Category: Drunk Driving Accidents

Drunk drivers continue to be a major threat to everyone on the road, and even pedestrians aren’t safe. Many car accidents are attributed to drunk drivers whose behavior can cause serious injuries and even death. The mere fact that drivers are intoxicated with drugs or alcohol while driving is enough reason for Tennessee authorities to bring charges of driving under the influence. One reason for these drunk driving laws is to help reduce the number of drunk driving accidents that occur.

A pedestrian from Tennessee had his Alabama vacation, and life, cut short when he tried to cross the road and a truck driven by an alleged drunk driver hit him. A nurse practitioner witnessed the incident and tried to revive the victim, to no avail. The driver who hit the pedestrian also called 911, but the victim was believed to have died on impact.

According to the witness, the drunk driver did not exhibit any erratic driving behavior. He further stressed that the driver was driving in his lane and maintained his speed even as he approached the victim. In spite of this testimony, the driver was still charged with driving under the influence coupled with criminally negligent homicide.

While this tragic accident happened out of state, it did happen to a fellow Tennessean. Anyone in Tennessee who becomes involved in an accident with a drunk driver should understand the options for filing lawsuits and receiving financial compensation. This is particularly important if you or a loved one suffered serious injuries resulting in huge medical bills. A lawsuit could also be beneficial in situations such as this one where a life is unnecessarily lost.

Source: Fox10tv.com, “Witness: I saw him get hit,” Candace Murphy, March 31, 2014

Despite the fact that law enforcement agencies in Tennessee and across the United States are cracking down on drunk driving, many people still feel confident enough to get behind the wheel of their car while intoxicated. These drivers pose dangers to everyone on the road, and they account for a high percentage of automobile accidents that involve serious injury or death. Unfortunately, the likelihood of a collision with a drunk driver is higher during holidays, and these accidents can cut a celebration very short. 

With St. Patrick’s Day just behind us, many people in Tennessee are facing drunk driving charges. The holiday is one of the biggest DUI holidays in the country. Last year alone, the Tennessee Highway Patrol arrested approximately 70 people for driving under the influence in the 72-hour holiday period. The state continues to make efforts to reduce the number of drunk drivers on the road each year, though officials cannot keep everyone safe.

Many drivers arrested for driving while intoxicated are caught after they collide with other vehicles. It is not uncommon for these drivers to speed and even fail to take any evasive action at the time of the accident, which means the collisions can be particularly dangerous to other motorists. Innocent victims suffer injuries or even die in drunk accidents in Tennessee too often. The wrongdoing of impaired drivers can turn holidays into tragedies. 

If you have been involved in an accident with a drunk driver, it is important for you to understand your options and the potential for financial compensation. This is especially true if you have suffered serious injuries that result in extensive hospital bills. Exploring your opportunities with a personal injury lawyer is a simple step toward getting passed this stressful, painful time.

Source: WCYB, “Tow-To-Go offers ‘last resort’ option for drinkers on St. Patrick’s Day,” Jonathan Radford, March 17, 2014

It is easy for concentration to slip when you are driving. It only requires a minor distraction to draw someone’s eyes from the road for a moment. The chances of this happening are even higher when a driver is intoxicated.

An assistant football coach for Tennessee’s Vanderbilt University learned through experience that drunk driving is dangerous. He is fortunate to not have been injured or to injure someone else, but his case following drunk driving crashes still underscores the real risk of impaired drivers.

In February, authorities responded to a scene where a couple of vehicles had been struck by another driver, a driver who fled the area. That driver turned out to be the up-and-coming, newly-appointed assistant football coach for Vanderbilt. He was under the influence of alcohol when he caused the car accidents and fled.

The driver pleaded guilty to the charges, resulting in a $350 fine, loss of his license for one year and 24 hours of community service. He is also required to participate in an alcohol safety course. He has also at least temporarily lost his gig as assistant coach.

The legal limit in Tennessee for blood-alcohol when driving is 0.08 percent. If a driver is over this limit, he endangers not only himself but unsuspecting motorists and pedestrians who deserve to feel safe in their community. If you or a loved one is affected by a drunk driving accident, you may wish to seek compensation for the damage done, in order to protect yourself and to cover the costs resulting from the crash.

Source: WKRN-TV Nashville, “Vanderbilt assistant football coach pleads guilty to DUI,” March 5, 2014

With so many vehicles on the roads, it is hardly surprising that occasionally accidents occur. These can be brought on by distractions, sleepiness, illness or the influence of substances such as narcotics and alcohol. It is not always easy to determine the cause of an accident, as often several factors are involved. Unfortunately, the results of these brief slips of judgment can cause widespread damage, as happened with one automobile accident recently in Tennessee.

