Category: Car Accidents

Texting while driving is quickly becoming one of the major causes of car accidents. This seems to be the case in a recent car crash involving an Englewood teenage driver and a deputy in McMinn County. According to reports, the male teenager was driving a Honda Civic west on State Route 39 around 7:12 a.m. on June 4. At the time, a county deputy was traveling in the opposite direction.

Eyewitnesses say the teenager crossed over the centerline and into the path of the deputy’s vehicle. While the deputy reportedly attempted to avoid a collision by hitting his brakes and pulling onto the shoulder, the teenager’s car struck him head-on. Both drivers were wearing seat belts at the time of the crash. The deputy suffered broken ribs and a possible ankle injury and was transported by air to a hospital. The teenager was also taken to a hospital with unknown injuries. He is facing various charges that include texting while driving and failure to exercise due care.

A federal study shows that texting while driving is six times as dangerous as drunk driving. Nearly 25 percent of all U.S. crashes involve the use of cellphones. A local body shop agrees with those percentages, saying that a substantial portion of their business is related to texting while driving.

A car accident can happen suddenly and unexpectedly and can result in severe injuries or death. A person injured in a car accident may suffer a loss of income if their injuries prevent them from returning to work. Injured individuals may wish to seek the advice of a car accident attorney. A legal professional can inform them of their rights and predict if a civil suit is a valid option.

Source: WRCBtv, “UPDATE: Teen allegedly texting while driving has head-on collision with deputy“, June 05, 2014

A 66-year-old woman reportedly died in a head-on accident in Knoxville on June 2. Another motorist involved in the crash suffered injuries that officials do not believe to be life-threatening.

According to Knoxville police, the fatal accident occurred on North Broadway Street in Fountain City at approximately 5:46 p.m. Police said the 66-year-old woman was driving a Subaru Forester in the southbound lane of the road when she swerved across the grassy median and entered into the northbound lanes. That is where she collided head-on with a Dodge Charger, police said.

An ambulance transported the driver of the Dodge Charger to the University of Tennessee Medical Center after officials extricated the driver from the Charger. Police did not state what caused the woman to veer across the median but said they are continuing to investigate the accident.

Motorists involved in accidents as catastrophic as this one may suffer serious injuries to the head, neck or spinal cord. These injuries often require surgery, long-term rehabilitation and significant time off from work, all of which may create financial hardship for accident victims. For this reason, many people who suffer damages as a result of a car accident seek financial compensation in civil court.

By retaining a personal injury attorney and filing suit, accident victims may seek restitution for hospital bills, medical expenses, rehabilitation costs and even lost wages if their injuries prove to be disabling. To succeed, claimants in such a lawsuit must demonstrate the specific damages they suffered as a result of the incident. The personal injury attorney may show victims what materials to retain or obtain as evidence.

Source: KnoxNews.com, “North Broadway back open after fatal head-on crash“, June 02, 2014

A car accident can leave you feeling confused and frustrated. In addition to finding repairs for your vehicle or a new car altogether, you may need to pay large medical bills or seek physical therapy for a long-term accident injury. You must also work with your insurance provider to handle claims, which can create a new set of frustrations. Fortunately, there are some options available to you to ensure you obtain the best outcome for your situation. Taking steps to learn about your options and Tennessee laws regarding car accidents can help you make the right choices in your case.

In Blount County, two people were injured and another killed in a three-car accident. The accident occurred on U.S. 411 South. According to the initial report, a man was driving his Nissan Altima north along the road and entered a continuous turn lane in order to pass other vehicles. While moving at high speeds, the driver lost control of his vehicle, veered into southbound traffic and collided with another vehicle, which contained one female driver. After the initial collision, the man’s car spun into another oncoming vehicle. The second vehicle was carrying a man and a woman.

The male driver responsible for the collision was not wearing his seat belt and was ejected from his vehicle during the accident. He was taken by aircraft to receive medical attention. The female driver of the first vehicle hit also required medical attention, and she was brought to Blount Memorial Hospital. The man and woman in the third vehicle were taken to University of Tennessee Medical Center, where the woman, who was driving the car, was pronounced dead.

The accident serves as an example of how quickly innocent drivers can become involved in a serious accident on the road. If you have been injured in an accident caused by another driver, it is important for you to pursue compensation to help you pay for damages to your vehicle, medical bills and pain and suffering. 

Source: The Daily Times, “Tellico Plains woman killed in crash on U.S. 411,” Iva Butler and J.J. Kindred, May 12, 2014

It is all too easy to become distracted while driving, especially if you’re traveling a familiar route. Tiredness, children talking to you from the back seat, your favorite song on the radio, these are all things that might make you lose concentration for a moment. Unfortunately, a moment is all it takes for a car accident to occur. Recently, one such occurrence in Tennessee landed a mother and her infant child in a hospital.

