Truck Accidents

September 5, 2019

After an Accident, You May Not Want to Sue but You May Get Sued

The New York Times published an article this week detailing how many hospitals, one of which is in Tennessee (LeBonheur Children’s Hospital in Memphis), have started suing their patients by the thousands for unpaid medical bills. Many of the patients had insurance and the hospitals were suing for deductibles and co-pays. According to the article, more than half of the reports to credit bureaus were a result of unpaid medical bills. Of course, in addition to the cost of litigation and the underlying medical bill, this affects people’s credit rating and overall financial health. Consider this from a study by the Commonwealth Fund:

43 percent had used up all their savings to pay their (medical) bills, 43 percent had received a lower credit rating as a result of their debt, 32 percent racked up debt on their credit cards, 18 percent said they had delayed education or career plans. People with lower incomes were particularly affected: 37 percent said they were unable to pay for basic necessities like food, heat or rent as a result of their (medical) bills.

Clearly, medical bills can be devastating to many families – even those with medical insurance. So how does this relate to a car accident or other injury-producing accident? Continue reading

August 6, 2019

Back to School: Take Our Driving Quiz

by The Law Offices of John Day, P.C.

Davidson County, Rutherford County and other area schools are already back in session, Williamson County schools start this Friday and a number of private schools start next week. Hopefully, everyone has done their summer reading and is ready. Drivers also need to be ready especially since there have been some changes in Tennessee law. Take our true or false quiz below to find out if you are an A+ driver. Continue reading

July 16, 2019

Tennessee’s Driving Report Card

by The Law Offices of John Day, P.C.

I know, it is summer and we should not be talking report cards. But, Allstate is out with its driving report card in which the 200 largest cities across the country are ranked based on their driving safety record. The report considers things such as claim history and the number of hard braking incidents for every 1000 miles. This year, Allstate has also identified the 15 riskiest roads based on number of accidents. So did any Tennessee cities or roads make the list? Read on to find out. Continue reading

July 12, 2019

Tractor-Trailer Accidents Are on the Rise Yet Trucking Industry Seeks to Roll Back Safety Regulations

by The Law Offices of John Day, P.C.

Tractor-trailer accidents are on the rise — up 10% from last year. Despite the increase in deadly crashes (there were 4,657 fatal truck accidents in the last stat year) the federal government is moving to relax safety regulations and delay the implementation of other new safety regulations. One key safety provision at risk could result in our roadways becoming a lot more dangerous. Continue reading

July 2, 2019

4th of July: The Most Dangerous Day to Drive

by The Law Offices of John Day, P.C.

For most Americans, the 4^th of July means a day off from work filled with cookouts, the pool or lake, family, friends and fireworks. Unfortunately, it also means the day with the highest number of fatal roadway accidents. Yes, the 4th of July is deadlier than New Year’s Day or any other holiday. If you plan to be on the roadways this 4^th of July, please follow these five important safety tips: Continue reading

June 24, 2019

New Tennessee cellphone law effective July 1st

by The Law Offices of John Day, P.C.

You probably have seen them – the bumper stickers, sometimes profanity-laced, urging drivers to put down the dang phone and drive. On July 1^st,if you don’t put down the dang or %#@$ phone, you could be talking to a police officer. Continue reading

June 14, 2019

Share the Road on June 17th (and everyday)

by The Law Offices of John Day, P.C.

June 17^th is the 28^th Annual National Ride to Work Day. Bicyclists, scooter riders and motorcyclists are encouraged to ride to work to help raise awareness about all the positive aspects of two-wheel transportation such as the health benefits (at least for bicyclists) fewer emissions, less space needed on roadway and for parking, etc.

Unfortunately though, commuters on two wheels face greater dangers than those in cars and trucks because they are not as protected in the event of a crash. In 2017, more than 5,000 motorcyclists were killed and over 700 bicyclists. As a car or truck driver, do you know your obligations to bicyclists, motorcyclists and scooter riders on Tennessee roadways? Continue reading

June 6, 2019

Accountability v. Responsibility

by The Law Offices of John Day, P.C.

In a recent blog post, Seth Godin wrote: “Accountability is done to you by the industrial system, by those that want to create blame. Responsibility is done by you. It’s voluntary. You can take as much of it as you want.” Seth Godin is a marketing guru and I enjoy his blog. As it relates to the legal field and the work of the lawyers at the Law Offices of John Day, I would change this post slightly: Accountability is done to you; when you do not take responsibility. Here is why I say that. Continue reading

April 18, 2019

Will Motorists Get Greater Protection Against Deadly and Underreported Underride Accidents?

by The Law Offices of John Day, P.C.

An underride accident is when a car, SUV or passenger truck goes underneath a tractor-trailer. Underrides typically occur from the rear or the side. Regardless of the type, the key parts of the vehicle that are designed to prevent intrusion into the occupant compartment like the bumper, frame and pillars are either not engaged at all or only partially engaged. So underride accidents typically have a tremendous amount of intrusion into the occupant compartment and then, not surprisingly, a high rate of fatalities. These underride accidents kill on average about 219 people a year, but many experts believe that number is low due to underreporting and, although there are ways to prevent these types of accidents, not enough has been done. But, that might change with a new bill. Continue reading

April 9, 2019

Spring Showers Bring May Flowers and Accidents

by The Law Offices of John Day, P.C.

Did you know your risk of being involved in a fatal car or truck accident increases by roughly 127% during light precipitation? In a heavy rain or snow storm, the odds of being in a fatal car or truck crash surges to an increase of 246%. And, the most dangerous time of day to be caught in a rain or snow storm: morning rush hour.

These alarming stats were published in a recent University of North Carolina report. The report goes on to predict that, with climate change, we can expect the frequency and severity of storms to increase. And in Middle Tennessee, spring already tends to bring heavy rains like it did this weekend. To stay safe, we recommend the following tips:

1. Leave yourself enough time to get to your destination. One has to wonder if morning rush hour is the most dangerous time because folks are in a hurry to get to work so they are not late. While everyone wants to get home from work as early as they can, the same “being late” anxiety is not usually present and so people do not feel the need to push the limits with their driving. So if you think the weather could be bad, leave a little earlier so that you can slow down and be extra cautious.