Tennessee residents often hear about how strict the state’s laws on drunk or drugged driving are. However, at the same time they also hear about too many cases of an impaired driver seeming to get off without full consequences despite their reckless and negligent behavior.

Sadly, there may be yet another such example as the Supreme Court of Tennessee has recently handed down a ruling that opens up the chance that a drugged driver who killed an innocent woman may not spend time in jail. The case goes back five years when the defendant, operating his pickup truck under the influence of an opioid pain medication, stuck another person who ended up dying as a result of her injuries.

Originally sentenced to spend eight years in prison as part of a plea deal, the defendant lodged a successful appeal and was given a sentence of eight years’ probation instead. In turn, the state took the case to the highest court in the state and now a new sentencing hearing has been ordered. The defendant is an amputee due to a previous crash and this may have contributed to the appeals court’s willingness to grant him probation as he may have had a need to take the medication. For now, family members of the woman who was killed have to wait longer to see what level of justice might be served.

People who lose loved ones in accidents due to other people’s choices and actions may want to reach out to an attorney in Tennessee to learn how they might seek compensation for their losses.

Source: WATE.com, “New sentencing hearing in fatal DUI case for Clairborne County man,” November 4, 2017

Needless to say, the topic of fatal car crashes is one that most Tennesseans would rather avoid. When such a tragic event happens, many families are left with the overwhelming financial burden of covering expensive funeral costs. Much talk revolves around the question of whether life insurance covers a death that happens as a result of a car accident. While life insurance covers deaths in most cases, it is crucial to know the details in the case of a fatal crash.  

Many might assume that car insurance covers costs from a fatal accident, but Nasdaq makes clear in an article on insurance that this is not the case. Even though car insurance provides cushion for taking care of the car and for helping families with funeral costs, Nasdaq points out that this type of insurance does little else. Of course, the amount of coverage depends entirely upon what type of insurance a person has, and some types do not always supply families with funeral support. For instance, liability coverage only assists families with funeral costs if another driver with liability coverage caused the death. Accidental death benefits can also help families tremendously if a family member dies from bodily injury causes.

Pocket Sense, a website that supplies personal financial resources, confirms that life insurance policies will make a claim in the case of a fatal car accident. However, the fine print of some policies could alter that coverage. Pocket Sense also explains that there are two types of life insurance: term life insurance and permanent life insurance. Term life insurance may assist drivers temporarily, but permanent life insurance is beneficial in the long run. In addition to these details, there are also differences between life insurance death benefits and accidental death benefits when it comes to coverage.     

When most people in the Knoxville area think about truck accidents, they think of the kind that involves other motor vehicles. Many commercial vehicle collisions involve pedestrians. People who are walking down or across the streets become unsuspecting victims of negligent commercial vehicle operators. According to American Trucker, large commercial vehicles cause more than 140,000 injuries on the roads each year. 

Semis, big rigs and trailers are so heavy that when one takes into consideration speed, force and other contributing factors, it becomes easier to understand the potential for victims to end up with serious and life-threatening injuries. There are many factors that can lead to truck accidents. 

•        Speed
•        Alcohol and other substances
•        Type of vehicles involved
•        Vehicle operator experience
•        Mechanical failure
•        Negligent driving behavior 

While passenger style cars are more likely to cause truck accidents, those involving commercial vehicles are more likely to cause some victims a great deal of pain, suffering and financial duress. Recovering from accidents that involved trucks is not always easy. 

How to prevent truck accidents 

The New York Times states that almost 25 percent of work-zone fatal motor vehicle accidents involve trucks and large commercial vehicles. Motorists can reduce the number of commercial vehicle accidents that occur by keeping track of their driving actions. Enrolling in refresher driving courses, paying attention to the roads, extending proper traffic and driving courtesies and obeying all traffic laws are other ways that driver can make the roads safer. 

They should also be mindful of their vehicles’ position when riding near commercial vehicles. Drivers should not make abrupt stops in front of moving trucks. They should also avoid driving too closely behind semis and other types of trucks. Trucks take longer to stop and operate. Regular motorists are not always capable of moving their vehicles in time to avoid collisions. 

Truck accidents are hard to walk away from without injuries. Because they have the potential to seriously disrupt one’s life, it is important for victims to make provisions in advance and get expert legal advice.

Too many Tennessee residents may rightly be exhausted by the seemingly endless slew of reports detailing motor vehicle accidents in which people are killed. It only takes a split second for one person’s thoughtless and negligent choice to lead to deadly results. Sadly, this trend does not show many signs of abating quite yet.

Reports recently released from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administation show that last year represented the second year in a row with a jump in the number of lives lost in vehicular accidents in the United States. With more than 37,400 fatalities, last year was the deadliest year on the road in America in a whole nine years. Two years prior, in 2014, the nation posted the lowest number of accident deaths. 

This information certainly makes people wonder what has changed since 2014. The data points to speeding and the resistance to wearing seat belts or other safety restraints as factors in many of the fatalities. The number of deaths in 2016 is actually 5.6 percent higher than in 2015. It seems that even while auto manufacturers work to push safety advances in vehicles, the fact remains that only so much can be done to keep people safe from the choices and actions of others.

Tennessee families who must struggle through the loss of a loved one after a completely unnecessary and senseless car accident might want to talk with a lawyer to understand how they might seek compensation. 

Source: USA Today, “Deadly car crashes are on the rise again, hitting a 9-year high,” Nathan Bomey, October 6, 2017