Knoxville Personal Injury Blog | Pryor Priest & Harber

1 killed, 1 injured in Tennessee motorcycle wreck

Post author By Anthony Proffitt
Post date September 23, 2014

On Sept. 13, a crash involving a 2005 Mercedes and a motorcycle in Rutherford County seriously injured two people. The incident occurred around 2:40 p.m. at Veterans Parkway and Barfield Road in Murfreesboro. According to the Tennessee Highway Patrol, the Mercedes failed to yield at the intersection and pulled in front of the bike.

A 38-year-old man and a 36-year-old woman on the 2012 Suzuki motorcycle were taken to Vanderbilt Medical Center via helicopter for treatment. Sources indicate that they both required surgery. However, the man succumbed to his injuries on Sept. 18. The woman’s condition was not reported.

The 21-year-old man behind the wheel of the Mercedes and his passenger did not suffer injuries in the wreck. He received a citation for failing to yield, and the THP says that no additional charges are expected to be filed in connection to the incident. Both individuals were reportedly wearing their seat belts at the time.

Motorcycles afford no protection against the sheer size of other vehicles on the road in the event of a motorcycle accident. Even when riders are wearing protective gear and helmets, the effects can still be catastrophic or even fatal.

When a family loses a loved one to an accident, they could be entitled to compensation. A personal injury lawyer could advise and assist family members with filing a wrongful death claim against the at-fault motorist. The financial losses the family suffered as a result of the victim’s death such as funeral and medical costs could be addressed through the claim.

Source: WGNS Radio, “UPDATE: Motorcycle accident this past Saturday sends husband and wife to Vanderbilt Medical Center“, September 18, 2014

Fatal Motor Vehicle Accidents

Fatal wreck caused by driver with 5 DUI offenses

Post author By Anthony Proffitt
Post date September 17, 2014

A Tennessee accident caused the death of a motorcyclist in Memphis on Sept. 9. Police say that a driver with multiple DUI offenses is suspected of operating his vehicle while intoxicated at the time of the crash.

The now-deceased cyclist was reportedly riding his Harley-Davidson motorcycle on Shelby Drive, supposedly on his way home from work. The accused man’s vehicle allegedly tried to perform a left turn in front of the Harley on Swinnea Road, resulting in the collision. Family members say the motorcyclist suffered multiple broken bones; he was transported to a hospital and placed on a respirator. He died later after doctors were reportedly unable to control the bleeding in his brain.

The driver of the vehicle believed to have caused the accident has been charged with DUI and additional offenses. Records show the charge is his fifth since 2007, at which time his license was also officially revoked by the state. He was also arrested in April on charges of driving with a revoked license. He was taken into custody and held on a $30,000 bond.

The sudden loss of a loved one in a serious traffic accident can be hard for family members to process. If the individual or party thought to be at fault was impaired, reckless or negligent, they may be held legally responsible for various damages in a wrongful death suit. When a family is forced to cope with their loved one’s passing while meeting insurance deductibles, paying medical bills, and making and paying for funeral arrangements, it may be a helpful to speak with a qualified attorney to discuss a case’s viability.

Source: WMCactionnews5.com, “Multiple DUI offender kills grandfather in recent crash“, Nick Kenney, September 11, 2014

Truck Accidents

TDOT workers injured in crash on interstate

Post author By Anthony Proffitt
Post date September 15, 2014

On Sept. 4 around 1:45 p.m., two Tennessee Department of Transportation workers suffered injuries in an accident involving a semi-truck while they were directing traffic on I-24 West outside of Manchester. A previous collision and roadside labor caused traffic congestion prior to the crash, and the two men turned on their work truck’s sign to alert oncoming traffic. The semi-truck failed to merge into the left lane as indicated by the sign and ran into the back of the TDOT truck carrying the two men.

The impact forced the utility vehicle across the emergency lane and into a rock wall. The semitrailer hit the wall as well. The TDOT workers were transported to a local medical facility, and one had been released by around noon on the day after the crash. The other worker was listed in stable condition on Sept. 5. The truck driver suffered minor injuries and was not hospitalized, and law enforcement officials reported that the semi-truck driver could face charges.