The incident occurred late one morning as the 26-year-old woman drove along Boones Creek Road. According the report, when the young woman reached the intersection, she passed a red light and ran into a pickup truck. Fortunately, her infant son was in a child seat, while she was secured by her seat belt. Johnson City Police Department was called to the scene.

The mother and child were said to have suffered possible injuries and were transported to Johnson City Medical Center. The driver of the pickup truck managed to come away from the accident unharmed. It was a different story for the two vehicles, however. Police reported that neither the car nor the pickup was drivable after the crash. Whether any charges will be brought has not yet been made clear.

Fortunately, no one was killed in this accident in Tennessee. However, it shows how quickly and easily disaster can strike and how much could be at stake. If you are involved in a car accident, particularly if it is through no fault of you own, worries about recovery, costly repairs and medical bills can be a strain. However, an attorney may be able to help you seek compensation or get the best deal out of your insurance.

Source: Johnson City Press, “UPDATE: Woman, 1-year-old son treated after 2-car wreck,” April 28, 2014

It only takes a moment for a drive through town to turn into a dangerous situation. Drivers who are speeding, under the influence or otherwise operating a vehicle irresponsibly pose a risk to all other drivers on the road. Tennesseans are involved in serious car accidents each day, many of which could have been avoided. These tragic occurrences can leave innocent victims and their families feeling lost, confused and overwhelmed.

In Memphis, a massive car crash sent multiple people to the hospital and resulted in the death of at least one person. The incident happened near the intersection of Covington Pike and Raleigh Lagrange Road. In all, the accident involved 10 vehicles, some of which overturned during the collision. Six people were taken to the hospital, including a 4-year-old in critical condition. In addition, an adult male died at the scene.

Several of the cars involved were twisted and badly damaged during the accident, and police closed down the area for several hours afterward in order to conduct an investigation and clear the road.

Car wrecks happen each day on roads across the state, and some of them result in serious injuries and even death. Although there is no way for victims to avoid some collisions, there are still options available after the fact to help them recover from the incident. Working with insurance companies, paying medical bills and dealing with pain and suffering in the wake of an accident is never easy, though compensation is available to help victims involved. Understanding Tennessee law is the first step toward finding help.

Source: WMCTV, “10 cars involved in fatal crash, child in critical condition,” April 17, 2014

Whether it is commuting to work, picking the kids up from school or driving around town with friends, cars provide convenience and pleasure in many aspects of everyday life. But when drivers abuse the privilege of operating a motor vehicle, the machines can quickly become dangerous and deadly weapons on the streets. Motorists are harmed or killed in car accidents every day across the United States. Although drunk driving and negligence are common factors in fatal accidents, a new trend is also contributing to accidents in Tennessee.

In Memphis, a 19-year-old man is dead after a collision with another vehicle. Initial reports suggest the accident may have been the result of street racing. The teenager was turning left through an intersection when his vehicle was struck by driver behind the wheel of a 2003 Ford Mustang. The teen died after being taken to a nearby hospital.

The teen is not the first street racing fatality in the city. Just last year, a 20-year-old man was killed after a pair of street racers collided with his vehicle. This trend in Memphis, and in many other parts of the country, poses risk to innocent people anywhere in the vicinity of racing cars, as the high speeds of the vehicles commonly lead to catastrophic injuries and death.

Compensation may be available, via personal injury lawsuits, to families of car accident victims in Tennessee to help them cover expenses related to medical bills and funerals. This money can also be sought for pain and suffering related to the loss of a loved one. In many cases, insurance companies will attempt to deny claims or pay as little as possible, leaving victims feeling exasperated. If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident, for the best chance of recovery, pursing a claim sooner rather than later is a good idea.

Source: WMCTV, “Memphis teen killed in car crash,” Jerica Phillips, April 6, 2014

Texting and driving is a dangerous combination that can potentially kill someone. Some might think that sending text messages while behind the steering wheel won’t take much attention off of the road. However, the real deal as stated by a law enforcement liaison is that it takes more time for drivers to react while they are distracted while driving. Slow reaction time can lead to a car accident that might cause personal injury or even death.

The Tennessee Governor’s Highway Safety Office reports that there are many young drivers involved in distracted driving accidents. Teenagers have died and will likely be hurt in future Tennessee car accidents that could have been prevented if drivers simply put proper focus on the roads, not on their phones. In response to the identified distracted driving dangers in the state, officials are using a different kind of technology in hopes of proving a safety point.

Driving simulators are being used among various Tennessee high schools to teach students about how dangerous it can be to drive while texting. The simulators mimic the experience of driving, complete with obstacles like pedestrians and dogs crossing the road. While driving using the simulator, the driver will be asked by the passenger to use a phone while also trying to keep the car from hitting any of the obstacles. One student claimed that he learned much about distracted driving because of the simulator that he would apply the lessons to real life. 

