Category: Car Accidents

Every year public schools go through bus safety units and students are expected to understand what to do in case of an emergency, but what if the driver is the one putting the students in danger? Tennessee parents are going through some difficult emotions right now, trying to comprehend what happened as charges against a local bus driver are filed following a bus crash and in the wake of 26 injured students.

There were 39 students total on the vehicle as it was traveling at a speed reportedly 25-30 miles per hour above the given speed limit. The driver allegedly lost control of the large vehicle and tried to correct the veer of the bus, resulting in going too far the other way and the bus rolling over twice. The urgent help of medics on the scene may have saved the students from much worse conditions than their actual injuries. The community of Washington County is now wondering how to proceed after their children were endangered by someone who is supposed to safely transport them to and from school every day.

There have been a total of 39 charges filed against the bus driver, including reckless aggravated assault, speeding, reckless driving, and failing to exercise due care. A report of the inspection of the bus has indicated that the bus had no issues mechanically and officials are reported to have said they believe it was the bus driver’s “ʻreckless behaviorʼ” that caused the accident. The investigation is ongoing.

It doesn’t take a large vehicle to make a crash a traumatic event — it can be terrifying. But in a case like this, when there was not only a large vehicle involved but many, many lives as well? It’s understandable that people are wanting answers. Understanding the laws in Tennessee and your area about negligence and reckless driving could keep you aware of how you are driving, yourself. If you happen to get into a car accident, seeking out legal counsel to discuss personal injury claims and possible recompense could help you move forward from such an event.

Source: Johnson City Press, “Update: driver charged in Washington County school bus crash,” Becky Campbell, Oct. 3, 2012

• Our firm handles personal injury cases involving motor vehicle accidents. To learn more, visit the automobile accident page on our website.

We see it all the time on prescription pill labels, the line goes something like: Do not operate heavy machinery while taking this medication. It may interest Tennessee residents to know that some researchers are now reported to have said that certain medications shouldn’t be taken if a person is going to be driving or operating their heavy motor vehicle, namely antidepressants. Antidepressants or other prescription drugs that affect cognitive functions or behavior could slow down reaction time, causing driving to be potentially very dangerous.

The demand for antidepressants has grown increasingly in recent years and researchers appear to be worried about the amount of medicated drivers on the road. Tests have shown that taking these medications could increase the risk of an accident by 70%. The research done by the National Health Research Institutes, located in Zhunan, Taiwan has shown that even if a driver has just taken the medication hours before, their motor vehicle skills could still likely be impaired.

These researchers have also reportedly said that the medication’s warning label on the bottle ought to specifically state that driving is affected, or that doctors should mention this to their patients perhaps more than they might already be doing. It seems that for these scientists, the more caution, the better.

If you are taking a medication for mood disorder or psychological purposes, it could be crucial that you discuss all of the potential side effects with your doctor. Should you find yourself in a situation where you believe someone involved in a motor vehicle accident was under the influence of a prescription drug, finding an experienced attorney could help the parties involved to seek compensation and find a way to move forward.

Source: dailymail.co.uk, “Taking Prozac? Don’t drive: pills raise risk of you having an accident by 70%,” Sophie Borland, Sept. 12, 2012

• Our firm handles personal injury cases involving motor vehicle accidents. To learn more, visit the automobile accident page on our website.

The age of 16 has long since been a number that teens in Tennessee and elsewhere can’t wait to get to so that they may drive a car by themselves. But what if by the time a young adult is old enough to drive, the car drives itself? A new bill was brought into legislation yesterday when California Gov. Jerry Brown signed on for cars without drivers to be legal in the state.

Google and Caltech have collaborated on this issue with Gov. Brown in efforts to ensure that the production and management of these vehicles are safe and found suitable by officials. The cars in question would require a person to sit behind the wheel in the event of a situation where the car cannot handle itself. One of the reasons for this initiative is the high rate of drivers causing accidents due to their own errors, rather than malfunctions or problems with the vehicles they are driving. Of this point, the co-founder of Google says, “‘I expect that self-driving cars will be far safer than human driven cars.'”

These human-less cars are expected to be out and about within several years, once they have gone through the appropriate technology and safety tests. It is also reported that the self-functioning cars will have the ability to talk with each other in order to avoid traffic conflict.

Such revolutionary ideas could end up affecting the way we teach our teens to drive. When these cars come to fruition, and as they become more and more adept at being self-sufficient, how will our children learn to stay attentive and not be distracted while sitting in that driver’s seat? It is important for Tennessee drivers to be aware of the different cars on the road with them at all times, especially when that car has something of a mind of its own.

