Category: Drunk Driving Accidents

Motorists who decide to drive while they are intoxicated or under the influence of a substance in Tennessee are a danger to everyone who is on the road. Their actions are hard to ignore and in some cases to avoid. These people may not fully understand the consequences of their actions. Along with the chances of being involved in car wrecks increasing, their risk of injuries and death skyrockets tremendously. Drivers who operate their vehicles while they are drunk also face many consequences, including fines, criminal charges and more.

Recently, warrants were issued for reckless endangerment, vehicular assault and driving under the influence for a Rockwood man after he crashed his vehicle. He is now in custody at the McMinn County Justice Center after voluntarily turning himself in. According to a law enforcement official who was on the scene of the accident was led to suspect that the 30-year-old driver was impaired because of prescription bottles in the vehicle, as well as the man’s inability to speak clearly and redness in the eyes. His injuries were treated at the University of Tennessee Medical Center.

The crash on Interstate 75 caused severe injuries for a passenger, who was flown to the hospital for emergency treatment. Two other vehicles were also involved in the accident. The intoxicated motorist’s vehicle also smashed into two other cars. He is currently held on a $15,000 bond.

Drunk driving accidents are becoming common occurrences. Their consequences are often life-altering. Many victims who are trying to overcome the financial and physical damages caused by a drunk driver often benefit from the guidance of an attorney.

Source: The Daily Post-Athenian, ”DUI arrest after 3-vehicle crash,” Dewey Morgan, Nov. 7, 2016.

Motorists who drive while they are under the influence in Tennessee are a major hazard for other drivers. New technology is being developed to prevent people from operating their cars and motorcycles while they are intoxicated. There are other ways motorists can deter themselves and others from operating their vehicles while they are inebriated. However, some people still insist on engaging in this dangerous behavior, regardless of how much it puts them and others at risk for accidents, injuries and even death.

According to USA Today, the number of DUI-related deaths that occur each year is 10,000. Using technology, researchers are working to equip vehicles with safety features that will accurately, precisely and quickly monitor the blood alcohol content of drivers from their skin surfaces and through their breath without them being aware.

Law enforcement and government officials are facing mounting pressure to approve the use of in-vehicle sensors to prevent drivers from driving drunk, states Time. This can be particularly beneficial for other motorists because it can help to keep repeat offenders and zero-tolerance drivers off the roads. Vehicle operation is no longer possible if the presence of alcohol is detected by the touch and breath-based sensors for motorists who are in zero tolerance programs. For regular motorists, the sensors will be programmed to monitor for the presence of a BAC that exceeds the legal limit of 0.08. Their vehicles will not start once that limit is reached.

Technology is not the only way to prevent drunk driving. Motorists should educate themselves on actions they can take to prevent it, such as choosing designated drivers, limiting their drinks and not drinking at all.

The impact of drunk driving in Tennessee has far reaching consequences for all who are involved and their immediate families. Driving while under the influence of alcohol is not an action that should be taken lightly, nor is it one that should be encouraged. According to Hearts for Families, drunk driving causes ripple effects. These effects can be both short-term and long-term.

Emotional Costs

The emotional impact from drunk driving incidents can last long after the situation has occurred. When there is a loss of life or severe injury, the feelings of anger, depression and anxiety may linger on indefinitely. The victims of these situations and the drunk drivers can become so overridden with guilt that it manifests into anger and other negative feelings that can perpetuate the cycle and quite possibly lead to future drunk driving occurrences.

Financial Implications

Drunk driving accidents often create financial burdens for all parties that are involved. Victims and their families may have to deal with medical bills, lost wages and other expenses. Drunk drivers may find themselves facing higher insurance premiums, legal fees, liability expenses, repair costs, rehabilitation bills and a lower credit score.

One percent of non-drunk driving motorists who are involved in fatality-related car wrecks are seven times less likely to have prior DUI convictions than seven percent of drivers who have a 0.08 percent or higher blood alcohol content, states the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Every 53 minutes, a person dies from being involved in a drunk driving accident every day.

Motorists face all sorts of risks when they are on the road. Drivers who operate their vehicles while they are intoxicated are putting everyone at risk of having to deal with the consequences of their decisions.

Motorists in Tennessee need to be able to identify when drivers are driving drunk so they can take preventive actions to avoid them. Drivers who engage in intoxicated driving are not only a danger to themselves, they are a danger to their passengers and other motorists who are on the road. Relying on law enforcement and the decision-making skills of drivers who drink are not sufficient enough to prevent this type of behavior from occurring. By learning what actions and behaviors drivers tend to exhibit when they are intoxicated, the roads can become a safer place.

