A 25-year-old Johnson City, Tennessee woman is free on bond while waiting to face charges for her role in a 2009 fatal accident. According to local media reports the woman was charged with vehicular homicide by reckless operation of a motor vehicle. According to police reports the woman fell asleep at the wheel and crossed the centerline and slammed, head-on, into a vehicle coming the other way and killing the female passenger and injuring the driver and a child onboard.

It appears that denial had taken over as the operating thought pattern for the Johnson City woman. At her first court date she had not hired an attorney and the case was reset for this past Monday when she was to show up for trial, with an attorney. She didn’t. According to local media reports she failed to appear, her bond was revoked and the court issued a capias (warrant) for her arrest.

Sleepiness and driving is a dangerous combination. Most people are aware of the dangers of drinking and driving but don’t realize that drowsy driving can be just as fatal. Like alcohol, sleepiness slows reaction time, decreases awareness, impairs judgment and increases your risk of crashing.

It’s nearly impossible to determine with certainty the cause of a fatal crash where drowsy driving is suspected. However, there are a number of clues at a crash scene that tell investigators that the person fell asleep at the wheel.

Unlike alcohol-related crashes, no blood, breath, or other objective test for sleepiness behind the wheel currently exists that investigators could give to a driver at the scene of a crash. This makes police training in identifying drowsiness as a crash factor very difficult.

If you or a loved one are injured or killed in a Tennessee automobile accident caused by a drowsy or sleeping driver contact the experienced Nashville automobile accident attorneys at Phillip Miller & Associates

Drowsy Driving Kills

and find out about your rights and remedies.

Speed and Alcohol

Two Tennessee teens died and two others were injured in a wreck in Lawrence County Tennessee last November. The driver, a 23-year-old man and four teens left a home and took to the highway. Minutes after they left, the driver failed to negotiate a turn, crossed the centerline, over-corrected and rolled the car.

This past week the Lawrence County Grand Jury indicted the driver on two counts of vehicular homicide. Investigating officers said that speed and alcohol may have been contributing factors in the crash.

Speeding is one of the most prevalent factors contributing to traffic crashes. In 2007, speeding was a contributing factor in 31 percent of all fatal crashes, and 13,040 lives were lost in speeding-related crashes.

As an experienced car accident lawyer I want to remind you that driving with a BAC of .08 or higher is illegal in every state. In Tennessee we continue to see a tragic number of people with debilitating injuries and deaths as a result of impaired driving.

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.

Passing another vehicle is a normal part of driving, but it can be very dangerous. Collisions resulting from improper passing are often fatal, since the impact is greater in this type of crash. Before you attempt a pass, be sure you have enough room to complete the maneuver.

If you have to cut back to your lane too soon, you risk sideswiping the vehicle you are passing. If you do not cut back to your lane soon enough, you risk a head-on collision.

It is equally important to know when NOT to pass, as well as when to pass. The decision of whether or not to pass is influenced by the knowledge, judgment, attitude and behavior of the driver.

BE PATIENT. Reference a fatal accident that took the life of a Georgia Deputy Sheriff the other day. The deputy was killed when a driver coming the other way on a two lane highway became impatient and attempted to pass a car slowing to turn.

As soon as the man pulled out to pass, he slammed, headlight to headlight into the oncoming deputy. The 41-year-old man was arrested and charged with following too closely, second-degree vehicular homicide and failure to maintain his lane.

If you or a loved one is seriously injured or killed in a Tennessee automobile accident caused by a negligent driver, contact the experienced Nashville auto accident attorney’s at Phillip Miller & Associates

Improper Passing

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Two Dead In Tennessee Roadway Departure Crash

The other day I reported that it was a bad holiday weekend in Middle Tennessee for teenagers. Two Lawrence County teens, a 17-year-old girl and a 15-year-old boy, were killed and three persons were injured in a single car accident on the Fall River Road on Friday night. Three others were injured and transported to local hospitals.

The 22-year-old driver lost control of the vehicle in a curve and left the road, hit a mailbox and then a fence before coming to a stop. There is no indication from local media sources whether any of the people involved were, or were not wearing their seatbelts.

A local media report now says that the 22-year-old driver is in the Lawrence County Jail and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol and 2 counts of vehicular homicide. Also injured in the crash was a 15-year-old boy and a 21-year-old woman.

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.

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

Motorcyle Fatality

A Chattanooga man is charged with vehicular homicide for a crash that killed a biker, in September. Already facing charges of driving under the influence and on a suspended license, the man is looking at some serious jail time. Police reports say that the man was driving his SUV on Hixson Pike when he crossed the centerline and hit a motorcycle head-on, killing a 51-year-old Perry Maddox who was dead at the scene. Investigators say that alcohol played a major role in the fatal accident.

