by Queener Law | Jan 25, 2015 | Auto Accident, DUI, Tennessee
The rate of drunk driving fatalities in the U.S. has increased and innocent people continue to be victimized by negligent drivers. Motor vehicle crashes involving drunk drivers killed 10,322 people in 2012 and injured 345,000 people, according to Mothers Against Drunk Driving. This high statistic accounted for 31 percent of all motor vehicle deaths that year, a 4.6 percent increase from 2011. In Tennessee, 295 lives were taken in drunk driving collisions that same year, which accounted for 29 percent of all traffic deaths. This was a 14 percent increase from 2011, a fact known by any established accident lawyer Gallatin. Federal and state officials are looking for new ways to combat this growing problem and save lives in the process.
Auto manufacturers and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration are hoping to implement advanced driver alcohol-detection systems into cars, according to Edmunds.com. This new attempt at decreasing the national drunk driving fatality rate would make it difficult for drivers, with a blood alcohol content level over the legal limit of 0.08 percent, to drive on Tennessee roadways.
How would the DUI technology work?
The alcohol-detection technology would function similarly to ignition interlock devices with some slight differences. An accident lawyer in Gallatin is aware that ignition interlock devices are mandated for all convicted drunk drivers with a BAC of 0.08 percent or higher in Tennessee. These devices measure the amount of alcohol present in a driver’s breath sample. The IIDs will not let the vehicle start if the driver’s BAC is over a preset amount, usually 0.02 percent.
The new alcohol-detection technology, on the other hand, would disable the vehicle from starting if the driver has a BAC of 0.08 or higher. Rather than submitting a breath sample through a tube, like one would when using an ignition interlock device, the DUI technology would have an alternate way of measuring a driver’s BAC. Both devices are designed to curb drunk driving and decrease DUI auto accidents, injuries and fatalities.
A fatal decision
A 22-year-old man’s decision to drink and drive cost him his life. According to Local 8 Now News, the young Tennessee man and his 18-year-old passenger were traveling in the early morning hours when his car swerved into oncoming traffic. The intoxicated man and his passenger were not wearing seat belts and were thrown from the vehicle when they crashed into another car. The young driver was killed; however, his passenger and the driver of the other car involved in the accident received only injuries from the collision. Unfortunately, an accident lawyer in Gallatin may be all too familiar with these types of cases. However, injury victims may turn to an attorney for essential legal assistance.
by Queener Law | Jan 24, 2015 | Auto Accident, Tennessee
Car accidents injure millions of people across the United States each year. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, an estimated 2.36 million people were injured in traffic accidents in 2012, a 6.5 percent increase from 2011. From minor lacerations and broken bones to traumatic brain injury and paralysis, injuries experienced by car accident victims can vary from one incident to another. Many Tennessee personal injury attorneys know that the following are just a few of the most common types of motor vehicle accident injuries.
Broken bones and lacerations
Whether an accident victim experiences a severe compound fracture that requires surgical intervention or a simple broken arm that can be reset into place, broken bones can be extremely painful and may require additional therapy. Lacerations can occur when broken glass or airborne objects pierce the skin. In some instances, deep lacerations may need stitches and could leave scars.
Traumatic brain injuries
Traumatic brain injuries can occur when a person experiences a sudden jolt or impact to the head, causing brain tissue damage, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. The damage can range in severity from mild to extreme depending on the force of impact. Some victims of TBI will immediately notice key signs of brain damage, including dizziness, fatigue, headache, seizures, numbness in the extremities and loss of coordination. Other people may not have any symptoms for several weeks or even months after the incident takes place. Tennessee personal injury attorneys note that TBI can change some people’s lives forever and others may heal with time and therapy.
Neck and spinal cord injuries
Neck and spinal cord injuries can vary from mild whiplash to paralysis. According to the Mayo Clinic, paralysis occurs when trauma to the spinal cord, ligaments, vertebrae or disks damages or severs the nerve fibers passing through the spinal column. Damage done to the upper portion of the spinal cord may result in quadriplegia, or loss of movement and sensation of both upper and lower extremities. Lower spinal cord damage may lead to paraplegia, or loss of movement in the lower extremities. Motor vehicle accidents are responsible for causing more than 35 percent of all spinal cord injuries, making auto accidents the leading cause of such injuries.
Internal injuries
The impact from car accidents could cause internal bleeding and bruising to crucial organs, such as the kidneys, bowels, liver, spleen, lungs or heart. Fractured ribs could result in punctured lungs. If a person is impaled by an object, an organ may be affected as well. Internal injuries can be life threatening and require immediate attention.
