If a loved one has died due to the sort of incident that could lead to a personal injury case, you or another family member can file a wrongful death action. Georgia’s laws governing wrongful death cases cover who can bring a case, what kind of damages can be recovered, and who gets any awarded money. Notably, you can bring a wrongful death claim when the death was caused by someone’s negligence, by a defective product, or if someone deliberately caused it. Let’s take a look at wrongful death claims in Georgia, including how a wrongful death lawyer can help you and your family recover compensation. Who Can Sue for Wrongful Death? The order for who can serve as a representative to start a wrongful death action is spouse, child, parent, then estate representative. In other words, if your spouse dies, then you can sue on their behalf. If your…

Three people died following a tragic accident involving a diesel truck, according to local sources. The Peach County Emergency Management Agency in Fort Valley confirmed the truck accident that killed both the truck driver and two people in a passenger vehicle. The precise cause of the Georgia accident is still under investigation. Limited information is available from this report, but it has been confirmed that the accident happened on the evening of March 30. Apparently, a tractor-trailer driven by a 55-year-old woman was headed eastbound on the 49 Bypass when the accident occurred. For reasons that are still unknown, the truck collided with a southbound vehicle carrying two female students, both 19 years old, who attended the nearby Fort Valley State University. The force of the impact caused the fuel tank on the tractor-trailer to rupture. This, in turn, caused both vehicles to catch fire, trapping all three people in…

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.…

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…

While improving economic conditions has resulted in rising wages, greater job stability, and increased employment opportunities, they have also had the other less obvious impact of putting more people back on the road. Indeed, this reality, coupled with low gas prices, has resulted in a considerable spike in the number of motor vehicle miles traveled. Although this may seem like a welcome development, it actually comes at a time when more people than ever are choosing to make the transition from motorist to pedestrian owing to everything from improved public transportation and monetary concerns to a desire to live a healthier lifestyle and reduce their carbon footprint. Of course, with this increase in motorists and pedestrians -- and the number of smartphones owned by each -- comes a heightened risk of fatal accidents. It wasn't until the Governors Highway Safety Association released a report last week examining the number of…