Georgia Personal Injury Law Blog

The number of bankruptcies that take place in America is alarming. According to the United States Courts, nearly 13 million Americans declared consumer bankruptcy from 2005 to 2017. The fact that so many people cannot pay off their debts is alarming. It is important to understand the reasons why millions of people file for personal bankruptcy. Here are some key causes of consumer bankruptcy in the United States. 1. Credit card debt Debt that accumulates via credit cards can be uncontrollable. The risk of obtaining massive credit debt is higher with creditors who charge significant interest rates. The reasons people build up credit card debt range from irresponsible spending to financial catastrophes. 2. Job loss Losing a job can easily cause someone to declare bankruptcy, especially if he or she does not have an emergency fund to cover living expenses. Sudden job terminations and layoffs can make it difficult to cover food, rent or mortgage,…

A needless death at any age is devastating, but to lose a teenager because of the negligence of another person is indescribable. Many family members who have lost a child, parent, or spouse, as a result, have filed a wrongful death lawsuit, in part, to hold the negligent individual responsible for his or her actions. A Georgia family will have the option to file a wrongful death lawsuit after the death of their 17-year-old son. According to information in police reports, a 17-year-old driver was alarming his three passengers as he was driving erratically down the road. He crashed into a tree after losing control of the vehicle. The crash caused flames to erupt, engulfing the entire vehicle. A 911 call was made, but dispatchers had difficulty determining where the vehicle was located. The passenger in the front was killed in the crash, and the other two in the back seat…

The needless loss of life because of the negligence of another person is often devastating to loved ones left behind. Typically, a wrongful death lawsuit can be filed against the person deemed responsible for the death, often bringing a measure of comfort to grieving family members. The family of a Georgia woman likely have cause to file a wrongful death lawsuit after a collision killed her and her daughter. The woman, a criminal justice professor at Georgia College, and her 15-year-old daughter were traveling on a two-lane highway when a pickup truck headed toward them crossed over into their lane and hit them head-on. A sheriff's deputy at the scene stated the deaths of the mother and daughter were instantaneous. The driver of the pickup truck survived but was injured. The 38-year-old pickup driver was transported to a local hospital, where he was treated for several injuries, including a broken pelvis.…

Impaired driving can cause irreparable and lifelong damage. Those who have lost a family member or friend as a result of drunk driving have a hole in their lives that can never quite be filled. A 73-year-old Georgia woman has been charged with drunk driving and other allegations for a recent interstate accident. According to the state patrol report, the woman stopped her Chevrolet Impala for unknown reasons in the middle of her lane on I-75. A tractor-trailer had been behind her and tried to go around the car but was unable to completely avoid hitting it. The Impala was thrown into a Honda Accord that was parked off the road in the emergency lane, pushing the Honda onto the interstate. The tractor-trailer and the Honda collided, pinning the sedan under the truck. The truck driver and an 8-year-old male passenger in the Honda escaped injury, but the others in…

In Union City, three people lost their lives and four more suffered injuries after a recent crash involving a van and a police car. Purportedly, the officer was in pursuit of a stolen car when the car accident occurred. The collision caused both vehicles to catch fire. The collision occurred on Jonesboro Road on the night of Sunday, Nov. 11. According to the Georgia State Police, the officer started chasing the suspected stolen car on Highway 138. Purportedly, a white work van carrying six occupants then attempted to enter the highway by making a left-hand turn. At this point, the police cruiser collided with the van, knocking it on its side, before both vehicles burst into flames. Although the accident is still under investigation, no details were given in the report as to whether the officer had his emergency lights or siren on as he was pursuing the stolen vehicle. The…

If you sustained an injury or developed a health condition relating to your employment, you may be entitled to workers' compensation benefits under Georgia law. You may be eligible to receive coverage for your medical treatments as well as benefits to help you cover your bills when your injury limits your ability to work. Your employer does not have to be at fault for the injury or the condition. In fact, even a worker whose own actions contributed to the incident may still receive benefits. Job-related injuries The main requirement for coverage is that the injury or health condition stems from your job. For example, an injury may be covered if it occurs in the course of your employment; similarly, a condition should arise from job-related activities. Specifically, this includes injuries that happen while you are working. In Georgia, employment-sponsored activities such as company events or weekend retreats can also count…

High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes have become popular in Georgia and elsewhere around the country. Sometimes HOV lanes are designated by a white diamond on the road and other times they are separated roadways that control the direction of traffic with the use of barriers. The barrier controlled lane of I-75 was the site of a head-on crash that is thought to be the result of drunk driving. A driver entered the HOV lane going in the wrong direction at about 6 a.m. one recent morning. The driver, who is believed to have been drunk, crashed through nine barriers driving south into northbound traffic. The southbound driver crashed head-on into a northbound car. Another northbound vehicle rear-ended the car that had been hit head-on. The drivers of the three vehicles involved were transported to local hospitals. Their conditions are unknown. According to police reports, the HOV lane has been open…

Each day, parents in Georgia put their children on school buses out of convenience or necessity. These parents trust the bus drivers to get their precious loved ones safely to school and back home, never even thinking of the day they might not see their child again. Although the number of fatal accidents involving a school bus is lower than those of other vehicles, any life lost is devastating to family and friends. A young girl was killed in one of those fatal accidents, and the bus driver was recently arrested on newly developed charges. In January 2018, the driver was taking her load of children home after school when she lost control of the bus as it came to a curve in the road. Investigations showed she was driving too fast for the trajectory of the road. The bus landed on its side after leaving the road and rolling. A…

Many drivers who drink before heading out on the road do not believe they will cause an accident, and still, others do not care whether they do or not. Drunk driving not only puts the driver at risk, but it also puts any passengers as well as others on the road in danger. One Georgia woman got more than she bargained for when she was arrested for drunk driving. According to a report, the woman veered from the lane in which she was driving and into oncoming traffic. She crashed head-on into a car traveling in that lane. The three young people in the car she hit were able to jump out of their car just before it went off the road and down a steep hill. All three suffered minor injuries but were able to walk away from the scene. When police arrived and began questioning the woman, they discovered…

Death as a result of another person's negligent actions can be devastating to family and friends left behind. Once grief has somewhat abated, a course of action is often taken in the form of a wrongful death lawsuit. The family of a 42-year-old Georgia man may soon be contemplating filing their own wrongful death lawsuit after he was killed in a recent car accident. The initial investigation shows that the 34-year-old driver of a BMW convertible lost control of his car and crashed off the side of the road. The impact threw the passenger from the vehicle, causing serious injury. The driver was also injured although not as severely as his friend. Emergency rescue personnel took both men to a nearby hospital where the passenger died as a result of his injuries. At the time of a report on the accident, the driver had been admitted to the hospital but is…