Tennessee Auto Accident Attorneys Explain How to Avoid Chain Reaction Accidents
On Saturday, January 25, 2014, a series of accidents occurred on the eastbound side of I-30 in Cookeville, Tennessee. A chain reaction that began with one accident and eventually resulted in a total of ten accidents involving eighteen vehicles happened between 11:30 AM and 1:30 PM, between mile marker 301 and mile marker 298. Both lanes of traffic were closed, and traffic was re-routed for several hours, until the road was cleared. Fortunately, there were no fatalities, although some people did receive minor injuries. Reports about the accident did not mention what the weather was like at the time of the pile-up, or whether weather was a factor in causing the crashes.
The recent eighteen vehicle chain reaction accident in Cookeville caused much less damage than many multiple-vehicle accidents often do. Often, whenever there is a chain reaction accident, there are one or more fatalities, numerous serious injuries, and a great deal of property damage. Accident victims can be struck by other vehicles after they get out of their cars to survey the damage. People who are trapped inside of their vehicles can become even more difficult to extricate if there are other vehicles in the way, or if subsequent impacts damage their vehicle even more.
Any accident has the potential to turn into a chain reaction accident, although the potential for these accidents is greater in places where there is more traffic or where weather conditions are poor. Fortunately, there are things that both accident victims and drivers can do to help prevent car crashes from turning into pile-up accidents.
If you are involved in an accident, be sure to move your vehicle out of the road and off to the side, if it is safe to do so. Vehicles in the road are much more likely to be hit by oncoming traffic. Also, if you are able to get out of your vehicle, be sure to move to a safe location, and use caution when walking in or near the road. If one or more vehicles cannot be moved off of the road, place flares, reflectors, cones, or other devices in the road to make other drivers aware of the situation.
When you are driving, use extra caution in situations where visibility is low due to fog, rain, snow, dust, or other conditions. Reduce your speed, so that you will have time to react to anything that you might see. Remember to leave plenty of room between your car and the car in front of you, no matter what the road conditions are like. On dry roads with good visibility, a good amount of distance is one car length for every ten miles per hour of speed. When visibility is reduced, allow even more room so that you can see and respond to the actions of vehicles that are traveling ahead of you.
Chain reaction accidents can create complex sets of facts which can make it difficult for accident victims to be compensated for their injuries in an expedient manner. The knowledgeable and experienced Tennessee auto accident attorneys at Bailey & Greer, PLLC have the ability to evaluate your case and answer all of your questions. We will help you understand your options, and choose the course of action which is right for you. We believe that accident victims deserve prompt resolutions of their claims for damages, even in situations where there are complicated facts to assess. Please call us at 901-680-9777 to schedule a time to discuss your case with us. At Bailey & Greer, PLLC, we are small enough to care, big enough to fight, and experienced enough to win.
Since graduating magna cum laude in 2005 from the University of Memphis School of Law, Thomas has helped make a difference in the lives of victims of serious personal injury, wrongful death, and professional negligence. Thomas has extensive trial experience in both state and federal court. Among other victories in the courtroom, Thomas obtained several impressive jury verdicts and settlements
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