According to CDL Life, some of the less obvious signs of drunk driving are the use of wrong turn signals and failing to signal at all; driving much slower than posted speed limits and flow of traffic and excessive use of brakes and tailgating. The more obvious indicators that a driver has had too much to drink include drinking while driving and swerving on the road.

Motorists are not encouraged to follow drunk drivers but can do so if it is absolutely safe enough for them to do so, states The Press Democrat. They should be prepared to describe to the authorities specific driving behaviors that the person they are reporting is exhibiting. Information that can help law enforcement to catch these offenders include the direction of travel and the color, model, make and license plate of the drunken motorist’s vehicle. Drivers who suspect other motorists of drunk driving should pull over to the side of the road to remove themselves from harm’s way before contacting the police if they are not able or unwilling to follow the suspected drunken driver.

Motorists who are able to recognize the signs of drunk driving are able to keep themselves from becoming involved in motor vehicle accidents that are caused by them.

While you may understand that getting behind the wheel of a vehicle is illegal after consuming alcohol, there are a number of people in Tennessee who continue to engage in this dangerous behavior. Surprisingly, some of these negligent motorists may believe that they are fully capable of driving when they get into their vehicle. Sadly, they may end up seriously injuring or killing an innocent person as a result of the misconception. This may leave you and other drivers in the state to wonder how much alcohol people can consume before they are considered unable to drive a vehicle.

According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving, even a small amount of alcohol in the blood can create a potential hazard for drivers on the road. The blood alcohol content limit in the state is 0.08 percent. However, there are some cases where a driver who has a BAC level measuring less than this amount may cause a serious drunk driving car accident. The key is that the blood alcohol level varies depending on your gender, weight, how fast you’ve consumed the alcohol and whether you have any food on your stomach.

Although a person who has a BAC level measuring 0.02 may not be charged with driving under the influence, he or she may experience a decreased ability to see moving targets. This means that a person with this BAC level may have a heightened sense of distraction when engaging in activities while driving, such as talking or texting on a cellphone.

With a BAC level of 0.05 percent, drivers might have difficulty steering or responding to a hazardous situation, such as bad weather conditions, pedestrians in the road or other reckless drivers. This level of intoxication can impair a driver’s judgement and may reduce his or her ability to focus on objects.

This information is intended to educate and should not be taken as legal advice. 

As you navigate the roadways in Knoxville, it is important to keep in mind that you may be traveling alongside an intoxicated driver. According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving, 267 people were killed in drunk driving car accidents in 2014. This accounted for 27.8 percent of all motor vehicle accident fatalities in the state that year. In 2013, the state enacted a law that requires all people who are convicted of a DUI to have an ignition interlock device installed in their vehicles. Since that time, drunk driving deaths have decreased by 3.6 percent, and people hope that the number of people killed in these catastrophic accidents continues to decrease.

One reason why interlock devices help to reduce the DUI fatality rate is that they help to keep intoxicated drivers from operating vehicles. Before a driver can start the vehicle, he or she must blow a breath sample into a tube that is connected to a dashboard monitor. The machine then evaluates the sample for the presence of alcohol. If the driver has a blood alcohol content level that exceeds the set level, the car won’t start. Not only that, but the device will require motorists to submit random breath samples periodically while they are driving.

Studies show that IID’s keep drunk drivers from committing repeat offenses. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that interlock devices actually decrease the DUI recidivism rate by up to 67 percent. Even after the device is taken out of the vehicle, 39 percent of people continue to avoid driving drunk.

This information should be used for educational purposes and should not be taken as legal advice. 

When people are charged and convicted of drinking and driving in Tennessee, there may be a good chance that they are a repeat offender and have been convicted of a DUI before.

Such is the case with a 28-year-old man from Nashville who decided to climb behind the wheel of a vehicle after drinking. As a result, the man was charged with vehicular assault, failure to render aid, reckless endangerment, leaving the scene of a fatal crash, open container violations and a DUI. It is unclear how far the man had driven before he hit a utility pole and smashed into the side of a house, killing a woman who was sleeping in her living room.

The man, who had been previously convicted of reckless driving and arrested for drinking and driving, refused to submit to a field sobriety test when law enforcement officers caught up with him and the passenger of the car. Although the men ran away from the automobile accident scene, officers said that they were injured and covered in drywall dust. Officers obtained a blood sample from the driver in order to determine his blood alcohol content level.