Whether we end up driving self-driving cars or not, motorists need to remain vigilant. A car accident can cause devastating injuries and even death. Every driver has a duty to keep the roads as safe as possible. Knowing your rights as a driver if you are sitting in a seat of a car that can drive itself could help you should anything ever go wrong. Reading the laws surrounding these new auto-automobiles could help you if you ever find yourself seeking legal assistance.

Source: Los Angeles Times, “Brown signs bill regulating self-driving cars in California,” Jerry Hirsch, Sep. 25, 2012

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

Negligent drivers are frequently the cause of serious car accidents. Sometimes the conditions of a roadway, however, can make crashes even more likely. That appears to be the case with a narrow road in Knox County, and residents are not happy about the situation.

Gordon Smith Road is a narrow roadway that did not always get high traffic. The addition of a new Walmart store, however, has changed all that. Residents have apparently been using Gordon Smith Road, which is located in the Halls Community near Andersonville Pike and Norris Freeway, as a shortcut.

While officials note that only two major accidents have occurred on the road in recent years, local residents say that the problem is bigger than it seems. They say that the road is too narrow, as is the right of way. Just late last month, a driver was injured after losing control on a vehicle on that stretch of road. The vehicle flipped over several times.

Residents worry that more accidents will occur if nothing is done. Some say there have been many close calls, including vehicles smashing each other’s side mirrors off.

Part of the problem might be that there is construction at a nearby intersection, which is probably prompting more drivers than usual to use Gordon Smith Road. Even with the apparent risk of more accidents, officials say that there is no plan to make major changes to the road at this time.

Source: WATE, “Residents want narrow Knox County road fixed to prevent accidents,” Josh Ault, Sept. 5, 2012

At least residents of the Knoxville area can take comfort that they are not the most dangerous drivers in the state. That distinction apparently falls to drivers in Memphis. Nationally, drivers get into a car accident about once every 12 years. In the Memphis area, it’s about once every 10 years. That’s according to a new study conducted by Allstate Insurance.

Still, that doesn’t even compare to the most dangerous city in the country to drive in, which is apparently Washington, D.C. According to media reports, drivers there are 100 times more likely to get into a car accident than in other parts of the country. By contrast, the safest city to drive in was determined to be Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

As for Memphis, it appears that drivers are simply not paying enough attention. One woman who drove a school bus in the Memphis area for years says that some drivers are “crazy” for pulling in front of buses, not giving bus drivers time to stop. Another driver says that one big problem is the Memphis drivers don’t like to use their turn signals and have a habit of cutting other drivers off, which can be especially dangerous.

Drivers here in Knoxville can take solace in the fact that they were determined to be the safest in the state. Even so, there are plenty of drivers out there who do not pay enough attention, so being extra diligent about safe driving is important for all.

Source: WREG, “Memphis drivers named the most dangerous in TN,” Adam Hammond, Aug. 29, 2012

A Knoxville bicyclist’s whole life changed abruptly as he rode his bike the other day. He was heading downhill, probably going between 25 and 30 mph on Tedford Lane, a not-well-traveled road that runs next to a ravine.

The driver of a truck apparently didn’t see him and came into contact with his bicycle. This caused him to strike a guard rail and plunge 20 to 30 feet off the road, deep into the vegetation of the ravine.

The driver of the truck kept on going, and apparently didn’t care enough to stop and check to see if the biker was okay. At first, he could barely move at all, and was hidden from traffic passing by. To give you an idea how injured he was, he sustained a broken arm, a broken leg, 10 broken ribs, a broken hip and a collapsed lung.

Somehow, with his good arm, he was able to crawl up a bit — an inch at a time, he says — and throw his helmet onto the roadway to attract attention. A motorcyclist eventually noticed and stopped to render aid. And in a stroke of luck, the next person to stop to help was an orthopedic surgeon.

Police are still searching for the hit-and-run driver. The bicyclist’s boss says that his employer is offering a $5,000 reward for the arrest of the driver. In addition, his uncle is contributing $1,000 toward the fund. In the meantime, he has the support of his family and friends as he recovers.

Source: WBIR, “$6K reward offered for Knoxville hit & run bike accident,” Hillary Lake, Aug. 3, 2012

• Our firm handles similar situations to the one discussed in this post. If you would like to learn more about our practice, please visit our Knoxville car accident page.

You’re probably quite familiar with the chiming sound that echoes from your dashboard if you don’t put on your seat belt immediately after starting your car. Pretty soon the friendly reminders may pop up for back seat passengers who fail to buckle up, too.

Congress recently passed a law that would require a “safety belt use warning system for designated seating positions in the rear seat.” According to a spokesperson for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, details are still being worked out and potential systems are still being tested.