An investigation by authorities could reveal what prevented the semitrailer driver from slowing down and switching lanes. The trucker may have been drowsy and oblivious to surroundings because he had been on the road too many hours. Also, the truck may have had faulty brakes or other mechanical problems.

People who have been harmed in accidents that involved tractor-trailers may wish to file personal injury suits against the truck drivers, their employers or both. Doing so could lead to those victims being awarded monetary compensation. Additionally, the potential defendant, or defendants, of such a lawsuit may wish to avoid legal proceedings and attempt to negotiate settlements with the accident victims.

Source: WKRN, “2 TDOT workers flown to Vanderbilt after serious crash on I-24“, September 05, 2014

Motorcycle Accidents

Motorcyclist injured in multi-car crash

Post author By Anthony Proffitt
Post date September 11, 2014

A 28-year-old motorcyclist was seriously injured in a six-car crash that occurred in Tennessee on Sept. 4. The incident happened at around 5:26 p.m. on the northbound side of Alcoa Highway nearby McGhee Tyson Airport and Payne Avenue. The man was listed in serious condition at University of Tennessee Medical Center as of Sept. 6. Local reports claim that the chain-reaction crash was initiated by a 33-year-old driver in a GMC Acadia who braked abruptly when a Chevy Silverado riding ahead reached heavy traffic congestion.

A 26-year-old driver in a Toyota Rav4 reportedly rear-ended the GMC when it stopped suddenly. The impact of the collision subsequently caused the GMC to rear-end the Silverado. In turn, the 19-year-old man’s vehicle crashed into the back of a minivan. A Ford Explorer was then said to have struck the rear of the Toyota Rav4.

The motorcyclist was traveling too fast to avoid the accident and collided with the rear of the Ford Explorer. Police say the motorcyclist collided with the SUV’s rear window and gate. According to police, he suffered injuries that were not life-threatening. He was wearing a helmet that was in compliance with Department of Transportation standards. All of the drivers in the crash were reportedly wearing seat belts at the time and did not suffer any injuries. There were no passengers on board in any of the vehicles and no air bags were deployed.

People who suffer injuries in a motorcycle accident may be entitled to seek restitution to help account for economic and non-economic damages suffered in an incident. These victims may be due compensation for off-setting medical expenses, loss of income and repair costs resulting from the incident. In order to obtain restitution, plaintiffs may need to prove that the defendant’s negligence caused the injuries.

Source: The Daily Times, “Motorcyclist in serious condition after six-vehicle wreck on Alcoa Highway“, September 06, 2014

Fatal Motor Vehicle Accidents

2 truck crashes in less than a week on same stretch of road

Post author By Anthony Proffitt
Post date September 9, 2014

As of September 2, the Tennessee Department of Transportation was investigating two separate truck accidents that took place along the same stretch of highway within days of each other. Both of the accidents occurred on Interstate 75 near Campbell County between mile markers 132 and 136. Despite the short time frame between the two crashes, TDOT reported that 2014 was on pace to have fewer accidents on that stretch of the interstate than the two previous years.

One of the crashes occurred on Sept. 2 when a driver lost control of a semi-truck around 6:30 a.m. The tractor-trailer struck a guardrail and fell on its side. Shortly after it overturned, a driver in a Ford pickup crashed into the semitrailer. Less than a week before that incident, a semi-truck drove across the interstate’s median and struck another tractor-trailer and a sport-utility vehicle. One person died in that accident and three others were injured.

According to TDOT, the crash on Sept. 2 was the 17th accident to occur on that four-mile section of highway in 2014. In 2012 and 2013, there were 41 and 39 accidents respectively in the same area. Truck drivers who spoke with the news source emphasized the importance of driving slowly and cautiously through the hills of Tennessee.

A family that has lost a loved one in a truck crash can seek financial compensation via a wrongful death lawsuit. Following fatal accidents, authorities conduct investigations into those incidents, and the information they gather may point toward a party whose negligence contributed to the crash. If retained by family members of those killed in auto accidents, personal injury attorneys often use police reports as well as witness statements to build cases against the defendants of wrongful death suits.