People who drink and drive put the lives of innocent people at risk. DUI offenders should be held responsible for their actions. Those who are injured in accidents involving drunk drivers may want to speak to a personal injury attorney regarding their legal options and rights.

Source: The Tennessean, “Woman, 71, killed after car slams into her Bellevue home,” Natalie Neysa Alund, Ariana Sawyer, Aug. 1, 2016. 

When people get behind the wheel of a vehicle after having a few drinks, they not only put their own lives in danger, but also the lives of their passengers and everyone else on the road. In order to protect these lives, driving under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol is strictly prohibited for motor vehicle drivers across the state of Tennessee. In addition to people who are operating cars, trucks and motorcycles, the law extends to include drivers of any type of motorized vehicle, including golf carts.

A Tennessee woman faces criminal charges, including a Class D felony of vehicular assault, implied consent and her first DUI offense after driving a golf cart while drunk. The woman was driving a golf cart while her husband and another male passenger were standing up in the rear of the cart and holding on. As they were headed to the clubhouse, both men were thrown from the golf cart when the woman supposedly made an abrupt turn at a high rate of speed. Although the male passenger obtained only superficial scrapes, the woman’s husband hit his head and later died in the hospital.

The 55-year-old woman admitted that she, the female passenger in the car and the two men had all been out drinking and had approximately 10 beers each. There were also beer cans found within the golf cart when the accident occurred.

When tragic incidents like these occur, victims may wish to speak to a personal injury attorney regarding their rights and legal options. People may be eligible for compensation for their emotional trauma, medical expenses and lost wages from work.

Source: The Tennessean, “Man dies in Gallatin after golf cart fall; wife charged with DUI,” Tena Lee, July 21, 2016. 

People who leave the scene of an accident in Knoxville may face serious consequences, especially if there were injuries involved in the collision. Tennessee motorists who are involved in an auto accident are required by law to stop their vehicle. In some cases, however, intoxicated drivers and/or scared motorists may take off and leave the accident in an attempt to avoid any charges.

This was the case in an accident that occurred near Surgoinsville. A 49-year-old man, who was driving while under the influence of alcohol, caused a serious car accident and fled the scene. As a result, he received a number of charges, including failure to maintain due care, driving on a suspended driver’s license, failure to make immediate notice of a motor vehicle accident and leaving the scene of an accident. In addition to these charges, the man received a violation for failing to properly restrain a six-year-old passenger who was in the vehicle at the time of the incident. Fortunately, the child was unharmed in the collision.

Not only was this the second DUI charge for the negligent driver, but he did not have insurance coverage. The intoxicated man reportedly struck a vehicle that was driven by a female, who was injured in the accident. Although her injuries were not life-threatening, she did require ambulance transportation to a local hospital for medical attention. When questioned by law enforcement, the man denied that he had been on the road when the accident occurred. He later admitted driving the car to the store and back, and was arrested by officers.

When drivers make poor decisions on the road, like driving drunk and/or leaving an accident scene, they should be held responsible for their negligent actions. People who are injured in these types of accidents may want to speak to an attorney regarding their legal rights and options.

Source: The Times News, “DUI suspect accused of leaving wreck with injury, child restraint violation,” Jeff Bobo, June 22, 2016.

While most people are well aware of Tennessee’s laws on drinking and driving, motorists in Knoxville and across the state continue to climb behind the wheel while intoxicated. Alcohol can affect a driver’s ability to respond to certain situations, and can cause motorists to lose their inhibitions, coordination and sense of judgement. The results can be devastating for people who are involved in a drunk driving car accident.

A 26-year-old Morristown man was found responsible for causing a catastrophic accident while drunk. The passengers of the vehicle, as well as their families, have experienced first-hand the tragic consequences of drinking and driving. Not only was the driver of the vehicle intoxicated at the time of the incident, but he was traveling 52 mph over the posted speed limit. One passenger in the vehicle died from injuries sustained in the accident, while the other two passengers survived with serious injuries.

A year after the incident occurred, the driver was charged with involuntary manslaughter, and entered in a plea of guilty. Since then, he has been convicted of the charge and has been sentenced to spend three years in prison. Once the man has served his prison sentence, he will be put on probation for an additional three years.

When people make poor decisions, they put the lives of others in danger. People who have been seriously injured or who have lost a loved one as a result of another person’s negligent actions may want to speak to a personal injury attorney in Tennessee regarding their legal rights and options.

Source: The Daily Times, “Fatal crash in Smokies nets driver prison sentence,” May 4, 2016.