Georgia Personal Injury Law Blog

Safety on Georgia roads can be negatively impacted by the actions of just one drunk driver, and the problem of impaired driving continues to be a concern on a national level. Statistics indicate that individuals in the United States perish at a rate of one person every 51 minutes in car accidents that involve a drunk driver. Although a combination of increased education and stiffer penalties has been used nationwide in an effort to reduce DUI accidents, the problem with impaired individuals getting behind the wheel remains a significant one. A large percentage of drunk driving accidents are attributed to younger drivers. More than 80 percent of DUI fatalities in 2012 involved impaired drivers who were 44 years old or younger. Among this group, the greatest concentration of incidents involved those between the ages of 21 and 24, while the percentages declined for those between the ages of 35 and 44. However,…

Georgia motorcycle enthusiasts might be interested to learn about a coming technology that has the potential to greatly reduce the number of both small-vehicle as well as motorcycle crashes. The technology, which is currently undergoing the final administrative steps for its release, allows vehicles to communicate safety data with one another, alerting drivers to the presence of other vehicles or slowing traffic. While the vehicle-to-vehicle communication technology is currently under study for release as a technology for cars and light trucks, its potential to also reduce motorcycle crashes is promising. In a safety pilot study conducted by the Department of Transportation in 2012, nearly 3,000 cars and light trucks in Ann Arbor, Michigan, were fitted with the technology. The study demonstrated that the systems worked well across manufacturers. Many motorcycle accidents occur when a car fails to notice an oncoming motorcycle, turning left in front of it and causing a…

Every year, large truck accidents happen on highways in Georgia and throughout the U.S. These accidents often result in catastrophic injuries or deaths. An accident may happen if a driver of a passenger vehicle fails to take extra caution when driving near a large truck or if certain circumstances cause the truck driver to lose control of the vehicle. Repercussions of large truck-related wrecks may be more severe in nature than consequences of a wreck between two passenger cars due to the large, heavy structure of trucks. Even minor errors made on the roadway could cause major damage to an individual who collides with a commercial vehicle. A division of the U.S. Department of Transportation has indicated that large truck accidents may take place more frequently than people might realize. There were 333,000 traffic accidents that involved a commercial vehicle in 2012. That same year, large truck accidents resulted in…

Drivers in Georgia and the rest of the United States face the same roadway risks associated with distracted drivers. Mobile tablet or smartphone use by someone behind the wheel creates a serious distraction that has been linked to car accidents. Data reviewed by the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveal facts about the hazards of driver distractions. From 2011 to 2012, the number of people injured in distracted driver accidents increased by 9 percent from 387,000 to 421,000. The year 2012 also saw 3,328 deaths in similar crashes. In 2011, distracted driving caused 17 percent of car accidents in which a person was injured. The CDC defines sources of distraction in three ways: visual, manual, or cognitive. Texting and driving are especially dangerous because the activity causes all three types of distraction. Texting makes the driver take his or her eyes off the road, remove one or both…

Whiplash occurs when the neck is thrust one way and then jerked violently or suddenly the other way. Although whiplash can occur in sports, at work or from falling, road users in Georgia might not realize that traffic collisions are the primary cause. In a whiplash, the head rises up from the spine, creating a sprain or strain at the bottom of the skull. A sprain occurs when the ligaments in the neck become torn, while a strain occurs when the tendons and muscles of the neck are overstretched. The facet joints and capsules in the neck appear to be the most susceptible. Although rare, whiplash could dislocate or fracture vertebrae. Stiffness and pain at the bottom of the skull, in the back of the neck or at the front of the neck are the most commonly experienced symptoms. However, the stiffness and pain might extend through the shoulders, arms,…

Three people were injured in a collision in Mitchell County on December 25. The driver of one of the vehicles involved in the crash was charged with driving under the influence in relation to the incident. According to the Georgia State Patrol, the car accident occurred at about 12 p.m. at the intersection of GA 112 and GA 262 near the Grady-Mitchell County line. A vehicle driven by a 40-year-old woman, traveling south on GA 112, stopped to yield to oncoming traffic while attempting to make a left turn onto 262. Another vehicle, driven by a 27-year-old man traveling north on GA 112, crossed the center line and collided head-on with the woman's vehicle. The female driver and her 81-year-old female passenger were transported to a local Thomasville hospital for treatment of serious injuries. The male driver suffered only minor injuries. He was transported to a hospital in Camilla for treatment. Besides…

According to Dawson County Sheriff's Department officials, a collision involving a tractor-trailer and a car on Dec. 18 claimed the life of one person and injured three others. Reportedly, the collision occurred around 11:30 a.m. on Highway 53 near Dawsonville. The truck's driver was a 36-year-old Oakwood man who was hauling a load of chicken feed. He allegedly failed to appropriately negotiate a curve in the highway. A Dawsonville woman was driving a Chevy Impala and the man's truck collided with her car. The force of the collision caused the truck to overturn, and the Impala apparently went through the truck's cab. The truck's driver was alive when emergency responders arrived, but he later succumbed to his injuries. The woman and a 15-year-old passenger in the Impala both required transport to an area hospital for treatment. Another passenger in the woman's car, a 16-year-old, also received minor injuries but apparently…

Many Georgia drivers become involved in car accidents. While some accidents are minor, others could result in serious injuries. However, there are certain ways that a driver or other vehicle occupants may reduce the risk of common accident injuries. Common injuries that could leave a person temporarily or permanently disabled include head, neck, and brain injuries. A person may suffer a face, head, or brain injury if a collision causes the person's head to come into contact with a sharp or blunt object, such as a piece of glass from the windshield or the dashboard. These types of injuries can be prevented by properly installed front and side airbags. Additionally, people should try to wrap their arms around their head to form an emergency helmet. Other common crash injuries include neck, back, and leg injuries. Neck injuries can include whiplash and damage to the spinal cord. Back injuries can also…

According to law enforcement officials with the Henry County Police, a Butts County man was killed and two others were seriously injured in a collision that occurred when a driver reportedly ran a stop sign. The fatal collision occurred on the night of Nov. 29 on Georgia 81. Officers did not say if any other factors like impairment contributed to the wreck. A 19-year-old man was driving a 2002 Ford Focus on Jackson Lake Road when he approached the road's intersection with Ga. 81. He reportedly failed to stop at a stop sign when he arrived at the intersection. He then collided with a 2007 Ford Mustang driven by an 18-year-old man. The impact of the collision caused the death of the 19-year-old. He was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident by responding emergency personnel. A 19-year-old female passenger in the Ford suffered serious injuries, and she was…

A Calhoun woman has received an indictment after a May 23 car accident that allegedly involved drunk driving and killed a pedestrian. The Gordon County grand jury issued the indictment after a 50-year-old woman struck a 65-year-old woman in a residential neighborhood while the victim was at a mailbox. According to the deceased's daughter, her mother, who was from Augusta, went to the mailbox at around 11:30 a.m. The woman was on the side of the road at the mailbox on Blackwood Place when a Dodge Neon SXT struck her. The Dodge arrived on Blackwood from Ga. Highway 53, and a Georgia State Patrol's incident report indicated that the vehicle was traveling at a fast speed. After the impact, the pedestrian sent her about 52 feet into the air. The Augusta woman was airlifted to Erlanger Hospital in Chattanooga but died at the hospital. After the crash, the Dodge traveled…