Archive for the ‘Teen driving’ Category

Two Beech High School students have died as a result of a car crash involving two cars on Friday, August 6 on Long Hollow Pike around 3:30 according to The Hendersonville Star News.

Two boys were both riding in a 1993 Toyota, that was driven by one of the boy’s older brother, when the car crossed the center line and  hit another Eastbound vehicle according to the Tennessee Highway Patrol’s report.

The boy who was riding in the front passenger seat, was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident, and the other was sent to Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital and was in critical condition. The 15-year-old died on Friday according to the Davidson County Medical Examiner’s Office.

37-year-old Jennifer W. was the other driver that was involved in the crash, and was injured and transported to Hendersonville Medical Center, and has since been released.

According to the report, none of the three teenagers riding in the 1993 Toyota were wearing their seatbelts, but Willingham had been wearing hers.

Our sympathy goes out to the families of the teens involved in this tragedy, and this is yet another example of the dangers of not wearing a safety belt.

According to The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), they estimate that 15,383 lives were saved by seat belts in 2006, and from 1975 to 2006, safety belts have saved the lives of 226,567 people.

Unfortunately, one out of every four Americans still do not wear their seat belts! Many of these crash related deaths, like these two teenagers, could be avoided with the simple act of buckling up.

A copy of the official police report may be obtained by contacting:

1-800-377-HURT (4878)

www.seriousinjury.com

An 18 year old male was killed in a Tennessee car wreck during the early morning of Sunday, August 8, when his 2001 Chevy Blazer crashed on the interstate exit ramp to State Route 840 in Rutherford Country according to the Daily News Journal in Murfreesboro.

The Murfreesboro man’s SUV flipped multiple times after exiting the interstate at a very high rate of speed said a spokesman for the Tennessee Highway Patrol.

The police report states, “The vehicle went off the left side of the road, overcorrected, re-entered the roadway, then went off the right side of roadway and overcorrected again. The vehicle re-entered the roadway, where (it) rolled over multiple times and came to rest on the left side of the roadway down an embankment on the vehicle’s left side.”

There was another 18 year old male in the SUV at the time of the accident who survived, but was cited for underage consumption, and police believe the driver may have also been under the influence.

“There’s an indication that alcohol was a factor in the crash,” the spokesman said according to the Daily News Journal. “Routine testing is being conducted to confirm whether the driver was impaired.”

Our sympathies to the families of these two young boys. Car wrecks are the leading cause of death in young men, but this didn’t have to happen.

If these young men were drinking, someone provided them the alcohol. An 18 year old’s judgement is often flawed, but someone over 21 was involved. Shame on them.

A copy of the official police report may be obtained by contacting:

1-800-377-HURT (4878)

www.seriousinjury.com

A Minnesota Judge has punished Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad for destroying evidence and lying about the cause of a rail road crossing accident that killed 4 young people in 2003.  After considering the conduct of the railroad, the Judge ordered them to pay an additional $4 million to the families and their lawyers. Hoorah! Businesses of all kinds can go over the top when it comes to defending themselves in lawsuits, often spending more to defend a case than it would cost to settle it. Why? Someone in the organization has an ego that prevents them from admitting a mistake, or accepting any personal responsibility for a tragedy. It’s always easy to blame the victim, and unfortunately there are some people on juries who will do the same. Is that the kind of society we want to live in? A society where companies can hire lawyers to fight off victims so that they get little or nothing? The railroad isn’t the only industry that has done this, the same has been said of insurance companies handling automobile accident claims. For more information about auto insurance companies attempts to unfairly deny, delay and defend claims, click here.  For additional information about this Minnesota case punishing the railroad, click here.

A study published by the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia has concluded that the way the parents communicate rules about driving to teenagers, and then monitor teen driving, can reduce the risk that their teen will be involved in a crash in Nashville, Tennessee, or anywhere.

Simple rules like:

• “no use of the cell phone while driving”,
• “no driving if you have had something to drink”,
• “no riding with someone who has had something to drink”, and
• “always use your seatbelt”

can have a significant impact on reducing the risks of teens being involved in automobile accidents.

Teen drivers are 4 times more likely to be involved in fatal accidents as adults, and most teen crashes are preventable. Research with teen drivers show that they do not think of themselves as inexperienced, and most (85%) do not think their peers are inexperienced.  Only 10% recognize that their passengers are potentially hazardous.

Teens with authoritarian parents are more likely to use their seat belts and less likely to speed. Teens who have their own car, as opposed to sharing a car, are more likely to use a cell phone while driving, and are more likely to speed.

We see teens who are the victims of bad teen driving all the time in Nashville and through out Tennessee. As Tennessee attorneys who handle personal injury cases, seeing the results of  these kind of tragic accidents is unavoidable. It is good to know, and have verified, that simple rules strictly enforced can make such a difference.

To review this study in detail, click here.