Six Injured in Gwinnett County Car Accident
Five members of a Georgia family have a lot to be thankful for, after they escaped what could have been a serious accident in Gwinnett County over the Thanksgiving weekend. The five and their taxi driver have sustained injuries.
According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, the taxi was travelling on I-85 when it was hit by a dark-colored car. The car was also traveling south in the lane next to the taxi, when the driver lost control, and sideswiped the taxi. The impact caused the taxi to flip over. The driver and the five passengers were able to climb out of the taxi. The injured included at least 3 children, aged 9, 7 and 6. Fortunately, the injuries are not life threatening.
Police believe that the dark colored car, that drove right away, might have damage on the front or driver side. They are calling anyone with information on such a car to contact them.
The taxi passengers and driver were extremely fortunate. As Atlanta personal injury lawyers, we often see that injuries in rollover crashes can be extremely serious. In a rollover, passengers have a greater chance of being ejected from the vehicle. This can cause serious head and spinal cord injuries.
Occupants may also be at risk from a roof crush or collapse. Earlier this year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced that it was revising its standards for roof strength in order to prevent the kind of serious injuries that result from roof crush and collapse. New vehicle roofs will have to withstand force that’s three times the curb weight of the vehicle, increased from the earlier limit of one-and-a-half times the curb weight. The NHTSA believes that these new enhanced roof strength standards will save up to 135 lives annually.