 p.m. when he lost control of his 2004 Dodge SRS.

According to local media reports his right front tire dropped off the roadway, he driver overcorrected, lost control, crossed both lanes and went airborne over an embankment. His car struck several trees and came to rest on its roof in a small creek.

The report quoted the investigating Trooper Toby Cameron as saying that the deceased was not wearing his seat belt, and he thought it would have made a difference. The man possibly lost his life because of two errors, he failed to take a second to buckle up and he took his attention off the road for a second. Our prayers go out to the family and friends of this unfortunate man.

The personal injury lawyers at Phillip Miller & Associates plead with your to take a minute and buckle up before you head out onto the highways and byways of Tennessee, and above all avoid distractions. Call 615-356-2000 to find out all you need to know if you are injured in a Nashville auto accident.

Distracted Tennessee Driver

Whenever you see an accident, usually involving one car that crosses the centerline and crashes into another, an experienced Nashville automobile accident lawyer starts thinking about driver distractions. Just what was the driver doing moments before the crash that caused his/her vehicle to go off the highway? What caused the driver to change focus from driving to other things?

This is the question several families in Fentress County, Tennessee will be asking themselves following a 2-vehicle crash. A 26-year-old Jamestown woman crossed the centerline and crashed head-on into an oncoming vehicle driven by a 40-year-old woman, also of Jamestown. The 26-year-old was dead at the scene and the other woman was injured.

What was she doing that took her eyes and her mind off of the task of driving? It only takes a second for the distraction to lead to calamity. Distraction from the primary task of driving could present a serious and potentially deadly danger. In 2008, 5,870 people lost their lives and an estimated 515,000 people were injured in police-reported crashes in which at least one form of driver distraction was reported on the crash report. While these numbers are significant, they may not state the true size of the problem, since the identification of distraction and its role in the crash by law enforcement can be very difficult.

If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Nashville automobile accident caused by a distracted driver you owe it to yourself to contact the experienced Nashville automobile accident lawyers at Phillip Miller & Associates and take advantage of a free consultation to find out about your rights and remedies.

From The Highway To The River

The good news is that the vehicle driven by a 23-year-old man, that included his 21-year-old woman passenger, missed a concrete barrier after they ran off US Highway 72, near Scottsboro, TN. The bad news is that the vehicle also missed two separate guardrails that would have prevented the vehicle from flipping several times before ending up in the Tennessee River. Fortunately, both people were able to get out of the vehicle and make their way to the shore, underneath a bridge to await rescue.

Police investigators will try to piece the minute-by-minute scenario of what the driver was doing in the time prior to leaving the highway.

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.

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.

Tennessee Teen Driver

A Jackson, Tennessee driver involved in a roadway departure crash in Willets, California is uninjured but his passengers were not so lucky. Of the five passengers a 21-year-old woman suffered major injuries and the other four were hospitalized.

According to local media reports the man was driving his 2006 Toyota along the roadway when, for some unknown reason, the car left the road and slammed into a tree. The driver was wearing his seat belt and the airbags deployed. According to the media report, the police ruled out alcohol and drugs as a cause.

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.

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. Investigators will most probably review her cell phone records and find that she was engaged in a conversation with someone.

If you or a loved one are involved in a Tennessee automobile accident caused by a distracted driver contact the experienced Nashville automobile accident attorneys at Phillip Miller & Associates and find out about your rights and remedies.

Head-On Collision

In a largely rural state like Tennessee, a driver is likely to find themselves on 2-lane highways with narrow shoulders. The reason why I am constantly harping on avoiding distractions is directly related highways like this. These secondary roads are very unforgiving.

Unforgiving is right. If you are distracted or driving too fast, it takes only a second or two and you are face to face with a tree, a whole bunch of trees or a ditch, or in the case of a Lincoln County, Tennessee man, a tractor-trailer truck. Rural roads are hazardous, they are narrow, windy and for the most part, without a shoulder.

The accident took place this past Friday on Highway 110. According to local media reports, an SUV and a tractor-trailer collided head-on in a curve. The SUV driver was killed. The media reports didn’t say who was at fault but observing the speed limit, paying attention to the road conditions and signs and avoiding any kind of distraction is the key to arriving alive. My prayers go out to the family and friends of the victim of this tragic Tennessee head-on collision.

The lesson here is that no matter where you are, the interstate highway or the rural roads that wind through this beautiful state of ours, you have to be alert and mindful of your task. If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Tennessee car crash, whether on a highway or a byway, contact the experienced Nashville automobile accident lawyers at Phillip Miller & Associates and let us help you recover damages for your injuries and loss.

Head On Crash Takes Two Lives

A tragic late night roadway departure crash claims two lives in Scott County Tennessee this past weekend. Local media, citing a Tennessee Highway Patrol accident report, says just before 10:30 on Sunday, a 27-year-old Huntsville man, was driving a Ford Fusion north on Highway 27 in Helenwood. The report goes on to say that the man crossed the center lane- smashing into a Mercury Cougar being driven by an 18-year-old driver who was heading south. Such a tragic loss of life.

Investigators and grieving family and friends will probably never know what so distracted the first driver and caused him to cross the centerline. Our prayers go out to all of the people involved in the lives of these two young men.

It seems to me, that distracted drivers cause most Tennessee car accidents. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, driver inattention is the leading factor in most crashes and near-crashes. Nearly 80 percent of crashes and 65 percent of near-crashes involved some form of driver inattention within three seconds before the event.

In studies by the NHTSA the most common distraction for drivers is the use of cell phones.  However, the number of crashes and near-crashes attributable to dialing is nearly identical to the number associated with talking or listening.  Dialing is more dangerous but occurs less often than talking or listening.

Reaching for a moving object increased the risk of a crash or near-crash by 9 times; looking at an external object by 3.7 times; reading by 3 times; applying makeup by 3 times; dialing a hand-held device (typically a cell phone) by almost 3 times; and talking or listening on a hand-held device by 1.3 times. Drivers who engage frequently in distracting activities are more likely to be involved in an inattention-related crash or near crash.

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

Distracted Drivers Die

A 24-year-old Adamsville, Tennessee woman was killed in a roadway departure crash the other day, another in a growing epidemic. Her car went off of Michie Pebble Hill Road in Michie and collided with a tree, according to a report from the Tennessee Highway Patrol. My prayers go out to the family and friends of this young woman.

A local media report said the woman was headed south on Michie Pebble Hill Road when her car slid off the roadway while attempting to negotiate a curve. No one else was injured in the one-vehicle crash.

Traffic investigators will have a hard time trying to determine what caused the woman to lose control. Speed may be the culprit or it might have been that she was somehow distracted from the task at hand.

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.

If you are involved in a Tennessee automobile accident caused by a distracted driver you are going to need an experienced and sophisticated Nashville auto accident attorney like those you will find at Phillip Miller & Associates

Deputy Dies In Roadway Departure Crash

As an experienced Tennessee automobile accident lawyer I regularly mention in my Blog my gratitude for the brave men and women who patrol our highways and byways. Last week I wrote about a serious crash involving a Union County, Tennessee deputy. I am very sorry to report to you that the deputy passed away over the weekend. My prayers go out to his family and friends.

Deputy Derrick Whittle was responding to a domestic call when his patrol car left the highway and slammed into a tree. Local media reports don’t mention the circumstances that led to the wreck. The lesson for all Tennessee drivers is that no matter who we are or what we are doing, we must remain alert, avoid distractions and more speed than the road can handle.

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 motorcycle 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.