It is rare that those employed by State Agencies, whose jobs focus on maintaining the safety of drivers, are the ones involved in the accidents that occur on Tennessee’s highways, but a recent collision in the Nashville area brings attention to this very real possibility.

On March 6th, a Tennessee State Trooper noticed a reckless motorcycle rider wreaking havoc by popping wheelies along Hwy 70 near McEwen. Once pursued by the Trooper, the reckless driver neglected to yield and was able to escape by dodging between two cars atop a hill on Old Nashville Highway.

The chase ended as the Trooper stopped abruptly to avoid colliding with the two cars that the motorcycle had slipped between. In doing so, the Trooper spun out of control and swiped the side of one of the vehicles, crashing into a second vehicle headed southbound.

While the State Trooper was treated for minor injuries at the scene of the car crash, four additional people involved in the wreck were taken to Horizon Medical Center in Dickson, Tennessee to be treated for minor injuries as well. The motorcycle rider’s fate remains undetermined, as he/she has not yet been identified.

While it seems that the Tennessee State Trooper didn’t exhibit any extreme negligence in this case, highways can be a dangerous place, where even those trying to maintain drivers’ safety can put others at risk for accident or injury.

Tennessee Auto Accident Lawyer

After being injured in an automobile accident caused by the negligence of another driver, State Trooper or not, you should get the financial compensation you deserve to cover pricey hospital bills and time off from work.

Mitch Grissim & Associates understand that most people feel uncomfortable with the prospect of litigation. All sorts of questions arise, ranging from the most basic: “How do I get the ball rolling in order to receive financial compensation?” To the more complex: “How can I prove the other driver’s negligence?” All these questions may still leave you, the victim, asking: “Is all this effort worth it?”

Whether you’re in the Nashville Metro area, or in a small town like Humphreys County’s McEwen, seeking the help of a personal injury attorney in Nashville or the greater Middle Tennessee area doesn’t have to be a discouraging experience. By offering free legal advice, Nashville-based car accident lawyer Mitch Grissim can help you better understand your financial entitlements as a victim of automobile negligence before you even spend a dime.

A man was arrested last Wednesday in Murfreesboro after crashing his car near the entrance of a Wal-Mart located on Old Fort Parkway. The wreck followed a brief chase involving the man and Murfreesboro police. Fortunately, no pedestrians were injured during the chase and subsequent crash – an interesting, if not amazing bit of luck, since retail store parking lots are often swarmed with busy customers.

Many similar stories have a much more tragic ending in Middle Tennessee and across America. Studies have shown that in the previous decade more than 47, 700 pedestrians were killed, while over 688,000 were injured. That’s a pedestrian being struck by a vehicle every 7 minutes in the US.

According to police the Murfreesboro chase began when the man forced a woman, who had a restraining order against him, into a stolen car near Stones River Mall. The disturbance at the mall, quickly raised concerns, officers quickly arrived to the scene, and the pursuit began.

Shortly after the pursuit began, it was called off. The case is still under investigation, and few details have been released as to what transpired in the car after the chase ended. What is known is after calling off the pursuit, the car ran into the Wal-Mart, and the suspect fled on foot. He was arrested soon after.

Avoiding Injury as a Pedestrian in Middle Tennessee and beyond

Steps can be taken to protect yourself as a pedestrian, even when faced with an unpredictable event like the chase in Murfreesboro. Always stick to the sidewalk. No sidewalk? Walk facing traffic. Never assume a car will stop for you. Look at the driver, not the vehicle; they could be distracted. Don’t rely solely on signals at crosswalks; it’s still important to look before you cross. Don’t wear headphones or talk on a cellphone while crossing the street or walking in busy parking lots.

Workplace injuries fall into several categories, the most common being Work Related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WMSD). WMSD describe injuries or diseases, sustained in the workplace, related to the soft tissue structures of your muscles, bones, tendons, ligaments, and discs of your spine. Although Work Related Musculoskeletal Disorders can affect several parts of the body such as your arms and legs, most damaging and by far the most common are those that affect the back.

Back injuries can be broken down further into more specific groups including muscle spasms, nerve compression, and disc ruptures. Amongst all the different types of back injuries, lower back pain is the most commonly experienced by Tennessee workers. But all are devastating and all can potentially cause a sufferer to miss multiple days of work or to not be able to return at all.

Back injuries can be sudden and unexpected or can happen over extended periods of time. They can be brought upon by several factors including slipping and falling, standing static for extended periods, frequently twisting your torso, or constant vibrations resulting from operating heavy machinery. But nearly half of all work-related back injuries occur from common manual tasks such as lifting, pushing, and pulling.

What should I do if I’ve been hurt at work?

