Tennessee’s ban on using hand-held devices while driving went into effect on July 1, 2019. Under PCO412, it is now illegal for drivers to: Hold a phone in any way Read, write, and/or send text messages Watch videos or movies on a device “Reach for a cellphone or mobile device in a manner that requires the driver to no longer be in a seated driving position or properly restrained by a seat belt” Record or broadcast themselves while behind the wheel (You can access the full Act here) The new laws [...]

It’s bad enough to find yourself involved in a car accident. What makes matters worse is when you find out the accident was caused by a defective auto part. Sadly, this is not an uncommon occurrence across Tennessee and the rest of the country. There are a few ways a defective auto part accident can occur. The first is that the part was defective because of the way it was manufactured. The second is that the design of the part was what led to the part being defective. Either way, if [...]

If you have been the victim of a serious car accident, often the only way to continue driving your vehicle is to have it repaired. However, if your accident was relatively minor in nature – one that does not affect the functionality or safety of your car – you may be inclined to use your insurance check for other more pressing financial needs. The question is: Are you required to use the money you receive exclusively for your car repair, or can you pocket the money for other purposes? And does [...]

The medical expenses after someone has a car accident can mount quickly. If you don’t have health insurance, you or your lawyer may need to negotiate the terms of payment with the health providers. Often, medical providers will agree to defer payment until the case is settled, and then seek reimbursement through a medical lien. If you do have health insurance, you will have to pay the deductibles and you will likely have co-payments. The insurance companies may dispute some of the treatments, so you should check your coverage first, before [...]

Drivers who operate their cars, trucks, or other vehicles while distracted are a serious danger, to themselves and others. They are at high risk of causing an accident which can injure or kill other drivers, passengers in any vehicle, bystanders, and bicyclists. Distracted drivers don’t have their eyes on the road, their hands on the steering wheel, and their minds on the traffic emergencies that can arise in an instant. It’s one thing to claim that a driver was distracted; it’s another thing to be able to prove it. Some of [...]

You put a puffy winter coat on your kids on those blustery winter mornings because you want to protect their little bodies from the cold. But all that lofty insulation in their winter coat keeps their car seat from protecting them in a crash. This is a Today Show video of the difference between how well a child crash test dummy is restrained when wearing a puffy coat and when it is not. The test dummy wearing the puffy coat can slip up and out of the coat and car seat [...]

We're officially into Autumn and, according to State Farm Insurance, they and other insurance companies will be seeing more claims coming in involving car versus deer collisions. Historically, these numbers will continue to increase over the coming weeks and months. State Farm recently released their annual deer-vehicle collision report on their website. The data for this study was gathered between July 1, 2017 and June 30, 2018. The results show that West Virginia leads the country in car and deer accidents for the 12th year in a row. Tennessee is ranked [...]

In many car, truck, and motorcycle accident cases liability can be proved based on the testimony of witnesses, the police, the damage to the vehicles, and photographs of the accident site. In some cases, though, it’s not clear who caused the accident and how the accident happened. If liability can’t be determined, then an experienced Tennessee accident lawyer may enlist the aid of a professional accident reconstruction professional. When an accident reconstruction expert may be required? Accident reconstruction experts may be called to help determine how the accident happened and who’s [...]

In some ways, you trust your mechanic like you trust your doctor. You bring in your car when it is broken, and you can trust that your mechanic will figure out what is wrong and fix it. If your mechanic does not repair your vehicle in accordance within accepted standards and practices in the industry, he or she may be liable if the broken parts cause you harm. An example of mechanic liability Your car needed new brakes before you left on a road trip, so you brought it to your [...]

The Drive, an online publication, recently reported that IIHS data shows that drivers are ignoring traffic lights that are red at an alarming rate. Deaths due to red light crossings increased by 17% between 2012 and 2016. The study was conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). As a result of the study, the IIHS, AAA, National Safety Council, and Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety are promoting additional camera usage at intersections. In 2012, there were 696 deaths due to red light accidents. In 2016, there were 811 [...]