Tennessee personal injury attorneys handle car accident cases where people have become seriously injured as a result of another driver’s negligence. Getting compensation can be the first step to getting one’s life back on track.
by Queener Law | Jan 23, 2015 | Auto Accident, Tennessee
In 2009, Tennessee became the ninth state in the nation to prohibit motorists from texting and driving, according to The Tennessean. Unfortunately, the ban has not decreased the number of people who are killed or injured each year in distracted driving car accidents involving cellphones, as many Clarksville auto accident attorneys have seen. Statistics from the National Safety Council show that in 2011, 10.6 percent of all traffic accidents in Tennessee involved drivers who were using their cellphones. While 71 people were killed in distracted driving accidents involving cellular devices in 2010, the number rose to 93 deaths in 2011.
Texting and driving causes auto accidents
A 17-year-old faces charges of texting while driving and failure to exercise due care after he slammed into a law enforcement officer’s vehicle head-on, according to WRCB News. Both the officer and the teen driver involved in the accident were sent to the hospital with minor injuries, and are extremely fortunate to escape the incident with their lives. Tennessee Highway Patrol found that the young boy had allegedly sent a text message two minutes before the accident took place. This may explain why the boy turned his steering wheel just in time to collide with the officer who was traveling in the opposite direction.
Clarksville auto accident attorneys are no strangers to handling texting crashes. WRCB News reported that even an auto body repair shop in McMinn County has seen an increase in business as a result of distracted driving car accidents. Victims of auto accidents caused by distracted drivers may be eligible for compensation for any property damage, medical expenses or lost wages that stem from the collision.
More than just a statewide issue
Distracted driving and texting crashes are not just a problem for Tennessee motorists. Distraction.gov states that in 2012, 3,328 people were killed in these types of accidents nationwide. Approximately 421,000 people were injured in distracted driving accidents that same year. The official U.S. government’s website dedicated to distracted driving also reported that 10 percent of all motorists under 20 years of age who were involved in deadly car accidents were distracted at the time of the collision. The Institute for Highway Safety has found that as many as 11 U.S. teenagers are killed each day as a result of texting and driving.
Studies show that texting while behind the wheel can be even more dangerous than driving while intoxicated. Negligent motorists who text while driving, may face charges of reckless driving, reckless endangerment, text messaging while operating a motor vehicle or criminally negligent homicide if they are apprehended by law enforcement. People who have been victimized by distracted drivers may want to seek legal assistance from Clarksville auto accident attorneys.
by Queener Law | Jan 22, 2015 | Tennessee, Trucking Accident
Unaware of the dangerous road that lies ahead, thousands of truck drivers choose to take a shortcut over U.S. Route 129, along the Great Smoky Mountains National Park’s western edge, rather than drive an additional 100 miles around, according to The Jackson Sun. However, Tennessee has now banned trucks that measure greater than 30 feet from traversing the curvy road referred to as The Dragon. Many tractor trailer accident attorneys Nashville are well aware that this treacherous road has been the site of over 200 motor vehicle accidents from 2010 to 2012, and six of those accidents involved deaths.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that in 2012, which is the most recent year that large truck fatality information is available, 107 people were killed in accidents involving large trucks across the state. This fatality rate has been climbing since 2009, where 86 lives were lost due to large truck collisions. State officials hope that the new ban will reduce the number of car, truck and motorcycle accidents that occur on the road each year.
The Dragon
Every year, people from around the country and some tourists from other countries are attracted to The Dragon’s amazing curves. According to tractor trailer accident attorneys in Nashville, the road has approximately 318 of them, all within its 11 mile span. Due to its twisty design, however, truckers can have an especially hard time maneuvering around the turns, and in some cases, cars and motorcycles are forced off of the road as a result.
When an accident does occur, the entire road can be blocked for hours during the cleanup process. The North Carolina side of the road has had a large truck ban in place for years, while Tennessee had a posted sign warning truckers of the dangerous curves. Now Tennessee will update their signs in January to inform all motorists of the new ban.
The dangers of large trucks
Even an extremely skilled and focused truck driver can unintentionally cause a devastating truck accident when they become stuck on risky terrain. Inclement weather conditions, including high winds, ice and snow, can make matters even worse. State officials, local residents and loyal tourists all hope that the large truck restriction on the winding Tennessee roadway will reduce the number of injured victims and help everyone enjoy the road’s vivacious curves.