A 57-year-old man was found driving around Humboldt early one morning after law enforcement officials had been called out to investigate a downed power pole. The front of his car was heavily damaged and, as a result, he was arrested on suspicion of knocking over the pole.

The driver is now facing charges related to drunk driving and possession of marijuana and cocaine. He has also been charged with leaving the scene of an accident. In addition, the damage to the power pole resulted in power outages to large areas of the city. The outages lasted until the Humboldt Utility Department was able to remedy the problem that afternoon.

Fortunately, no one was harmed in this accident. Nevertheless, any car crash is a traumatic experience for all involved. Whether a collision takes place as a result of simple human error, or because of a drunk driver’s actions, victims are entitled to seek compensation for their injuries. Residents of Tennessee are advised to make themselves aware of their rights, and ensure that any such accidents are investigated fully in order to find the best possible support for all affected.

Source: wbbjtv.com, “Alleged Drunk Driver Knocks Out Power For Hours,” Krystyna Biassou, Feb. 14, 2014

Sunday afternoons are a time when many families decide to visit with each other, go out to lunch or just go for a drive to sightsee. It is also a time when many tourists to the Tennessee area pack up to return home. Regardless of the reason for being on the road, Sunday afternoons are not typically thought of as a time when a driver needs to be vigilant, because the risk of a drunk driver sharing the interstate with him or her is likely. However, as proven by a recent car accident, an accident caused by an alleged drunk driver can occur at any time.

Police report that a woman driving north on Interstate 75 was hit from behind by another vehicle. The force of the impact caused the first car to leave the roadway and to flip several times before coming to rest in a wooded area. The car that hit her bounced off the inner wall of the interstate and proceeded to flip as well.

There were a total of three women involved in this accident, and all three were airlifted to a nearby hospital. The woman who was driving the car that was hit suffered serious injuries, and her condition has been reported as critical. The driver who hit her, along with a passenger in this driver’s car, also required medical attention; however, their current condition is not known.

While the exact circumstances leading up to this car accident have not been determined yet, Tennessee police have stated that they believe alcohol was involved. Charges against the driver who caused the accident have yet to be filed and will most likely depend on the outcome of the investigation. Even so, the others who were injured in this accident will be facing numerous medical expenses, lost time from work and other financial and emotional losses. A civil claim may be their best option for addressing these issues.

Source: wate.com, 3 women airlifted after accident on I-75, No author, Feb. 9, 2014

With car accidents among the leading causes of death in the United States, driving safety has become increasingly important. An automobile accident can completely change the lives of those involved, whether they were responsible or not. Tennessee, in particular, has been cracking down on the enforcement of driving laws as they strive to reduce the number of traffic fatalities.

For the last 50 years, Tennessee roads have had over 1000 people die every year but four. 2013 was one of the four years to break this trend with just 988 deaths from vehicular collisions. As officials continue to move toward the goal of fewer fatalities, the enforcement of seat belt laws and an increase in DUI arrests have proven to be highly effective. The number of arrests made for driving under the influence has almost doubled since 2010, while the amount of deaths from accidents involving a drunk driver has gone down by almost 30%.

The concentrated effort to lower the amount of intoxicated drivers on the road is simply one way authorities have made driving safer. Another aspect state troopers have been focusing on is the enforcement of seat belt and child restraint use. In 2013, over 70,000 citations for unrestrained motorists were issued. Unfortunately, the number of deaths involving pedestrians has increased, but officials are now seeking ways to decrease this statistic as well.

Driving under the influence is a major cause of car crashes and fatalities not just in Tennessee, but also across the U.S. Not following road safety laws, such as proper seat belt use, also increases the likelihood of serious injury in an automobile accident. However, collisions can sometimes be unavoidable. If someone is involved in an accident and suffers injury or even death, that individual or surviving relatives may have the right to file civil claims for negligent driving or wrongful death.

Source: WBIR-TV, 988 people died on Tennessee roads in 2013, No author, Jan. 2, 2014

A 26-year-old Morristown man was killed in an accident on westbound Interstate 40 just after 1 a.m. on Nov. 10. According to the report, a Saturn was heading the wrong way on the interstate when it struck a 2005 Toyota Scion head-on near downtown Knoxville and the Interstate 275 northbound ramp. A Volkswagen then struck the Saturn.

The driver of the Saturn was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. The four other individuals who were involved in the accident, two in each of the other vehicles, were taken to the UT Medical Center. It was reported that their injuries were not thought to be life-threatening. The identification of the man who died was released while the identities of the surviving four were still being withheld at the time that the report was made. Investigators also reported that alcohol may have been a factor, though the investigation was still underway hours after the accident occurred.

When a car accident occurs, those who were injured may be eligible to seek compensation either through their insurance company or through the responsible driver’s insurance. Even if the responsible driver did not survive the accident, injured individuals may still bring personal injury claims against that driver’s estate.