As my goal with this blog is to educate my readers in the hope that you all will practice safe driving and instill in your family and friends the need to do the same. On average a human being loses their life at the hands of a drunk driver every 45 minutes. In 2008, an estimated 11,773 people died in drunk driving related crashes, a decline of 9.8 percent from the 13,041 drunk driving related fatalities of 2007.

About three in every ten Americans will be involved in an alcohol-related crash at some time in their lives. Over 1.46 million drivers were arrested in 2006 for driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics. This is an arrest rate of 1 for every 139 licensed drivers in the United States.

In 2001, more than half a million people were injured in crashes where police reported that alcohol was present an average of one person injured almost every minute.

When you hire an attorney from Phillip Miller & Associates, you’re getting the whole package.  You don’t just get an extremely qualified and dedicated lawyer, you also get a loyal Tennessee resident who cares about the quality of life in their community and who puts their time and money into standing up for causes and charities they believe in.  You can read about some of the causes we support on our home page, along with a summary of our professional qualifications.  Additional details about our attorneys and staff can be found by viewing our personal profiles, where you can get to know the men and women who will be looking out for your best interest.

Please contact Phillip Miller & Associates today and take your first step forward towards putting the frustration and horror of your Tennessee motorcycle accident experience behind you.

The Driver Left The Scene And His Dying Friend

Today must be my day to Blog about low-lifes. This morning I wrote about a Nashville driver who ran over two pedestrians and left the scene leaving two human beings lying in the street, one of whom is now in critical condition.  This afternoon I’m going to tell you about a guy who was driving drunk, ran off the road and hit a tree. The collision caused his passenger a 35-year-old woman to be ejected from the vehicle and killed.

As a passer-by stopped to render assistance they only saw the driver and offered help, he declined and left the scene leaving his friend to die alone in a ditch. Officers tracked him down and he admitted that he’d been drinking the night of the crash. He is presently in jail on a $150,000.00 bond charged with vehicular homicide. I mean, what kind of a guy would leave his friend in a ditch dying? After this guy is convicted and after he serves a lengthy, I hope sentence, I hope he is forever banned from getting behind the wheel of a motor vehicle.

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

Road Rage Fatality

Tennessee State Troopers felt the evidence supported the charges of vehicular homicide, vehicular assault, and felony reckless endangerment were appropriate following a fatal collision in Greene County, Tennessee. Jackie Ricker, a 19-year-old woman was killed after she was intentionally wrecked by Jeffrey Brian-Edward Wills, a 21-year-old male, I wouldn’t call him a man. Her two passengers were injured and taken to a local hospital. We are not aware of the motive for his homicide. My prayers go out to the family and friends of this young woman.

As an experienced Nashville automobile accident attorney I can tell you that there is an ominous trend developing on the highways and byways of Tennessee. Road rage, unlike aggressive driving, is a criminal offense. This occurs when a traffic incident escalates into a far more serious situation. For example, a person may become so angry over an aggressive driving incident that he or she overreacts and retaliates with some type of violence. These violent acts may range from a physical confrontation to an assault with a motor vehicle or possibly a weapon.

Often, the roadway incident that caused the person to become enraged may have been something quite simple and even trivial. Some incidents, by their very nature, are intentional acts, such as when a motorist switches from lane to lane in an effort to go around other vehicles. But others may have been committed unintentionally, such as when a motorist makes an abrupt exit from a roadway without properly signaling his or her intent. Perhaps you have seen this maneuver or even done it yourself when you suddenly realized you were at your exit.

Many road rage incidents have resulted from drivers overreacting and allowing their egos to stand in the way of common sense and good judgment rather than safely reporting aggressive driving incidents. A simple display of common courtesy will often be appreciated and may even become contagious. Try it! It might work for you.

If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Tennessee automobile accident caused by an aggressive or raging driver contact the experienced Nashville automobile accident attorneys at Phillip Miller & Associates and find out all about your rights and remedies.

Hit & Run DUI Leaves Woman In Critical Condition

When you are driving under the influence of alcohol you are putting the lives of other people in jeopardy as well as your own. Studies out the ying-yang describe why it is that people drive drunk, in addition to hundreds of studies about how these drivers are impaired and their ability to drive is greatly diminished, but the question remains, how do we stop the carnage?

Hit & Run drivers are, in my consideration, the worst kind of human being. Most H&R drivers are under the influence of alcohol, others have already run afoul of the law and have lost their driving privileges, yet they continue to get behind the wheel and ignore the rules. Many H&R drivers are trying to avoid detection because they don’t have insurance and they don’t want to face the responsibility for their actions. No matter which category they fall into they are the very worst type of person, someone who will leave an injured or dying pedestrian lying in the street.

