Here is the scenario: You are lawfully passing through an intersection when you are struck by another vehicle that ran the red light. Police respond to the scene and investigate the accident. After talking to witnesses, the police issue the other driver a citation for running the red light. Because…
April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month. While texting and driving gets a lot of attention (and for good reason), there are many forms of distracted driving, just as many laws that relate to it and, the good news, plenty of strategies for preventing it. Let’s review, shall we? The…
Fourteen states now have a speed limit between 75 and 85 mph, and these higher speed limits present several problems when it comes to tractor-trailers and other big trucks. Of course, the faster you are going, the quicker your reaction time must be. In addition, higher speeds and the increased…
You may have heard about the trucking accident that seriously injured actor and comedian Tracy Morgan and killed comedian Jimmy McNair. The truck driver who crashed into their limousine van is alleged to have been sleepless for 24 hours before the crash. Fatigued drivers are less attentive and often fall asleep…
We all know that drinking and driving is dangerous. The same is true about driving while under the influence of certain drugs including prescription medications. But, most people are not aware that certain medical conditions can impair driving ability. For instance, individuals diagnosed with epilepsy need to have their seizures well-controlled and meet…
Interstates 40, 65, 75, 24, and 81 cross through Tennessee, and Interstates 40, 65 and 24 run right through the heart of Nashville. Thousands and thousands of tractor-trailer rigs pass over these highways every day, and most of the operators follow act responsibly and obey the laws that govern the…
In the United States, over 6 million Americans suffer with paralysis. Some of the injuries were induced by traumatic spinal cord injuries. Others were the result of medical conditions such as stroke or medical malpractice in the form of birth injuries and otherwise. But, there is new hope in the form of…
In California, an appellate court is being asked to consider whether a texting driver can be held liable for punitive damages. Punitive damages are intended to punish the wrongdoer and, hopefully, deter others from engaging in the same harmful conduct. In the texting while driving context, the argument is that…
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, more than 100,000 police-reported accidents each year are directly attributable to driver fatigue. And this figure is almost certainly low because some states do not have coding for fatigue or driver fell asleep and if fatigue is combined with another factor, such as…
Let’s start this discussion with how the law handles sudden emergencies. Tennessee law recognizes that a driver faced with an unexpected or sudden emergency which calls for immediate action is unlikely to exercise the same good judgment as a driver who is operating his vehicle under normal circumstances. In the past,…