When a speeding truck slams into the rear of a car, the results can be catastrophic. Collisions caused by an inattentive truck driver, or by someone suffering from truck driver fatigue, failing to apply the vehicle’s brakes in time to avoid an accident is an all too common occurrence on Georgia highways. The existence of automatic braking systems that employ lasers and other technology to signal a truck driver of stopped or slowing vehicles up ahead, has prompted the federal government to consider requiring their installation in all trucks. According to government investigations into the causes of a typical 18-wheeler accident, 64 percent of them involved a frontal collision as the truck crashed into another vehicle. The automatic systems apply the brakes to slow or stop a truck in the event the driver does not do so after being signaled of a crash risk up ahead. Truck accident statistics show…

A repeat DUI offender who resides in the state of Georgia has received a sentence of 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to a hit and run accidents that killed a 19-year-old man. The 34-year-old man was charged with leaving the scene of the crash as well as DUI manslaughter. The crash occurred in Jacksonville, Florida — just south of Georgia. The man is also a registered sex offender and has been required to serve 11 years of probation on top of his 30-year sentence. He will have his driver’s license permanently revoked as well. The 19-year-old was riding his motorcycle east on a well-traveled parkway when the offender turned left, straight into the path of the motorcycle, and their two vehicles collided. The driver of the car was attempting to turn into a luxury apartment complex. The victim was taken to a local area hospital, but died from…

Defensive driving courses offer many benefits to drivers in Georgia. This state-regulated program is designed to teach people valuable skills that will help them to mitigate against risks on the road, learn the laws of the state and be a more responsible drivers. If you are looking for a way to change your driving attitude, get a nice discount on your car insurance and possibly save your own life, taking a defensive driving course is for you. Some driver improvement courses are court-ordered for those who have already committed traffic violations. If you fall into this category, your driver's course will still be a positive experience that will help you to avoid making the same mistakes in the future. It is also a way to prevent additional points from being added to your driver's license, hefty fines, community service, or jail time. If you have been involved in a prior accident…

The family of an Atlanta man who died during a sleep study was recently awarded over $20.5 million of damages in a wrongful death lawsuit. The man, who was only 25 years old at the time, agreed to take part in a sleep study at Emory Healthcare. He died of sudden cardiac arrest while he was at the clinic. The hospital claimed that it attended to the man with appropriate care., but the man’s family believed otherwise. The victim’s mother filed a wrongful death lawsuit on his behalf. She claimed that the hospital was negligent in responding to her son, who tried to get the attention of the staff. The case went all the way to trial, and a jury rendered a verdict in favor of the plaintiff. The jury awarded over $10 million to the man’s estate for his pain and suffering and $10.5 million for the value of…

Motorcyclists will likely tell you that when it comes to getting to where they want to go, they wouldn't have it any other way. The responsiveness, the maneuverability, the fuel economy and more are things that traveling in a car cannot match. But there is no such thing as an unalloyed blessing, and when it comes to traffic accidents the same factors that make riding a motorcycle such a joy can turn into the rider's worst enemies. Simply put, when a car collides with you on a motorcycle the car has all of the advantages. What you have between you and the pavement – your clothing, and your helmet – is what you have. No seatbelt. No airbags. No anti-lock braking. And what that means is that there is a very real risk that you will suffer one or more serious injuries: broken bones, head and spinal cord injuries are…