Large settlements have been announced in the cases of the families of three Georgia Southern University students who were killed in a tragic truck accident in 2015. The lawsuits named several defendants, such as U.S. Xpress Inc. and John Wayne Johnson, the driver of the big rig that caused the accident.
The tractor-trailer driven by Johnson crashed into the back of Emily Clark’s vehicle, which was siting in traffic due to an earlier collision, on eastbound I-16 at around 5:55 a.m. on April 22, 2015. According to Brandon Peak, a member of the legal team, the driver did everything she possibly could to get out of the way after seeing the truck barreling in her direction. It appears that Johnson likely fell asleep before the accident, because there were no brake marks on the road.
The attorneys at Pohl & Berk, LLP send their condolences to the families of those injured in this accident. Too often, drivers are not held accountable for their actions and the wrongful death that results is tragic.
The next steps that you undertake following a car accident are crucial to avoid the prevalence of more injuries and to prevent further costs from arising. Here are some suggestions for you to consider if ever you are faced with the unfortunate consequences of a car accident.
It is important to have something that will allow you to document the details of your collision, such as a mobile phone or even a pen and paper, so that you can take note of emergency contact numbers, accident details, the extent of the damage caused, etc. You should also consider making it a habit to keep a card with and pertinent medical information, such as allergies or chronic conditions, on your person in case you are rendered unconscious and medical responders need to attend to you.
Drivers involved in the accident should try to move their vehicles to the side of the road if they are still functioning so as to avoid clogging traffic or causing other accidents. If this is not possible, the drivers should stay inside their respective vehicles and put their seat belts on while they await the arrival of emergency responders.
Our personal injury team at Pohl & Berk, LLP helps victims of accidents in Nashville or other areas of Tennessee bring lawsuits against those who caused their injuries. Speak with a qualified member of our team today by calling our offices at 615-277-2765.
A three-vehicle collision that happened at around 11:30 on the morning of Monday, January 4 on Highway 41 in Winchester, Tennessee, not quite 100 miles southeast of Nashville, has resulted in the deaths of a child and a woman, and the serious injury of the child’s brother and father.
According to preliminary investigations, a minivan containing Aaron Hill, his wife Lynette Hill, and their seven-year-old twin sons, was waiting for a red light to turn green at the intersection of Highway 41 and Bypass Road. While the minivan was stopped, a Kia Sedan being operated by 83-year-old Mary Parks and traveling at speeds of about 90 miles per hour crashed into the back of the Hills’ vehicle.
Chief of the Winchester Police Department, Dennis Young, said the vehicular accident was “traumatic,” and noted that there were “a lot of serious injuries with the children involved.” One of the boys, along with Parks, was killed in the collision. Parks’ passenger, Aaron Hill, and the other boy were taken to a hospital for treatment.
The United States government announced on Tuesday, December 1 that it plans to streamline its safety grading system for new vehicles to include whether the car has the technology to avoid crashes, and whether it has features that can aid in better protecting occupants when such situations arise.
The government will also consider whether the automobile in review possesses sensors that have a capability of detecting frontal collision and immediately applying the brakes in response, or the ability to inform drivers of the presence of vehicles in their blind spots or when drivers are in danger of crossing into another lane.
Crash tests will also be upgraded to include accidents in which vehicles collide at an angle; crash-test dummies that will be used will be designed to better represent the human body.
The rating system grades new vehicles by posting stickers ranging from one sticker as the lowest grade to five stickers as the highest grade on their windows to help buyers make an informed choice as to the safety of these newly-released vehicles.
If you have been injured in an accident in Nashville, call the attorneys of Pohl & Berk, LLP today at 615-277-2765.
Seventy-three-year-old Key Largo, Florida resident Dean Diver has pleaded guilty to a charge of reckless homicide on Friday, November 20 in relation to a vehicular accident on Old Hickory Boulevard in Nashville that occurred on May 10, 2014 and resulted in the death of 25-year-old Metropolitan Nashville Police Department Officer Michael Petrina.
Roger May, Diver’s legal counsel, said Diver entered the guilty plea and surrendered himself to the courts because he wishes to cooperate fully with law officials as this incident has “deeply affected” him and his family. The accident occurred after Officer Petrina had parked his cruiser in order to redirect traffic after a collision occurred on Old Hickory. The warning sign had not been updated to indicate that multiple lanes were closed due to the wreck, and Driver was unable to stop his vehicle before colliding with Petrina.
Assistant District Attorney Kyle Anderson hopes this incident will serve as a reminder to every driver that special care must be taken any time blue lights are involved. He pointed out the tragic nature of this incident, saying “There’s nothing that can bring the [Petrinas’s] son back.”
