The National Safety Council, the nonprofit dedicated to preventing injuries and deaths "through leadership, research, education, and advocacy," recently released data showing that not only do we have a long way to go to make the nation's roads and highways safer, but that we've actually taken a step backward in this important endeavor in recent years. According to the NSC's preliminary data, there were 19,100 fatalities on roads and highways here in the U.S. during the first six months of 2016. As shocking as this figure is on its own, consider also that it constitutes a 9 percent increase from the first six months of 2015, and an 18 percent increase from the first six months of 2014. Breaking the numbers down further, the NSC found that at least seven states have seen even higher jumps in fatalities since 2014, including Illinois (24 percent), Indiana (33 percent), California (31 percent), North Carolina…

As you made your way to work, school, or another location on the highway over the last month, there's a good chance you've witnessed fellow motorists engaging in all sorts of rather dangerous and altogether frightening conduct behind the wheel. Indeed, you may have seen people texting, speeding, changing lanes without signaling, tailgating, and even driving with objects hanging precariously from trailers, trunks, and roofs. While this last practice on the part of motorists certainly elicits headshakes and gasps, a recently released study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety shows it should perhaps elicit outrage. What exactly did the study find? The AAA researchers set out to determine just how much of a toll debris was taking on road safety here in the U.S., focusing on the number of accidents it was responsible for causing from 2011 through 2014. Among their shocking findings: Road debris was responsible for over 200,000 crashes…

From traffic jams and road construction to inattentive pedestrians and inconsiderate motorists, there's no question that driving can sometimes prove to be a harrowing, if not slightly maddening, experience. While many of us are able to manage our frustration and anger while behind the wheel, a recently released study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety suggests that a surprisingly large number of motorists are now failing to keep their emotions at bay. Indeed, close to 80 percent of drivers surveyed confessed to expressing anger, aggression, or some other form of road rage over the course of the last year, while close to eight million confessed to taking their anger to another level by exiting their vehicle to confront another motorist or, perhaps unbelievably, purposely ramming another vehicle. Some of the more noteworthy findings of the study included: 51 percent of drivers confessed to purposefully tailgating 24 percent of drivers confessed…

Experienced Georgia personal injury attorneys know what to look for when a negligent driver causes an accident. Usually, the laws that are broken that cause accidents are common, such as speeding or illegal turns. However, Georgia police have said that many accidents happen because people break laws they don't even know exist. Whether you live in central Georgia or were just passing through, if you were injured in a motor vehicle accident in Georgia, make sure your personal injury lawyer investigates beyond the usual laws. Going the speed limit in the fast lane. You may think it's common knowledge that the left lane on the highway, interstate, or expressway is designated as the passing lane. But some people get comfortable in the left lane and linger in it, despite the cars speeding up on their bumper. It turns out you can get pulled over in the fast lane even if…

When the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is headquartered right here in Georgia, releases a report about a "serious public health issue," most people immediately take notice. That's because our national public health institute is recognized throughout the world as the preeminent authority on epidemiological issues. Interestingly enough, however, the "serious public health issue" identified in the aforementioned report has nothing to do with the spread or control of communicable diseases, but rather the staggering rate of fatal car accidents here in the U.S. What did the CDC report find? The CDC report, published in its monthly online publication Vital Signs, found that the U.S. has the highest number of fatal car accidents per year among 19 first-world nations, including the United Kingdom, Sweden, Japan, and Germany. Indeed, it found that in 2013 alone, over 32,000 people lost their lives on roads and highways here in the U.S., which…

Most of us probably do not realize that many automobile recalls are made only after a concern becomes a problem. While recalls likely help save millions of lives every year, they may have started out by costing one. It can be extremely beneficial for individuals and loved ones that have experienced injury or loss due to a defective auto part or vehicle issue to seek the immediate help of an experienced personal injury attorney. Manufacturers have a responsibility to the public to ensure the safe operation of their products while on the road and in use. This is done through a set of federal safety standards that give manufacturers minimum performance requirements they must adhere to. When a defective auto part causes an injury or loss, the victim may be able to sue for damages. While these damages, depending on the loss, maybe substantial, an even greater compensation may be…

There have been so many initiatives, PSAs, highway signs, and news stories put out there that no one should ever pick up a phone or send a text message while operating a motor vehicle. Yet here we sit, mourning the loss of a loved one. The car accident investigation indicates the reason for the tragedy as a person on a phone text messaging, seemingly unappreciative of the fact that they are in sole control of a massive amount of metal traveling at high speeds on a roadway packed with similar hazards. Any text can wait. Whether the next stop is not for an hour or whether the driver pulls over into a safe zone to review and respond. Any text can wait. Almost six years ago, texting while driving became a prohibited act statewide in Georgia. Survey results released in 2008 showed that Georgia was third in the country when it…

Immediately after car accidents, many victims are so focused on their injuries and recovery that they give little thought to the financial consequences of the accidents. However, once the initial shock subsides, many start wondering about their post-accident legal options. If you suffered injuries in a Georgia car accident, you, too, maybe wondering how you pursue compensation for those injuries. The first step in pursuing compensation is taking stock of your situation. You will need to gather evidence of all of the expenses associated with your injuries. This evidence should include all related medical bills, prescription costs, and the amount of pay you lost from being out of work. The second step is gathering evidence that shows your accident was caused by another driver's negligence. The documents you should gather include the police report, witness statements, and photographs of the accident scene. The third step is contacting a personal injury attorney.…

If you have been in an accident with your child in the car, there is a chance that he or she has suffered a traumatic brain injury. Depending upon the injury's lasting effects, you probably feel like you have an unlit road ahead of you and few resources to help shed some light. It is a time full of sorrow and frustration, but hopefully, you will find some joy in the accomplishments your child will make as he or she relearns a new way to do once routine tasks. There are different phases of a child's full or partial recovery from a TBI. The first is the acute phase and is the time when children wake from their comas. This is a great time to have familiar items in the room, like favorite stuffed animals, music from home, and pictures of loved ones. Whether your child emerges from the coma aware…

The act of teenagers borrowing the family car can be considered a rite of passage in many American families. Most of the time this happens, the result is harmless. But on occasion, something can go terribly wrong and an accident ensues that harms others. In such instances, the question can come up whether those who actually owned the car were negligent in allowing another person to drive it. This question comes under the legal theory known as "negligent entrustment." In Georgia, courts have defined negligent entrustment of a motor vehicle to be when an automobile owner lends his or her car to another person (it does not have to be a family member) to someone whom he or she knows (that is, has actual knowledge) is incompetent to drive or is otherwise habitually reckless. The negligence on the part of the vehicle owner in lending it to someone who should…