Watch Out For Wildlife

A Georgia tractor-trailer driver who hit a metal guardrail then ran head-on into the bridge’s concrete rails, knocking out a large portion before falling off the south side of the bridge said the accident was caused when he swerved to avoid a deer.

Deer-related crashes are on the rise in Tennessee as urban growth encroaches into rural areas. In 2006, there were 5,884 deer-related crashes, including 289 that involved injuries and two that were fatal. That was up 19 percent from 4,942 in 2005. Since 2003, deer-related crashes in Tennessee have risen over 33 percent.

In 2006, the month of November recorded 1,334 deer-related crashes, by far the highest month for such crashes. December and October were the second and third highest months, which saw double the average number of deer-related crashes throughout the year.

A couple of suggestions:

•            If you see one deer there will probably be several more;

•            If you happen to collide with a deer, never approach it, an injured deer can prove very dangerous.

•            Do not try to swerve around an animal.

I repeat, do not swerve to avoid the deer, the danger is far greater when your vehicle leaves the road. The driver here was piloting a vehicle that weighed over 80,000 lbs and would hardly have noticed hitting a deer that weighed only somewhat more then a hundred pounds.

As an experienced Nashville personal injury lawyer, I’d bet the ranch that the driver was somehow distracted and not paying attention when his truck hit the guard rail and lost control.

As I’ve said many times, when you are involved in an accident with a trucking company vehicle time is of the essence and you ought to get an experienced tractor trailer lawyer on the case as soon as possible. The trucking company will have it’s investigators on the scene within an hour or so of the collision.

If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Tennessee tractor-trailer accident you owe it to your self to contact the experienced Board Certified civil trial lawyers like you will find at Phillip Miller & Associates and put them to work for you.

A mysterious yet tragic tractor-trailer car accident in Sequatchie County claims the life of  a man and his three-year old passenger. According to an article on the website of WRCB TV in Chattanooga Wayne Seals, 71, was driving on State Highway 111 when the Ford Taurus he was driving drove up under a tractor-trailer hauling logs. Both were pronounced dead at the scene. The tractor-trailer driver was not injured. The THP reported that no drugs or alcohol was involved in the collision.

My sympathy and prayers go out to the family and friends of the victims of this terrible tragedy. We can only guess what happened that caused the driver to end up under the tractor-trailer. As an experienced Nashville automobile accident attorney several things come to mind; did Mr. Seals have a medical emergency that caused him to lose control of the vehicle? Was he distracted? I think back on my own experience having my nieces and nephews in the car with me, and how we talked, laughed and sang songs, and I thank God that we were not involved in a collision.

The lesson here for all of us is that you never know when tragedy will strike and when we get behind the wheel of a motor vehicle we must always have our focus on the road  ahead. If you or a loved one is injured in a Nashville automobile accident contact the experienced Nashville automobile accident attorneys at Phillip Miller & Associates

Tragedy Strikes Without Warning

and get a free consultation.