Reference an incident in Clarksville, Tennessee, the home of the giant Army base, Fort Campbell. A 25-year-old soldier at the Fort, driving an SUV, crashed into a woman at an interstate exit. He initially made the correct decision by calling 911 and waiting at the scene. Emergency responders arrived at the scene and while they were attending to the critically injured woman, fear, or stupidity took hold and the soldier fled the scene only to be captured a short time later by Montgomery County Sheriffs Deputies. He has been charged with DUI, felony evasion, and failure to use caution. If the victim dies police say, he will likely be charged with vehicular homicide.

My prayers go out to the victim and her family and friends and I’ve said a special prayer for this young man whose actions have negatively impacted so many lives.

If you or a loved one is injured or killed by a drunk hit & run driver recovering damages for your loss can be a tricky proposition and you will need an experienced Nashville automobile accident attorney to help you protect your rights. At Phillip Miller & Associates we can help you.

Tennessee Dram Shop Act

In some Tennessee automobile accidents an experienced Tennessee automobile accident attorney will be able to identify entities other than a drunken driver who may be liable for damages because of their actions leading up to the collision. A good example is exemplified by a lawsuit filed the other day in Hamilton County Circuit Court. I read about the suit in the Chattanooga Times-Free Press and a friend sent me a copy of the Complaint.

The complaint names a local bar, The Chattanooga Billiard Club which had a policy of providing free alcohol to employees in violation of a local ordinance which prohibits bar employees from drinking at their place of employment. (on or off the clock). Another ordinance prohibits the sale of alcohol to anyone between the hours of 3 AM to 8 AM.

According the suit an employee of the Defendant bar a 25-year-old man finished his shift at 3 AM and took advantage of the free booze policy drinking until sometime around 7 AM when he left the bar highly intoxicated and drove away. Within minutes of leaving the bar he ran a red light and hit and killed a female pedestrian. He left the scene, leaving the woman to die alone in the street.

He went home and called 911 to report his car stolen in an attempt to avoid responsibility for his actions. He was charged with vehicular homicide and DUI. Also sued was the driver’s stepfather who owned the vehicle that was the weapon used to cause the death of this unfortunate woman. My prayers go out to the family and friends of the victim who suffered this terrible loss. I also include the young man and his family, may he find peace and come to terms with his actions and the consequences thereof.

The Tennessee Dram Shop law establishes liability arising out of the irresponsible sale or provision of alcohol to obviously intoxicated persons or minors who subsequently cause death or injury to third parties as a result of alcohol-related car crashes and other accidents. I will keep up with this case and report later on the outcome.

If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Tennessee automobile accident caused by a drunk driver and you hope to recover all of the damages the law allows you need to consult with an experienced Tennessee automobile accident attorney like those at Phillip Miller & Associates. We offer a free consultation so that you can gain the information you will need to face this odyssey through the legal system.

The Downside Of Driving And Drinking

Since the topic of the day for my Blog “The Tennessee Auto Accident Attorney” is drunk driving fatalities, I was drawn to a report on several Nashville news outlets this morning regarding the arrest and an indictment of a Nashville college student on a number of charges, including vehicular homicide by reckless conduct, vehicular homicide by intoxication, aggravated assault and two counts of vehicular assault, for a one-car accident in which her passenger was killed and the other passengers were injured.

We have recently found out that fatality rates from drunk driving accidents have fallen in Tennessee, which is a sign that educational and enforcement actions are having the desired result. But those statistics are surely no comfort to the parents of a 20-year-old Shelbyville man who was killed as the result of the accident.

The facts are sketchy but it appears the young woman was driving in South Nashville at 4:30 Am when she lost control and drove into a ditch, struck a utility pole and rolled over and ended up on the top.

Historically, most drunk drivers are males but statistics show that the number of women driving under the influence is definitely on the rise. Between 2004 and 2008 in Tennessee, impaired women drivers involved in fatal crashes increased by 4.7 percent.

Ultimately the driver of the vehicle is the one responsible for saying no to drunk driving, but when youth is involved the thing that is going make a difference is parental training. How did we as parents teach our children about the dangers of drinking and driving. Teaching our children is more than just telling them not to do it, bad things will happen, it’s about teaching by example. How we drive is how they are going to drive.

If you or a loved one is killed or injured in a Tennessee automobile accident involving a drunk driver you owe it to yourself to take advantage of a free consultation with the experienced Nashville car accident lawyers and find out about your rights and remedies. I mean, what do you have to lose? Choose a certified civil trial lawyer with years of “boots on the ground” experienced. That lawyer can be found at Phillip Miller & Associates.