As a first time offender who has shown a significant amount of remorse, Driver received the lightest possible sentence for his actions. He faces two years of probation.
Two government employees lost their lives after a pickup truck crashed into a garbage truck on East Main Street in Livingston, Tennessee on Tuesday, November 10.
The victims were identified as 51-year-old Johnny Massengale and 22-year-old Anthony Toney.
According to the witnesses, Massengale and Toney were emptying trash bins into the garbage truck they were operating at the time when a pickup truck hit both of the pedestrians, instantly killing the men. Observers told authorities and news sources that the driver of the pickup did not slow down when approaching the garbage truck. Officers stated that the driver apparently had some kind of medical emergency at the time of the accident.
Tennessee Highway Patrol Trooper Darren Butler noted that the investigation into the case remains open. He stated that the driver of the pickup truck was airlifted via LifeFlight to a hospital for the treatment of his life-threatening injuries after having to be removed from his vehicle.
Massengale had been a Public Works employee for sixteen years. Toney was on his fifth day of the job.
A football player from Nashville Christian School in Tennessee lost his life in a car accident on Thursday, July 30 just outside of Joelton.
Nashville Christian football coach Jeff Brothers said the victim, identified as Mickey Martin, was nearly home – “literally 45 seconds from home” – according to his coach, when his vehicle veered off the roadway and crashed into a tree. Brothers believed Martin had fallen asleep behind the wheel. Martin died on impact.
Two teammates of Martin’s had been inside the vehicle at the time of the incident – Brant Lawless and Mareio McGraw. Lawless sustained non-life-threatening injuries while McGraw may require more recovery time, according to staff at the local hospital where the two were held.
The team at Pohl & Berk, LLP extend our sincerest condolences to the family and friends of the victim of this tragedy during this very difficult time.
A two-vehicle collision in Nashville, Tennessee resulted in the death of one man and injured seven others on Wednesday, August 19. The accident occurred on Interstate 440 near Interstate 65 in the eastbound lanes near Nollensville Pike.
According to preliminary investigations, a 2002 Oldsmobile Silhouette van, driven by 49-year-old Darlene Drive resident Hussain Al-Sarhan, collided with a 1999 Nissan Pathfinder, operated by 22-year-old Murfreesboro resident Adam Cogdal.
Roadways remained closed until after police investigators and maintenance crews were done with their investigations and cleanup at around 8 p.m. the same day.
The children who were inside Al-Sarhan’s van during the incident were identified as his three daughters, 14-year-old Fatima, 12-year-old Ala, and 10-year-old Wla; his nieces, 13-year-old Zahra and 11-year-old Zeinab; and his nine-year-old nephew, Ali.
All of those involved in the accident were transported to Vanderbilt University Medical Center for the treatment of their non-life-threatening injuries.
Al-Sarhan was killed instantaneously in the incident. Cogdal, on the other hand, was taken to Skyline Medical Center for his injuries.
A GoFundMe account has been put in place for the Al-Sarhan family.
A Scripps Media post said talent manager Jessica Marie Steinforff filed a lawsuit against Caitlyn, formerly Bruce, Jenner on June 8 in the Los Angeles Superior Court in California, television news network CNN confirmed.
In Steinforff’s lawsuit, she alleged that Jenner “negligently, carelessly, recklessly, and wantonly,” drove a Cadillac Escalade SUV, which led to the multi-vehicle crash in Malibu back in February that killed 69-year-old Calabasas resident Kim Howe.
According to an earlier report by CNN, Steinforff’s Prius was stopped along the highway when it was hit on the rear by a white Lexus driven by Howe, whose vehicle was then rear-ended by Jenner’s vehicle, which was towing a trailer with an all-terrain vehicle on it.
If you have been hurt in a car accident through no fault of your own, the legal team at Pohl & Berk, LLP, may help you hold the responsible person or party fully accountable in court. Call our offices in Tennessee at 615-277-2765 today to begin taking action.
The Paducah Police Department in Kentucky has reported that 41-year-old local Jose Posadas has lost his life on Monday, March 16 at a Nashville, Tennessee hospital after being involved in a four-vehicle accident on the Beltline Overpass.
According to preliminary investigations of police and eyewitness accounts, Posadas was heading west on the Beltline Overpass and had been weaving in and out of the centerline in his van when he collided with an oncoming Jeep Wrangler. A pickup truck then crashed into a sport utility vehicle after trying to avoid the collision between Posadas’ van and the Jeep Wrangler; the truck came to rest on top of the SUV.
Those involved were rushed to a local hospital. Posadas died in the accident. The conditions of those driving the Jeep Wrangler and the SUV have not been released. The fourth driver, who had been operating the pickup, was not harmed in the incident.
