Being involved in a car accident is a traumatic event that is even more difficult when the accident causes an injury. Whether serious or relatively minor, if you sustain an injury following an auto accident, you should not underestimate the situation. Many people are not aware of the legal circumstances and their rights when it comes to an injury from a car accident. It can be important for you to have a consultation with a personal injury attorney following an accident. Here are a few tips to help you decide when to contact a lawyer who focuses on this area of the law. The severity of injuries and long-term effects The Georgia Governor's Office of Highway Safety reported that 19,405 people sustained serious injuries in 2015 due to a motor vehicle accident. While it can be advisable to consult with a personal injury attorney in any case in which you have suffered an…

A hit-and-run car accident can be a very traumatic experience. What do you do when the person responsible for your incident disappears? Can you do anything? Thankfully, there are a few things that you can do to possibly get help for your accident in the case of a hit and run. A claim for a motor vehicle accident is a personal injury case. In short, to prove such cases, you must show that due to the negligent act of the accused party, you suffered certain losses or damages. Thankfully, this can still be proven even if you do not know who the negligent party is. To do this, there are a few steps you need to take. First, you should report the accident by calling the police. Be sure to note everything you can remember and collect information from witnesses, if possible. Once you document the report, you should seek medical…

While it may seem hard to believe, it's now been nearly 25 years since the 50 states first began passing laws calling for mandatory ignition interlocks, the breathalyzer-like devices that prevent a vehicle from starting if alcohol is detected in the driver's breath. Given this rather substantial passage of time, the question naturally arises as to just how effective these mandatory ignition interlocks have proven in preventing fatal drunk driving accidents on U.S. roads and highways. As it turns out, there was no real answer to this question until just last month. Indeed, a first-of-its-kind study published in the January edition of the American Journal of Preventative Medicine by experts from Johns Hopkins Center for Mental Health and Addiction Policy Research has shed some much-needed light on this topic. After examining trends in fatal car accidents involving alcohol from 1982 to 2013, and accounting for certain developments in traffic safety laws, the…

Two police officers could face civil litigation after their criminal convictions in the Taser death of a suspect. The officers were both convicted in mid-December, with the jury only requiring 30 minutes to deliver verdicts in connection with this latest in a string of police-induced fatal accidents. Police departments throughout Georgia and the rest of the nation have been facing increasing civil pressure from wrongful death suits, particularly those related to Tasers and stun guns. This is one of the few high-profile criminal cases that have resulted in an actual conviction. In this case, the victim was reportedly shocked more than a dozen times as he was being taken into custody by the two officers. The man, who had fled the scene of an alleged domestic disturbance, lost consciousness shortly after the repeated shocks. Medical experts in the case found that the cause of death was directly related to the…

Almost everyone suffers a burn from time to time. Most are common heat burns caused by hot objects or liquids, steam, or fire. Children and elderly people are the most susceptible to these, but anyone can suffer these types of burns. They are typically first-degree burns, which affect the top layer of skin. Second-degree burns injure the first and second layers, while third- and fourth-degree burns go deeper and require immediate medical treatment. Heat, however, is by no means the only cause of such injuries. Electrical burns may require emergency care Lightning, household current, high-voltage wires, and stun guns can cause electrical burns. An injury of this kind might cause damage to internal tissues, and the victim should be seen by a physician. Call 911 if the person seems confused, has trouble breathing, is experiencing muscle spasms or seizures, or has suffered cardiac arrest. Chemical burns can be caused by…

Now that we are a few months into the school year, kids and parents alike are starting to become accustomed to their new routine, including homework, extracurriculars, and, of course, start times and dismissal times. Regardless of the chosen method of getting to and from school, there's a very good chance that kids will at some point have to cross a street, a parking lot, or a dedicated one-way drop-off/pick-up lane. In light of this reality, both students and parents alike will likely want to take note of some rather sobering figures on pedestrian accidents from the child advocacy organization Safe Kids Worldwide. According to Safe Kids Worldwide: 284 teens ranging in age from 12 to 19 were killed in pedestrian accidents in the U.S. in 2015, which averaged out to roughly five fatalities per week and a 13 percent increase from 2013. Teens ranging in age from 15 to…

Truckers face a unique set of risks when they go to work each day. Not only are they driving massive vehicles across long distances and along busy highways, but they also are required to do heavy lifting as they unload and reload trailers. As a result, there's always been a higher number of Central Georgia trucker injuries than in other careers and professions in the state. The Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that truckers suffer among the highest number of nonfatal injuries and work-related illnesses in the U.S. As a result, workers' compensation is likely to be something they need at some point during their career, and it's critical that they work with an expert legal professional in order to get their claims approved. Facts to Know About Workplace Safety for Truck Drivers The Bureau of Labor Statistics recently revealed data that proves that truckers are at a high risk of injuries while on the job.…

Fatal accidents are always tragic, leaving families without their treasured loved ones. Unfortunately, fatal accidents often leave families with more than emotional damages; they leave them with financial uncertainties. If your family has suffered a loss because of another person's negligence, you may find relief from your unexpected financial burdens in the form of wrongful death compensation. Families who lose a loved one to an accident face unexpected end-of-life expenses. Between a loved one's medical bills and funeral expenses, many families find themselves totally unprepared financially. Unfortunately, even when families can pay these expenses, the financial losses tied to the death of a loved one are not over. Many families suffer financially for years from the loss of a loved one. In many cases, this suffering is due to lost income, especially when the deceased victim was the breadwinner. In these cases, wrongful death compensation can be extremely important as…

"Dram shop" laws in Georgia and elsewhere in the United States pertain to the legal duty of the owner of an establishment that serves alcohol to stop serving liquor to a customer who shows signs of intoxication, with the purpose of reducing incidents of people drinking and driving. In the majority of these cases, if a person who is injured in a drunk driving-related accident sues such an establishment, the management and the intoxicated customer will be different people. But a recent incident in Atlanta shows that this distinction is not always the case. The family of a motorcyclist who died when he was involved in an accident with an allegedly drunk driver is suing multiple defendants, beginning with the manager of the restaurant where the alleged drunk driver -- who also happened to be the manager himself -- as well as the company that owns the restaurant chain and…

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…