Nashville Personal Injury Law Blog

Some people in Tennessee have discovered a new way to get around town. Electric scooters manufactured by companies such as Bird and Lime have begun operating in many areas by offering electric scooters for public use. Anyone in the city has the ability to rent a scooter by connecting it to an application on a smartphone. While the scooters are helping many people travel longer distances in a shorter amount of time, riders could be at risk for personal injury.

Bird and Lime have created battery-operated scooters that are dropped in various locations throughout a city. The company works similar to ride-sharing companies such as Uber or Lyft. The scooters can be rented by anyone, as long as one has a matching application on a smartphone. The company is also creating jobs in cities in which the scooters are located by paying individuals to charge them on a daily basis.

An increasing problem both locally in Tennessee and nationally is the continued increase in pedestrian injuries and deaths. Nationally in 2017, nearly 6,000 pedestrians were killed which was a number that had not been reached in the last 25 years. Closer to home in Tennessee, the number of pedestrian deaths has also been going up. Memphis ranks among the top 25 large cities for its pedestrian fatality rate, Knoxville came in at 47 and Nashville was at number 70 on the list.

How dangerous is this problem? The Center for Disease Control and Prevention states there will be an average of 430 people nationally who will be admitted to an emergency room in the next 24 hours due to a pedestrian-traffic related injury.

One witness of a recent multi-vehicle accident in Tennessee made a claim that drivers can drive for other people by being aware of their surroundings at all times. She made the claim in a video news report that accompanied by a news article about the crash. She described the 14-vehicle accident as like a ping pong machine because of how the cars continued to strike each other. Sadly, the accident was similar to other truck accidents resulting in injuries and property damage.

Because of the number of vehicles involved in the accident, authorities are still unclear what events may have preceded the crash. The accident occurred at a busy intersection near a gas station where multiple witnesses were present. Some witnesses claimed that a semitrailer appeared to be having trouble coming to a stop and struck several cars. The chain reaction resulted in other cars striking more cars.

Road signs, turn lanes, driver's education and other safety awareness are promoted to help ensure the safety of drivers and riders on Tennessee roadways. Despite multiple avenues of effort to keep the roads safe, car accidents continue to occur. Unfortunately, many accidents result in serious injuries that can result in life changes and quality of life. Through insurance claims or a lawsuit with the help of a personal injury attorney, some victims are able to gain financial compensation to cover related costs.

One young female has become the unfortunate victim of a recent crash. According to a witness and the 20-year-old female, she was at a standstill in a turn lane waiting to turn when the crash occurred. Another 79-year-old female driver apparently swerved and struck the younger woman's car.