Victims that have been seriously injured in truck accidents should consider the benefits of contacting tractor trailer accident attorneys in Nashville.
by Queener Law | Jan 21, 2015 | Auto Accident, Tennessee
The motor vehicle fatality rate in Tennessee fluctuates from year to year, according to the Tennessee Department of Transportation. As a way to combat this fluctuation and lower the fatality rate, state officials implemented a program that may have played a role in lowering Tennessee’s fatal crash rate. At the end of 2014, the state reported the lowest number of people killed in traffic accidents since 1963, according to WSMV News. TDOT and the Tennessee Highway Patrol believe that these numbers are no accident, and credit the new program with reducing deadly traffic accidents and saving lives.
According to WSMV, a Clarksville man was recently arrested and charged with driving under the influence, leaving the scene of an accident and vehicular assault. His alleged victim, a mother of five, still struggles with pain from her injuries. Sadly, this type of story is all too common to any Murfreesboro lawyer for car accident victims.
How the program works
The motor vehicle accident fatality rate in Tennessee increased by 8 percent, jumping from 937 deaths in 2011 to 1,014 deaths in 2012, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In an attempt to lower the number of traffic accident deaths that occur on state roadways each year, Tennessee officials initiated a program that now predicts and prevents potential car accidents.
A Murfreesboro lawyer for car accident victims knows that the program works by breaking down the entire state into specific areas, which are carefully monitored for accident information. The program can predict where a serious accident will occur within four hours. Areas that have a high rate of car accident fatalities are saturated with patrolling law enforcement officers. The officers work to deter people from drinking and driving and catch negligent drivers before they cause collisions and serious injuries.
Multi-faceted approach to curbing negligent drivers
Not only has law enforcement flooded problematic areas around the state, but Tennessee Highway Patrol has increased the state’s DUI enforcement by 150 percent over the past three years. During that time, seat belt enforcement has also been increased by 240 percent. Along with heavy use of billboard advertising campaigns warning motorists that they will get caught if they choose to drive while impaired, this multi-faceted approach has worked to lower the number of traffic accident deaths to 902 in December of 2014. Although this number does not include car accident deaths from the last two weeks of the year, TDOT and the highway patrol feel very optimistic that the numbers will stay low.
When motorists climb behind the wheel of a vehicle, they may be in danger of becoming involved in a tragic accident caused by a distracted, drowsy or drunk driver. Motorists who have been injured in such an accident may want to consider contacting a Murfreesboro lawyer for car accident legal assistance
by Queener Law | Jan 20, 2015 | CO Truck, Colorado, Kentucky, Tennessee, Trucking Accident
Roadways are filled with massive tractor-trailers responsible for transporting essential goods across the state and country. While most motorists are somewhat used to navigating around these giant vehicles, drivers who have a better understanding of how commercial trucks operate may be able to prevent a catastrophic accident from occurring. There are some behaviors drivers can practice to maximize their safety on the freeway.
Trucks Need a Greater Distance to Stop
Tractor trailers can weigh up to 80,000 pounds. According to the Tennessee Department of Transportation, they may exceed 70 feet in length, making them much more challenging to maneuver than a traditional motor vehicle. Semi-trucks require a longer stopping distance to compensate for their size and weight. For example, a car going 55 mph will take an average of 240 feet to come to a complete stop. Conversely, a tractor-trailer can take 450 feet or more to stop, depending on its exact weight, length, and how fast the truck is going. Drivers should avoid pulling out in front of trucks or cutting them off while making lane changes to prevent getting rear-ended in a truck accident.
Trucks Make Wide Turns
Whether tractor-trailers pull out wide to make a right or left turn, it’s important to give them plenty of room on both sides. Motorists should never attempt to squeeze in the lane between the truck and the curb, but rather should look for the truck’s turn signal and be patient. Remember, getting too close to a turning tractor-trailer may cause a devastating truck accident. Patience in these situations can prevent tragedy.
Trucks Have Large Blind Spots
Tractor trailers have larger-than-normal blind spots, also referred to as no-zones. Truck drivers cannot see vehicles that ride in these zones, located behind and on each side of the truck. The most significant blind spots occur on the right-hand side and behind the truck. Motorists should not linger in these areas to avoid truck accidents and crash injuries. Motorists must understand that if they cannot see the mirror on the side of the tractor-trailer, the truck driver cannot see them.
Trucks are Bigger Than Cars
Drivers need to remember that a tractor-trailer is often four times the size of their vehicle. If a semi is pulling a double trailer, that size difference changes dramatically. This means tractor-trailers need much room when changing lanes or entering freeways. Motorists who try to compete with semis for the same space will not win against a vehicle this large.
Whether a large truck operator is driving while drowsy, distracted, or impaired, motorists must stay focused. Identifying the critical signs that a truck driver is driving negligently can be a matter of life and death.
If you have been injured due to truck driver negligence, the next step would be seeking legal counsel from an experienced tractor-trailer accident attorney, like Henry Queener, as soon as possible.