Source: WATE, “Tractor trailer overturns, causes crash on I-75 in Campbell County“, Shelby Miller, September 02, 2014

Car Accidents

Child dies from injuries after rear-end accident

Post author By Anthony Proffitt
Post date September 5, 2014

Police officials in Kingsport, Tennessee, say that a 12-year-old boy has died from injuries suffered in a four-vehicle collision on Aug. 27. The boy was the only fatality from the car accident which investigators say happened at about 1:45 p.m. by the Kingsport Pavilion.

According to reports, a 2007 Kia Sedona driven by the boy’s mother, age 46, was heading west by the shopping center when it entered the left turning lane. At that time, the vehicle was hit from behind by a 1995 Chevy Suburban driven by a 62-year-old Bristol woman. The Kia then struck two other vehicles before becoming stuck on a large embankment.

Officers say that the driver of the Suburban made no attempt to slow or stop prior to striking the Kia, which also contained the victim’s younger brother. Both the driver and the second child were transported to the hospital with serious injuries but were later listed in stable condition. The young boy died of his injuries on Aug. 30. The driver of the Suburban has not yet been charged, and she received non-life-threatening injuries as well.

When a family member dies in a traffic accident, remaining family members must often take on the burden of paying medical bills as well as dealing with funeral arrangements and insurance company questions and premiums. In addition to emotional distress, financial problems can have a tremendous effect on those who remain. In some such cases, the family members of a victim may have cause to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the driver deemed to be at fault. An attorney might be able to give reliable legal advice on the viability of such a case.

Source: TimesNews, “12-year-old injured in East Stone Drive wreck succumbs to his injuries “, August 31, 2014

Truck Accidents

Tennessee semi truck accident kills 1, injures 3

Post author By Anthony Proffitt
Post date September 3, 2014

A truck accident that occurred on Interstate 75 in Campbell County Aug. 27 has left one person dead and three others injured. The accident happened around 3:15 p.m. near Caryville. According to the Tennessee Highway Patrol, a northbound semi-truck crossed over the median and struck a southbound semi-truck head-on.

One of the truck drivers, a 49-year-old man from Russell Springs, Kentucky, was killed in the crash. It is not clear from reports what injuries were suffered by the driver of the second semi-truck. Reports say a passenger car was also involved, and two firefighters were injured. Some of the injured victims were flown to UT Medical Center.

The crash resulted in a chemical fire that closed a portion of I-75 in both directions for several hours and led authorities to evacuate an area within a half-mile of the crash. Witnesses said they heard three or four loud explosions. One of the trucks was carrying batteries, and the other truck was transporting oxidizing materials. However, an earlier report that the crash involved radioactive materials turned out to be incorrect. It is not clear from reports what caused the first truck to cross over the median and strike the second truck.

Motor vehicle crashes can be catastrophic and often result in severe injuries or death. When a person is injured in a truck accident, the injured may be able to seek compensation form a truck’s driver if he or she may have been at fault. That victim may want to consult with an attorney to see if their injuries warrant a civil lawsuit that might allow them to seek compensation for their losses.

Source: Local 8 Now, “One killed, three injured in explosive I-75 head-on tractor trailer crash“, August 28, 2014

Car Accidents

Tennessee woman arraigned in relation to crash that killed teen

Post author By Anthony Proffitt
Post date August 27, 2014

On August 19, a 33-year-old woman pleaded not guilty to multiple felony and misdemeanor charges stemming from a Rutherford County car accident that killed a teenage boy. She is facing charges of possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of marijuana, vehicular homicide by recklessness, leaving the scene of an accident causing death, reckless assault and vehicular homicide by intoxication. The latter charge is punishable by up to 30 years in prison and a maximum fine of $10,000.

The accident occurred on April 10, when the 33-year-old woman crossed two lanes on westbound Interstate 24 and struck the teenager, who was changing a tire on a vehicle belonging to his mother on the shoulder of the interstate, according to the Tennessee Highway Patrol. Emergency personnel transported the teenager to StoneCrest Medical Center, where he ultimately died of injuries suffered in the crash, authorities reported.

