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Author: Anthony Proffitt

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Motorcycle Accidents

Tennessee motorcycle accidents rising for service members?

We’ve discussed before the raised dangers of riding a motorcycle and how it can affect a driver differently than if they were in an enclosed vehicle. Understanding not only the risks but also the rates and figures of motorcycle accidents may be something Tennessee drivers wish to look at. A recent source explored the trends of motorcycle accidents among service members over the last few years and the data indicates that the numbers have significantly increased since 20001.

A motorcycle accident can occur for the same reasons as any other kind of accident; however, unfortunately, the recovery process or aftermath can often be quite different. The percent of fatal accidents involving a motorcycle among military members in 2001 was reported to be 14 while the percentage from four years ago was listed at 38. These figures come from the Armed Forces Health Center Surveillance Report, and there have been several programs and initiatives put into place in an effort to prevent such wrecks.

One way that the Department of Defense sought to help this cause and save more lives was to implement more thorough training of the riding vehicles, which reportedly did improve statistics for the year following 2008. One Marine was said to have explained that if the service members are going to go out and purchase motorcycles, then it is the duty of the U.S. Marine Corps to do what they can to ensure their safety.

Another study could perhaps explain the reason for military members’ numbers of motorcycle purchases being so common with their own data. Just under half of the service members tested were reported to be “highly impulsive,” while over two-thirds supposedly had a motivation for “seeking a high degree of sensation, or thrills.”

Whatever the reason, riding a motorcycle is something that requires a lot of attention to safety. Unfortunately, sometimes being as safe as possible doesn’t work and a Tennessee driver may still find themselves in an accident due to another driver’s unsafe habits. In such a situation, working with a personal injury attorney could help to recover some compensation for any further complications due to the accident.

Source: Star News, “Military focuses on reducing motorcycle deaths of servicemen,” Adam Wagner, Dec. 5, 2012

Categories
Car Accidents

New study projects data of collision figures for the year 2030

Car accidents can be caused by any number of things. Whether it’s distracted driving, driving under the influence, poor weather conditions or car failure, it’s important to know how to be the safest driver you can be, especially in the event of an accident. Tennessee residents may be interested to know some of the recent figures regarding collision rates in the United States, and how they may correlate to certain communities of people.

A study conducted by the Highway Loss Data Institute was recently reported to have done some predicting about how accident amounts will fare twenty years from now and who the data might be pointing to for such results. They worked on these numbers by using 2010’s collision data and age groupings. A curious thought is that the rates could be affected by the amount of baby boomers who will not be driving in the year 2030; however, the institute reportedly didn’t find that to be a major factor. Another, more supported thought by the study is that the amount of teen drivers on the road will go down. The institute’s conclusion ultimately was reported that there would be little change in the amount of claims from now to then.

The study expects that the amount of teen drivers will lower as a whole by the date they were projecting out to. The current percentage of collision claims for drivers between the ages of 15 and 19 is roughly 70 percent higher than the average amount for any age range. Whether or not their prediction of collision rates comes to fruition, the information that the Highway Loss Data Institute has offered up could serve as a helpful resource to learn where some problem areas may be and begin to work on more ways to prevent collisions.

Tennessee drivers are always at risk of getting into an accident no matter the reason, as many accidents involve more than one car. For those who believe that they were injured or lost someone due to another party’s negligence or driving while under the influence, working with an attorney could help to recover some damages that have been lost due to the new and unforeseen expenses. Understanding the laws regarding distracted driving and personal injury in your area can help someone be able to move on from a tragic and harmful crash better.

Source: The New York Times, “How will aging baby boomers affect crash rates?,” Cheryl Jensen, Dec.3, 2012

Categories
Car Accidents

Collision involving church van sees arraignment for other driver

It’s been close to three months since the tragic accident occurred involving a van full of church-goers was returning from a weekend trip away. There were two fatalities in the accident, as Knoxville residents likely recall, and the young man driving the other car was arrested shortly after being discharged from nearby hospital on several criminal charges. That man was arraigned earlier this morning and the charges brought against him included several counts of vehicular homicide.

