Tennessee Teen Speaks Out for Car Safety
In October 2010, 16-year-old Greenville teen Joe Polakiewicz was nearly killed in a Tennessee car accident. In January, he spoke in Washington, D.C about his brush with death and the vital importance of teen safety.
Accompanied by his mother Nancy, Joe told his story at an Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety press conference. He recalled his accident, one in which he looked away from the road while traveling to see a friend, and ran into a tree head-on.
“My spleen and left kidney had to be removed. I had fractures in my vertebrae, ribs and pelvis and my urethra was severed from my bladder,” he told the assembly. While he has no memory of the accident, he credits the quick action of emergency responders in saving his life.
Joe and his mother were invited to speak to the group as advocates for teen safety. The ninth annual safety report, “The 2012 Roadmap to State Highway Safety Laws” was released at the conference. Tennessee was cited as one of the 18 safest states in the U.S. in the report.
But the Polakiewicz mother and son want Tennessee to be even safer. So, they advocate for teen driver safety and continue to push for teen driver restrictions.
Mother Nancy sums it up, “I just feel Joe’s survival is a miracle and maybe he survived for a reason. I need to tell his story to prevent others going through that.”
The Memphis auto accident attorneys at Bailey & Greer would like to commend both mother and son for their dedication to Tennessee auto safety.
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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