A THP trooper said that the 33-year-old woman evinced signs of intoxication and performed poorly on three field sobriety tests in the aftermath of the event. According to the trooper, the woman said she had taken a prescription medication for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and a prescription pain killer. A blood test administered on the woman later revealed the presence of marijuana metabolites, amphetamines and alprazolam in her system, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.

While criminal cases have no official bearing on civil cases, even when they derive from the same incident and share the same defendant, a wrongful death attorney representing the family of an accident victim may proffer evidence and information adopted from the police investigation if it bolsters the family’s case against the at-fault party. For, certain family members of people who die in a car accident caused by another party’s actionable behavior, such as negligence, may pursue a wrongful death lawsuit in order to recover pecuniary damages related to the sudden death of their loved one.

Source: The Tennessean, “Woman accused in fatal I-24 accident pleads not guilty“, Michelle Willard, August 19, 2014

Fatal Motor Vehicle Accidents

Trucking company faces federal lawsuit in fatal truck crash

Post author By Anthony Proffitt
Post date August 25, 2014

On Aug. 10, a woman filed a claim in a Tennessee court against Yes Express, Inc./”The Blanket Company” and one of the truck company’s drivers whom she says caused an auto accident that killed her 18-year-old daughter and injured two others. The truck driver, who was unhurt, may face criminal charges in the incident.

According to the Tennessee Highway Patrol, the fatal crash occurred on 11W in Rogersville August around 1:23 p.m. when a Texas man operating a 2005 Volvo semitrailer collided with the woman’s northbound 2000 Daewoo after he made an illegal left-hand turn from the roadway’s median. Emergency crews who arrived at the scene transported the two passengers from the Daewoo to local hospitals for treatment of unknown injuries. The Daewoo driver died from major injuries she suffered in the wreck.

In the woman’s lawsuit, she claims that the fatal crash was due to the negligent actions of the truck driver, suggesting that he recklessly and carelessly operated his truck in a way that showed a blatant and willful disregard for the safety of other drivers and their property. Because the plaintiff believes the defendant failed to exercise due care and caused the collision that resulted in the fatal injuries of her daughter, she is requesting the court for an undisclosed amount of economic and non-economic losses stemming from the accident.

When people experience the sudden loss of a loved one in a crash, they might face a number of financial costs associated with the accident. In cases where the decedent had dependents, those who relied on the victim’s income might be negatively affected by the loss of household funds. Through a wrongful death claim, family members of the deceased may be eligible to pursue financial compensation for their accident-related losses, including loss of future contributions of income. In some cases, compensation could include loss of consortium.

Source: TheRogersvilleReview.com, “Mother of 18-year-old killed in 11W crash files federal lawsuit“, Tommy Campbell, August 20, 2014

Car Accidents

3 die in single-vehicle accident

Post author By Anthony Proffitt
Post date August 21, 2014

An August 8 accident resulted in the deaths of three people in Anderson County, reportedly. According to the Tennessee Highway Patrol, the crash occurred on Wolf Valley Road at approximately 11:30 p.m.

Authorities stated that a 45-year-old woman was driving a vehicle with two passengers when she attempted to navigate a curve in the roadway to no avail. Consequently, the vehicle left the roadway and flipped over, ejecting all of its occupants, authorities reported.

The two passengers, ages 44 and 25, both died as a result of the incident. The 45-year-old driver was killed as well, officials stated. Purportedly, all three of the vehicle’s occupants were drinking at the time the incident.

As this case illustrates, traffic accidents can have deadly ramifications, even when there is only one vehicle involved. If speed and impairment were in fact contributing factors in this fatal car accident, as law enforcement officials allege, then the event might give rise to civil action. That is because the families of people who die in an auto accident may be eligible to file a wrongful death claim against the party whose negligence contributed to the accident. In the event that the at-fault party died in the accident, the wrongful death claims may be brought against the at-fault party’s estate.

By filing this type of claim, certain bereaved family members may seek compensation for the pecuniary damages that they suffered in relation to the sudden loss of their loved one. For example, they may seek to recover funeral expenses and the costs associated with the decedent’s estate administration. In addition, they may seek lost earnings if their deceased loved one had contributed income to dependents while alive.

Source: WATE, “3 killed in rollover accident in Anderson county“, August 10, 2014