However, insurance companies usually attempt to limit payouts by minimizing or downplaying injuries. A personal injury attorney may be able to aid his or her client by showing the full extent of the injuries and the full extent of the costs associated with the accident. If the insurance company refuses to provide a figure that adequately covers the damages, the attorney may be able to represent the injured party at trial in order to attempt to increase the figure that is awarded.

Source: WBIR, “Police ID’d victim of fatal 1-40 crash overnight Sunday“, November 11, 2013

On Oct.13, a woman was trying to cross Central Avenue in the 100 block when she was struck by a vehicle that failed to yield for her. The woman was using the crosswalk when the collision occurred at about 2:30 a.m., and the driver continued traveling down the road after the accident. She was taken to UT Medical Center with severe but unspecified injuries.

The victim and a witness later described the vehicle that caused the car accident as a 2000 Mercury Grand Marquis. Police using this description were subsequently able to locate the car and its motorist after only a brief delay.

Reports did not say whether the early time of morning contributed to the accident, but police who detained the 21-year-old motorist on James White Parkway said that he displayed signs of being intoxicated. He was later arrested, and police leveled numerous charges at him. He stands accused of DUI, operating a motor vehicle in violation of a license suspension, fleeing the accident and vehicular assault.

Hit-and-run accidents can leave pedestrians in serious conditions. Some victims require extensive medical treatment that may include life-saving surgeries or long periods of physical rehabilitation, and the motorists who hit them may not have the insurance to cover such expenses. In addition, pedestrians may not be able to work while they’re injured, making it even more important that they find an alternate way to pay their medical bills unless they want to assume significant debts. Attorneys who gather additional evidence and reconstruct accidents to establish who was at fault may help injured victims offset their costs and make their recoveries less stressful.

Source: WATE, “Woman struck by hit-and-run car in Knoxville; suspect arrested“, Jim Smith, October 14, 2013

Tennessee Highway Patrol and local law enforcement agencies have taken measures to ensure that drivers suspected of drunk driving will not be able to refuse chemical tests to determine their blood alcohol content. Tennessee authorities conducted a “no refusal” DUI enforcement campaign in several counties during Labor Day weekend, a holiday normally associated with increased automobile accidents.

During Labor Day weekend in 2012, 12 people were killed in 11 fatal car accidents; alcohol was determined to be a factor in two of the deaths. The special enforcement that was put in place for the Labor Day holiday in 2013 included sobriety checkpoints, bar and tavern checks and saturation patrols. The increased enforcement began the evening of Aug. 30 and ran until 11:59 p.m. on Sept. 2.

Many states have criminal laws in place that hold that drivers who refuse to submit to a chemical test such as a blood draw will have their licenses suspended for a period of at least one year, whether or not these people are ultimately found to be guilty of DUI. In some states, officers have already had the ability to forcibly administer chemical tests. The recent enforcement campaign in Tennessee allows officers to forcibly take blood samples only after obtaining a search warrant.

Pedestrian or motorist victims of DUI accidents may seek recovery from DUI offenders in civil court. If a person suspected of a DUI is convicted in criminal court, an attorney dealing with motor vehicle accidents may be able to use evidence of that person’s conviction in a civil proceeding. Now that officers may forcibly obtain BAC readings from DUI offenders, a plaintiff’s attorney may be able to present that evidence in a civil proceeding as additional proof of the defendant’s wrongdoing.

Source: WFLA, “Suspected drunk drivers will not be able to refuse an officers request for a blood sample“, September 06, 2013

Governor John Sevier Highway in Tennessee was the scene of a nighttime accident not far from Austin Park Lane involving three vehicles. Both lanes of traffic had to be closed for longer than five hours as police and rescuers on the scene worked to stabilize the injured and clear the roadway.

The crash occurred when a male driver crossed the center line and ran head on into a SUV traveling in the opposite direction. Upon impact, the SUV spun several times and was thrown into the path of a van, which landed in a nearby ditch. The male driver of the SUV was pronounced dead at the scene and reportedly lived in a neighborhood not too far from the crash site. The passengers in the SUV were a 7-year-old boy who was seriously injured and a 4-year-old girl who suffered only minor injuries.

Three people were riding in the van at the time of impact, and all were transported to UT Medical Center for treatment. Two of the three were seriously injured, and the condition of the third passenger remains unclear. The police report indicated that the driver of the car that crashed into the SUV was also injured and could be facing vehicular homicide charges based on evidence that he was possibly under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the crash.

Individuals who were the victims of a drunk driving accident may face a long road to recovery. Attorneys working with clients who were harmed in a motor vehicle accident may be able to help them build a solid case and negotiate for fair compensation.

Source: WBIR, “THP: Driver in 3-vehicle crash was under the influence“, Heidi Wigdahl, August 24, 2013