With the help of the simulator experience, students may avoid finding themselves, their friends or unsuspecting others in the hospital with distracted driving injuries. The traffic safety lesson to not text and drive, unfortunately, won’t get through to everyone. Someone who was hurt in a car accident should remember that they can pursue just compensation for any injuries suffered because of distracted, negligent driving.

Source: The Daily News Journal, “Crashes by young drivers rank fourth in Tennessee,” Michelle Willard, March 20, 2014

The winter weather has made the already busy highways of Tennessee almost treacherous for travelers. Driving in inclement weather can be difficult, and it only takes hitting one small patch of black ice for an accident to happen. The severity of recent conditions, however, means that the number of car accidents has spiked dramatically.

The cold and icy weather, which has affected roads across central Tennessee, created such hazardous conditions that a single morning saw 276 reports of vehicle crashes in the vicinity of Nashville. Fortunately, none of the accidents appears to have been fatal, although 35 resulted in reported injuries.

The icy conditions caused problems on all area interstates, with sections of many roads being closed. Such was the case on southbound Interstate 65. Back roads were also considered to be unsafe to travel through. Drivers in some areas, such as Davidson County, were urged by police to stay at home to avoid further accidents. However, many of the drivers were caught in the unfavorable conditions during their morning commute.

Given the sheer number of accidents in Tennessee on just one winter morning, it is extremely fortunate that no critical injuries or deaths were reported. Nevertheless, any injuries sustained in a car crash can be debilitating and costly. They can lead to time taken off work, hefty medical bills and even lifetime disabilities. Insurance claims do not always go as smoothly as one might hope. For this reason, it is important to ensure that any incident involving yourself or a loved one is investigated fully. This will allow you to offer a clear picture of the circumstances if you make a compensation claim, providing you the best chance of reaching a fair resolution.

Source: The Tennessean, “Traffic updates: Threat of icy roads remains overnight, Tuesday morning,” March 03, 2014

An Oliver Springs man was struck and killed by his own vehicle in a bizarre and tragic car accident. The death of the Tennessee resident came as a result of two crashes that occurred back to back on the same stretch of Pellissippi Parkway. The first car accident occurred around 8:12 a.m. and the second occurred at approximately 8:15 a.m.

The first accident occurred when a Honda Accord struck a pickup truck. The Accord driver claims that he was blinded by the sun and was unable to see the truck until he put his visor down. At the moment he was able to see the truck, it was too late to avoid the collision.

After the first collision, the driver of the pickup got out of his vehicle. Shortly after he got out, a Toyota Matrix hit the pickup truck, which in turn struck the unprotected man. He died as a result of the impact. The second driver states that he was also blinded by the sun at the time of the crash. There is no indication if either Tennessee driver will be considered at fault for either of the accidents.

A closer investigation may reveal if the surviving family of the deceased victim could be eligible for wrongful death compensation. Even in situations where the death was accidental, it is possible that recompense could be ordered if the other driver is proven liable. Civil liability is typically based upon proof of negligence by another party or parties that is deemed to have caused or materially contributed to the accident and death that resulted. The best way to learn about this option is by a close and careful evaluation of all evidence regarding the car accident.

Source: oakridger.com, OS man killed in crash on Pellissippi, Donna Smith, Jan. 14, 2014

Whenever cars switch lanes or cross a lane of opposing traffic to reach a destination, there are safe and legal ways to do so. However, if other drivers are not paying attention or are unaware of what is going on around them, a car accident can occur. Recently in Tennessee, a car accident took the life of a mom as her son was driving and crossed traffic.

The driver who was with his mother crossed into another lane in front of a church. As he did so, a Toyota came along and hit the passenger side of their vehicle. Then, another vehicle rear-ended the Toyota after the initial crash.

The 49-year-old woman died from her injuries in the crash. She suffered blunt force trauma. Because of the three-vehicle wreck, traffic had to be rerouted. Police said they were surprised there were no other fatalities given the severity of the crash. It is unclear at this time if the driver who hit the car as it crossed the road will face any kind of charges.

If an investigation determines the other driver committed a traffic offense or was driving in an unsafe or inattentive manner, there may be cause for the family to pursue legal action. Preliminary evidence suggests the vehicle came over a rise in the roadway at a speed that made it impossible to stop in time to avoid the collision. When someone is killed in a car accident as a result of the negligence of another driver, the surviving family of the victim can file a wrongful death suit in a Tennessee civil court. They may garner monetary damages if their suit is successful. Any damages awarded can help families deal with funeral costs, lost wages or other financial losses incurred after a losing a loved one in a car accident.

Source: timesdaily.com, Marion mom dies in wreck, Tom Smith, Jan. 9, 2014