Still, many think the law is a long time coming. Some reminders about buckling up in the front seat have been around since the 1970s. It seems to make a difference: According to a poll by the NHTSA in 2009, 83 percent of front seat occupants wear their seat belts. That compares to only 74 percent of people in the back seat.

And a government study from 2007 found that enhanced seat belt reminders improved seat belt use by nearly 4 percent. Another more recent study concluded that vehicles equipped with such warnings saw a 6 percent lower fatality rate for drivers.

The new law may protect more than back seat passengers. While failing to wear a seat belt is obviously dangerous for back seat occupants, it can be deadly for everyone else in the car, too. Unbuckled passengers often act as projectiles in serious-impact crashes. In fact, buckled passengers see a 40 percent increased risk of injury or death if there are unbelted passengers riding in the car.

Source: Washington Post, “Seat belt reminders could come to back seat,” Aug. 2, 2012

• Our firm handles similar situations to the one discussed in this post. If you would like to learn more about our practice, please visit our Knoxville car accident page.

It was anything but a typical commute this morning for drivers on Interstate 40 in Knoxville. A collision between a car and a pickup truck caused both vehicles to crash and veer off the road into the woods. Multiple people were taken to local hospitals with a variety of injuries.

The car accident reportedly happened on the interstate between the Cedar Bluff and I-140 interchanges. It’s not known what caused the collision, but a Toyota Camry and a Ford F-150 pickup truck made contact in the eastbound lanes of I-40.

The impact apparently caused both vehicles to veer off the road and crash into the nearby woods, which separate the road from a nearby motel on Kingston Pike. The 41-year-old driver of the Camry, along with two passengers who were riding in the vehicle, were taken to University of Tennessee Medical Center. Their conditions were not immediately released, but the injuries were apparently non-life-threatening.

The 68-year-old driver of the pickup, meanwhile, was treated at Parkwest Medical Center for his injuries. The Nashville resident’s injuries were also not described as life-threatening, according to media reports.

Since the accident happened at about 6 a.m. this morning, commuters no doubt wondered what was going on as they observed the two vehicles being towed from the depth of the woods. Police are still trying to piece together what happened to cause the accident, and it was unclear if charges would be filed.

Source: Knoxville News Sentinel, “Vehicles crash into woods alongside I-40 near Cedar Bluff,” Don Jacobs, July 23, 2012

Anyone in Tennessee who’s ever been in a car accident has probably asked themselves the question, “What am I supposed to do now?” Most people know that it’s important to exchange insurance information with the other driver and file a police report after a car accident. But there are other things to keep in mind, too.

The Better Business Bureau offers some tips about towing vehicles and auto repairs after an accident. Here are a few of them.

• Towing: Call your insurer from the scene of the crash. If a tow truck that arrives isn’t marked, ask the driver for identification. Otherwise, make sure the sign on the truck matches the name of the company you called. Do not give the tow truck operator any information they should not need, including your personal lien holder information. Also, do not use tow truck operators who show up to the scene unsolicited.

• Auto repairs after an accident: Ask people you know for mechanics they trust. You can also ask your insurance agent, who will likely know of many mechanics in the area. You can even call and interview mechanics; if they are happy to help you, that’s a good sign. If they aren’t, it isn’t. It’s also best not to pay for repairs until they are entirely complete.

These are just a few of the things to keep in mind if you get into a car accident. If an unexpected conundrum pops up, it’s always best to listen to your instincts.

Source: Oak Ridger, “BBB watch: What to do after a car accident,” June 27, 2012

Wouldn’t it be nice if our cars were able to sense that a crash was about to happen? It might sound like something out of “The Twilight Zone” but it’s about to come a reality. Technology has progressed to the point that cars will be able to “communicate” with each other to warn of potential car accidents.

Later this summer, the government will begin a year-long test that will involve about 3,000 volunteer drivers. It’s unknown when the technology might become commonplace; it may depend on how the test goes.

Here’s an example of how it could work. Say you are about to drive through a busy intersection on a green light while going 45 mph. Unbeknownst to you, there is a driver about to speed through the intersection on a red light. Even before you can see the vehicle, your car knows about it. It sends a row of red lights flashing just below the windshield. You brake and stop just in time to avoid getting T-boned by the other car.

How does it work, you may ask? The cars would communicate over wireless networks, sometimes 10 times per second, with other vehicles that have the same technology and that are within about 1,000 feet. The information is then analyzed by a computer and warnings are sent to the driver if necessary.

It may be hard to imagine, but in a few years’ time, your car may be telling you what to do. And it may just save your life.

Source: Sun Times, “Cars avoid each other by ‘communicating’ with each other,” Joan Lowy, June 10, 2012