Georgia Personal Injury Law Blog

There are many hazards on the road that drivers cannot control, like weather or construction. However, many accidents are not caused by hazards like these. They are caused by distracted driving. One such accident caused the death of a Georgia county sheriff officer's grandchild. The four-year-old girl died in an accident that occurred earlier this month. She was in the car with her mother and younger brother when the car was struck from behind by another vehicle. When authorities arrived on the scene, which included the child's grandfather, the little girl was pulled from the vehicle and CPR was administered. After the accident, the driver of the second vehicle told authorities that he had dropped a bottle and his phone into the floorboard of his car and was attempting to reach for them when he crashed into the vehicle carrying the mother and her children. Unfortunately, the child did not…

Many motorcyclists across the country enjoy riding with others. Some people choose to ride alongside other riders, and others choose to ride with a passenger. Unfortunately, when a motorcycle accident occurs, the driver and passenger both risk sustaining serious injuries. Georgia State Patrol officers recently responded to a crash that resulted in the injury of a motorcyclist and his passenger. The motorcyclist and his passenger were traveling east in the right lane of a highway when the accident occurred. A northbound sedan turned left onto the highway in front of the motorcycle. Unfortunately, the driver of the motorcycle did not have enough time to react to the vehicle and crashed into the sedan. Both of the motorcycle occupants were thrown from the bike. Each of the motorcycle riders was taken to nearby medical centers for treatment. The driver was taken via ground transportation to a nearby hospital, but his passenger was airlifted for…

A significant number of people have broken what they may consider being a minor traffic law, such as running a stop sign. However, these seemingly minor or insignificant traffic laws are in place to help prevent potentially deadly crashes. Georgia authorities recently responded to a car accident which resulted in not just one, but four deaths as well as several injuries. This accident occurred between a pickup truck and a smaller car, both of which contained multiple passengers. The driver of the car reportedly failed to stop at a stop sign and collided with the pickup truck. A total of seven people were either injured or killed in the crash. Three were riding in the truck and the other four, including a six-year-old boy, were riding in the car. All four passengers of the car, including the child, were killed in the crash. The three truck passengers suffered minor injuries. They were transported to…

Let us say that you were at an intersection with a four-way stop. It was your turn to proceed when, out of nowhere, a pickup truck sped through the stop sign and smashed into your car. Your airbags deployed, but you still suffered serious injuries. You are facing a long recovery and weeks of rehabilitation. Why did this have to happen? Dangers Speeding endangers the perpetrator of this activity as well as other nearby motorists. According to statistics gathered by the National Highway Transportation Safety Association, speeding has been a major cause of roadway fatalities in our country for more than 20 years, a contributing factor in about a third of those deaths. Motivations Many drivers who are going faster than they should are simply running late. Most working people, especially, have busy schedules and try to cram too much into their 10- or 12-hour day. They jump in the car…

Intersections are dangerous. When drivers are not fully aware of their surroundings, accidents are more likely to occur. The Georgia State Patrol responded to a recent car accident that caused multiple injuries. The accident occurred when an SUV turning left onto U.S. 411 collided with a westbound pickup truck. Reports say that the SUV had pulled in front of the oncoming truck, causing the collision. The truck rolled to a stop near the median, while the SUV rolled down an embankment. Part of the highway was temporarily closed while paramedics and state troopers accessed the scene. Both drivers were extricated from their vehicles by emergency personnel after the crash. A passenger and the driver were transported to a nearby hospital for treatment. The seriously-injured driver of the SUV was airlifted to Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta. Authorities reported that his injuries were life-threatening. Entering and exiting major roadways is dangerous under any circumstances, but particularly…

It's tragic when anyone is killed or seriously injured in a car crash, particularly if the victim is a small child. These crashes might happen for a number of different reasons. Drivers may be distracted, trying to avoid another hazard, or simply taking a turn too wide or too close to another vehicle. Earlier this month Georgia authorities responded to a car accident that resulted in the deaths of two adults and the serious injury of a baby. The crash occurred at about 8:20 a.m. The two vehicles, a sedan and a truck, were traveling north and south respectively when witnesses say the sedan cross over the middle line. The two vehicles collided head-on, causing significant damage to the front of both vehicles. Both drivers suffered fatal injuries in the crash. The driver of the sedan was pronounced dead at the scene and the 10-month-old baby traveling with her suffered serious…

Communities across the country rally around local athletes. People will follow their careers from high school through college and into the professional leagues if they are able to make it that far. Therefore, when these promising young athletes' lives are cut short, it may be the entire community that mourns their passing rather than just close friends and family. A community in Georgia is currently mourning the death of a local star who was killed in a motorcycle accident. The young man who was killed was a recent high school graduate and former star athlete. He had played for both his high school football and basketball teams. It was revealed that he had even received multiple football scholarship offers from colleges. He had been riding his motorcycle on the afternoon of Saturday, July 14, when he was struck by a car. When authorities arrived, they pronounced the young man dead at the…

As a pedestrian, you have to remain vigilant for vehicles on the road, even when you are crossing the street legally and you have the right-of-way. Take the recent case of an elderly man from Macon. He was badly injured after being struck by a car while crossing the street in a crosswalk. Do you know what to do if you are hit by a car, or if you witness a pedestrian accident? Find safety and attend to the victim If you or a family member or companion are clipped by a car, find a safe place out of the street to wait for the ambulance. Ideally, you should not move a person who has been hit by a vehicle, especially if they have been knocked down or thrown into the air. You could make their injuries worse, namely bone fractures or trauma to the neck or back. But if there…

For many people throughout the country, the weekend is a time to let loose and relax. Others, however, may have a tendency to over-indulge with alcohol during the weekends, which may have dangerous results if they then choose to drive. Georgia authorities responded to reports of a drunk driving accident involving two cars, and, surprisingly, a house. Sometime after midnight on July 7, an SUV ran a stop sign and collided with another vehicle carrying five passengers. The SUV then ran over a telephone pole and proceeded to drive through several people's front yards. After leaving the scene of the first crash, the inebriated driver also crashed into a second vehicle and a house before coming to a stop. After arresting the individual, Georgia State Patrol officers revealed that the driver's initial blood alcohol level was three times the legal limit. A total of six people were sent to the hospital with injuries, including the five…

Drivers across Georgia have likely heard about the new Hands-Free Georgia Act, which goes into effect beginning July first. Other states have implemented similar laws and have seen a 16 percent drop in fatal accidents caused by distracted driving. It is hoped that this new law will have a similar effect in Georgia. This new law prohibits the use of cell phones and other mobile devices while on a roadway. In addition to forbidding people from texting while driving, this law states that drivers are not allowed to be holding their phone in their hands or touching their phone with any other part of their body while driving. It also prohibits all cell phone usage for teenage drivers and forbids all drivers from recording video, with the exception of continuously running dashboard cameras, or watching videos not related to navigation. However, there are some exceptions to this new law. Drivers are…