The 21-year-old man is still in custody, held on a bond of $2 million, one source details. His plea has been reported to be scheduled for a spring 2013 date. He was also said to have been indicted on several other charges by the grand jury of Sevier County earlier this year. Those charges include DUI, nine vehicular assault counts and the vehicular homicide charges.

The families of those who were injured or lost in this crash could use the information decided on in his criminal charges in their own civil suits, should they choose to. Wrongful death may be a path they wish to take in the wake of their loved one’s deaths, especially if they are suffering from the extra financial burden of having lost an income along with their family member.

The people returning from their retreat belonged to the Baptist Church in Cedar Grove. One of the two passengers killed was a 16-year-old girl and the other was a 45-year-old man. For other Tennessee residents who have lost someone to an accident similar to this one, making sure that you understand all of the options available to you as you begin to move forward from the tragedy could help you with the healing process. Should you wish to pursue a suit of personal injury or wrongful death, contacting legal counsel could help you with your case.

Source: knoxnews.com, “Man arraigned in double-fatality wreck involving church van,” Jim Balloch, Dec. 3, 2012

· Our firm handles personal injury cases involving motor vehicle accidents. To learn more, visit the automobile accident page on our Prior, Priest & Harber website.

Categories
Motorcycle Accidents

Tennessee: Helmet laws for motorcyclists to watch out for

One source recently discussed the somewhat immeasurable effects that a motorcycle driver or rider can have and the potential they have to last. The initial treatment or findings from an accident are able to be measured by cost and in detail; however, it’s the long-lasting ones that often cannot be quantifiably documented, and some are wondering what means need to be taken to ensure safety.

Helmets can help a great deal when someone makes contact after they’ve been thrown from their motorcycle, but not completely. One figure reported regarding the added security against a fatality that a helmet can grant is some 39 percent. With the totals of motorcycle fatalities coming to just over 4,500 from 2010, some people are thinking about more ways to allow for motorcycle safety.

Tennessee is reportedly one of several states that has heard talk of repealing their laws requiring helmets to be worn by motorcyclists. According to one source, many people aren’t comfortable with the strict regulations and would rather promote better education and driving safety courses. For the president of the organization Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, better driver’s training isn’t enough. They liken it to a driver of a car not wearing their seatbelt even though a driver went through an extensive course.

Motorcyclists in Tennessee may wish to watch what will happen to the laws regarding their obligations as a cyclist. In the event of an accident, knowing your options regarding personal injury could help you receive compensation to aid with the payments of medical bills. While some injuries are easy to spot on scene, others can continue to create problems for you well into the rest of your life and having a way to support yourself could help with the medical complications.

Source: The Huffington Post, “Motorcycle deaths, injuries cost $16 billion,” Joan Lowy, Nov. 27, 2012

Categories
Car Accidents

Status update: More drivers using Internet while driving

Drivers in Tennessee have no doubt seen distracted drivers on streets and highways, increasing the danger for a car accident to occur. As times have changed, so have the distractions available to less-than-careful drivers. In the old days, fiddling with a car radio or trying to light a cigarette might cause someone to veer into oncoming traffic. As technology has improved, so have the options for distraction: first cell phones and then texting have proved to be dangerous hazards.

Now, however, another threat has emerged: surfing the Internet while driving. According to a new survey, nearly half of drivers ages 18 to 29 admit to “webbing” while driving. The increase in recent years — thanks to the preponderance of smart phones — has been dramatic. The incidence of younger drivers checking their phones for information on the Web has jumped from 29 percent three years ago to 48 percent today.

As more and more states have laws in place outlawing texting while driving — or even using a phone without a hands-free device while driving — auto manufacturers and technology companies have been working to come up with alternatives for those drivers who can’t let a minute go by without their virtual lives at their fingertips.

Some of the features of the nascent technology permit it to be used only when a car is parked. However, some do allow voice-activated prompts that permit Facebook and Twitter updates to be read aloud to the driver. One application has built-in composed responses to enable a driver to appear engaged with a social media application even when they’re on the move.

