Whether a passenger car, box truck, pick-up truck, an 18 wheeler/tractor-trailer truck, or a motorcycle, there are common recurring fact patterns for accidents.
(1) Failure to maintain a proper look-out
Inattention is a leading cause of accidents involving all types of motor vehicles. Common forms of inattention include . . .
(a) Looking away from the direction the motor vehicle is traveling; (b) site seeing; rubber necking at another accident, roadwork, or distractions on the side of the road; (c) text messaging; (d) dialing or talking on the mobile phone; (e) eating; drinking non-alcoholic beverages; (f) spills inside the vehicle; (g) distractions by passengers including spouse, children or pets; (h) setting map quest; (i) setting the radio/stereo; (j) setting any other vehicle controls requiring one to look away from the road such as cruise control, trip set, resetting a clock or other control/accessory within the vehicle.
(2) Failure to yield the right-of-way
The right-of-way rules are controlled by the driving code which is a State law in Tennessee. This includes . . .
(a) Running into a vehicle lawfully stopped at a stop sign or traffic light; (b) changing lanes and hitting a motor vehicle in its proper lane of travel; (c) failure to obey a stop sign or traffic light and hitting a vehicle; (d) pulling from a side road with a stop or yield sign and T-boning a motor vehicle or truck on a “through street”;
(i) helpful (not so helpful) motorists waving cases. Many times a motorist stopped in an outside lane will wave someone out of a parking lot or side street across multiple lanes of travel. When the driver pulls out, a vehicle traveling at 30 to 40 MPH in lane two or three will T-bone the vehicle pulling out. Do not do this. Do not pull across multiple lanes of traffic unless you have a clear field of vision as to all lanes. Another tip: the person waving in a negligent fashion may be sued if you can identify them. Advice: do not pull out. Do not wave other vehicles out.
Common forms of intoxication includes . . .
(a) Alcohol-tested by field sobriety tests, breath tests, or blood tests; (b) drug use – tested by field sobriety tests, or blood tests; (c) prescription pain medications if it causes impaired driving may also be the basis of a criminal charge as well as the cause of a motor vehicle accident.