If experiencing a work-related back injury, it’s important to report it as soon as possible as Tennessee law requires that employers must be notified of injuries within thirty days. Most employers are required by Federal law to carry workers’ compensation insurance on behalf of their employees. In Tennessee, employers who have one or more workers in the construction industry or five or more in any other industry must have workers’ comp benefits. Workers’ compensation insurance provides employees with benefits such as medical care and financial assistance if they are unable to work due to an injury sustained on the job.

According to the Workman’s Compensation Acts in Tennessee, after an employee reports an injury the employer must give them the option of at least three doctors to see in regards to that injury. In cases of a back injury, one of these doctors is required to be a chiropractor. If it’s deemed that an employee is unable to continue to work, workers’ compensation insurance must pay their benefits for a portion of their weekly earnings for each week that they are partially or completely disabled.

Tennessee Workers’ Compensation Lawyer

If you’ve been hurt on the job and need legal assistance, contact Mitch Grissim today. With three decades of experience representing injured victims throughout Middle Tennessee, Mitch has a proven track record of getting his clients the money they deserve.

Ask Mitch Now for free legal advice about your work-related injury.

A young woman from Antioch, Tenn., likely thought she was being responsible by taking a cab after she had been drinking on Feb. 21.

“Well, she wasn’t in a taxicab,” Metro police spokesman Don Aaron told WATE-TV 6. “She was actually driving her Lexus vehicle the wrong way on the interstate.”

Police told WSMV that woman got on the interstate going the wrong direction at Broadway in downtown Nashville.

After about a mile, her car collided head-on with a Chevy Ventura driven by a Pepsi sales representative who was beginning her daily route.

The sales rep died at the scene of the accident.

“She was finally in a job where she was making good income and enjoying it and saving and had her plans set to buy her a house in three years,” said the mother, who had seen [her] just a few days before the accident, to WATE-TV 6. “Her comment to me was, ‘Mama, I think I’ve finally got to be an adult.’ She was so excited. She felt grown now. Finally, she was on her feet and everything was coming together for her.”

The victim’s sister, told WATE-TV 6 that [she] was “the most vibrant young woman you’ve ever met … There was nothing she was scared of. “

But the mother said she forgives the person who hit her daughter. “I don’t know the circumstances there, but my prayers are out to them too because I could not imagine doing that,” she told WATE-TV 6.

The drunk driver was injured in the crash and is recovering at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, WSMV reported. Police formally charged her with vehicular homicide, and her bond is set at $250,000.

According to the 2012 Statistical Abstract of the United States, accidents where at least one of the drivers was impaired by alcohol accounted for nearly a third of all fatal car crashes in 2009.

If you have been injured or a loved one has been killed in an accident like this around the Nashville area, you don’t have to deal with the hassle of insurance paperwork and phone calls alone. Wrongful death attorney Mitch Grissim has more than 20 years of experience handling insurance companies to get fair settlements for his clients. “You need help to even the odds, to level the playing field. And that’s what I’m here for. I want to work for you,” Grissim said.

For more information, call 615-255-9999.

At around 3:57 on the morning of February 22nd, a police officer in Nashville put out an alert for a white Lexus that had turned onto 13th Avenue from south of Broadway and continued down the westbound exit ramp, travelling in the wrong direction. What happened moments later would forever change the family of a young Franklin woman. Police say the Lexus collided head-on with the woman’s Chevrolet Ventura van on I-65 between the Wedgewood exit and the I-40 interchange.

When emergency personnel arrived, they found the young woman dead at the scene and an intoxicated driver behind the wheel of the wayward Lexus. Traffic was tied up for four hours while crews cleared the wreckage from the road. The driver of the Lexus was taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where she was formally served with a vehicular homicide warrant while still in recovery.

What’s left now for the family of the young Franklin woman who was killed is the long and difficult process of moving forward. It’s a tragic occurrence anytime a life is lost, but it can be especially devastating when that life is lost because of the carelessness of someone else.

The financial strain the death of a loved one can present is a tragedy all on its own. Not only must the family cope with the sudden loss of their loved one, but they must now also contend with any medical expenses that may have been incurred and the cost of funeral arrangements, all with a now-diminished household income.

Anyone who has suffered the death of a loved one due to someone else’s negligence or reckless behavior should seek the counsel of a wrongful death lawyer. A wrongful death attorney is essential in explaining the rights the family has and determining what they can expect in terms of compensation.

Serving Nashville and most of Middle Tennessee, Mitch Grissim is an experienced wrongful death lawyer who has been practicing personal injury law for three decades. Mitch and his team will work tirelessly to prove just how greatly you were affected by the loss of your loved one. While no amount of money will lessen the pain, proper compensation can help ease some of the financial stress, leaving you better able to focus on what’s most important –celebrating the life of your loved one with your family and giving yourself the time you need to grieve.

If you’ve lost a loved one because of the careless actions or negligence of someone else, please give us a call at 615-255-9999 for a free consultation with Mitch Grissim.