Source: MSN Autos, “Distracted driving due to Web surfing is on the rise,” Douglas Newcomb, Nov. 26, 2012

Categories
Drunk Driving Accidents

Tennessee woman gets DUI charges from hit-and-run crash

Driving drunk is something so dangerous and reckless that it puts the driver as well as anyone else in the vicinity at risk of being harmed. The kind of impairment to one’s abilities is often so vast that motor vehicle skills require much too much focus and coordination for a person under the influence to be in control of. Sadly, there are still many car accidents caused as the result of a drunk driver. One family in Tennessee was recently involved in one such crash.

The incident occurred about a week ago and involved two vehicles; one with a father and son and another with the alleged drunk driver and her passenger. The woman who has been charged reportedly hit the other vehicle and afterward, both drivers got out of their cars. It was at this point that the two sides of the story differ, however, it is stated that the woman left the scene and went to another location, where officials found her.

Police have reported that the woman was having trouble balancing when they found her and had a recollection of having run into a wall. Her sobriety test reportedly confirmed her inebriated state. The father and driver of the car she hit explained that she hit him as well with her car after getting back into her vehicle instead of staying at the accident. While the incident continues to be investigated, it has been reported that the woman in this case was charged with DUI as well as assaulting someone with a deadly weapon.

While this case continues to move forward, other Tennessee residents who have been in similar ones may wish to bring their to a legal professional if they have dealt with the aftermath of someone else’s drunk driving. Someone who has been injured or who has lost a loved one to an accident at the hands of a drunk driver could bring forward a personal injury or wrongful death case in an effort to help cover the new financial stress that comes with such accidents.

Source: newschannel5.com, “Woman charged with DUI, assault after hit-and-run,” Nov. 19, 2012

Categories
Fatal Motor Vehicle Accidents

County lines causing delay in emergency medical response?

Car accidents in Tennessee often cause many families to have to reevaluate their lives and adjust to new injuries or loss of income. For those who have lost a loved one, the healing process can be a very difficult and lengthy one, as these kinds of accidents are oftentimes so senseless and awful. Sometimes, however, there are circumstances where there might have been a way to help a victim of a crash and those are perhaps the hardest to move forward from.

Just over two and a half years ago a mother lost her son due to a car crash in Tennessee, but she proceeded to move forward in a legal matter regarding his death, and not exactly because of the accident. The location of this fatal motor vehicle accident happened to be on a span of road between counties, giving the Metro dispatcher a decision to make about whose emergency medical team to call and request aid from. The team that arrived was allegedly “10 to 15 minutes away,” while two other teams were a reported “two or three minutes away.”

According to one source, the ambulances which were closer required a formal request before they could be sent out to help the victims of the crash. This kind of rule is what has likely caused much strife and distress for this young man’s mother. The territorial regulations reportedly have a “mutual aid” policy. This policy is for the instances when a situation such as this one is close enough to another county, a call for help could be made to the neighboring county.

Tennessee’s appellate court ruled against the mother’s case that the county had a duty to request the closer of the ambulances. For Tennessee residents who are dealing with a difficult situation similar to this one, working with an attorney cold help them should they wish to proceed with their case. While it cannot return a loved one, it may be able to begin the healing and help with the added financial burdens from the loss.

Source: The Tennessean, “Metro had no duty to summon closer ambulance for man after wreck,” Brian Haas, Nov. 24, 2012

Categories
Truck Accidents

Veterans’ parade float struck by train, town grieves the loss

Tennessee residents have likely heard about the town in Texas that lost four veterans to a train crash last week. The crash is under investigation, however, officials have declared the train’s safety and warning signals to have been working and on when the parade float was crossing into the path of the train. This terrible accident has come at a time when the community and nation as a whole is remembering the services rendered for our safety and we are perhaps even more somber and grateful as this community grieves the loss of their loved ones.

Automobile accidents in general come as a shock to the families of those involved and can often bring up emotions of pain and confusion. For the people who are affected by this crash, moving forward is undoubtedly going to be difficult and painful. Of the 26 people aboard the float, four of them passed in the crash and at least 16 sustained different levels of injuries. One man, a 34-year-old sergeant, was able to shove his wife off of the moving float before the train crashed into it.

It’s often these kinds of tragic accidents that leave people feeling unsatisfied and hurt for so long. The recent information given from the investigation reveals that the signals had indeed begun to warn before the train arrived however the speed of the train was substantially fast, roughly 62 miles per hour.

Tennessee residents who have been involved in a similarly life-threatening automobile accident may understand the devastation and pain these kinds of crashes can cause. For those who have survived such accidents, or families of people who were in a fatal car accident, working with an attorney to potentially receive some compensation might help take some of the stress off you. While our thoughts go out to those lost in this and any other accident, knowing how to move forward could help someone begin to heal.

Source: npr.org, “Officials: Vets’ float crossed track after signals,” The Associated Press, Nov. 18, 2012

Secondary Source: cbsnews.com, “Texas community stunned after veterans parade train crash leaves four dead,” Anna Werner, Nov. 16, 2012

Categories
Car Accidents

Tennessee drivers: How smart are our cars? Toyota tells us

Tennessee drivers may want to take note as it appears that cars might soon be leaving us behind. The advancing technology in motor vehicles and futuristic artificial intelligence may be coming together sooner than expected as Toyota explains their projects in the making. Something called the Intelligent Transport System is testing and cultivating a new kind of intelligent car at the hands of car and safety researchers. This project is an effort to maximize the safety features a car can offer on its own, even ones that had been previously thought to be exclusively a human trait.

The technology is being tested at a secure location in Japan, reportedly similar to something like a new driver’s course. The intent is to work on cars that will be able to notify the driver when objects or people are in the way or when another car or red light is coming up. Arrows, sensors, and even a woman’s voice are all employed in these new car systems to help the driver stay safe.

With the dangers of the road and unexpected car accidents, this new technology could help drivers in situations when they might not be able to react a certain way. Representatives from Toyota explained that many times drivers do not push down on their brakes hard enough due to feelings of panic or alarm. Such responses can’t always be anticipated by the driver, but with certain safety features the car, for all intents and purposes, could anticipate it and push down harder before a collision.

This science has not been made available yet by Toyota, however, they have been reported to be hopeful about coming out with this perceptive automobile accoutrement sometime in the near future. For Tennessee residents out on the road, making sure that you’re secure in your driving can help you to focus on other ways to be safe. In the event of an accident, however, working with a personal injury attorney could help you to know what options are available to you as you move forward.

Source: Chicago Sun-Times, “Toyota tests cars that communicate with each other,” Nov. 12, 2012

Categories
Motorcycle Accidents

Motorcyclist killed in Nashville area

Motorcyclists have a different set of worries when they go out. It is often the case that bikes aren’t seen or aren’t supportive enough to help their drivers in the event of a crash. The common bumper sticker “Start Seeing Motorcyclists” has hopefully helped prevent some crashes in Tennessee and everywhere else, but there are still tragic incidents that leave motorcyclists a little more vulnerable than drivers of cars.

A recent news report explains the death of one motorcycle driver after having allegedly not been seen by a truck driver. This past Saturday the two vehicles crashed in an area near the west part of Nashville. The driver of the truck, a Dodge Ram, is said to have explained to local authorities that he did not see the bike until the last moment up to the crash. The report includes a detail that there is a sign prohibiting drivers from turning left at that intersection; a move which this truck had been making at the time of the crash.

The tragedy of this kind of crash is likely going to affect this motorist’s family for some time. While they struggle to cope with this loss, they must also now face unexpected financial stress. The investigation is reported to be ongoing and there haven’t been any charges brought against the driver of the truck, however the victim’s family could look into pursuing a wrongful death claim should they wish to. The results of the pending investigation may or may not supply additional support in their case, depending on what the police find.

Regardless of how this case turns out, the story of it could help other drivers out on Tennessee roads keep their eyes open for other motorcycles. Motorcyclists do face some hazards and dangers that drivers of other vehicles may not, and practicing safe driving in any and all types of motor vehicles can help prevent more unnecessary crashes. For other Tennessee drivers who have suffered a crash or the loss of a loved one in a crash, working with an attorney could help you to understand your options as you begin to heal from the event.

Source: Tennessean.com, “Pegram man killed in motorcycle crash,” The Ashland City Times, Nov. 11, 2012