Car Accidents

Published on: October 13, 2010

Teen Motorist Killed in Cobb County Accident

Teen Motorist Killed in Cobb County Accident

A teen motorist, who was severely injured in an accident involving the family of gubernatorial candidate Roy Barnes, has died from his injuries.17-year-old Mario Zuniga Junior was being treated at Atlanta Medical Center, where he succumbed to his injuries.

On Sunday afternoon, Zuniga was driving his Porsche on Old Mountain Road near Marietta, when his car struck a Honda Odyssey being driven by Allison Barnes Salter.Salter is the daughter of gubernatorial candidate Roy Barnes.Her two children were in the car with her.The eldest child, a six-year-old, sustained facial lacerations and a four-year-old girl was seriously injured in the crash.She had to undergo surgery for a broken arm and shoulder.The family had been out running errands at the time of the accident.According to police, the only reason why the children survived the accident was that they were safely restrained in their car.The airbags in the Honda Odyssey also deployed, minimizing the possibility of injuries.

Published on: October 8, 2010

Georgia Car Accident Linked to Dog Attack

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Georgia Car Accident Linked to Dog Attack

Police in Henry County are looking for the owner of a pit bull linked to a fatal accident that killed a 14-year-old girl in McDonough.The tragedy unfolded when the girl identified as Miracle Parham, was walking to school earlier this week.She came across a pit bull on the road.The animal began to get aggressive with her, and the young girl backed out into the street.Just then, she was struck by a car, and sustained fatal injuries.

Police will not be pursuing charges against the car driver, but they are actively looking for the owner of the pit bull.They have already spoken with neighbors in the area, and it seems that there are at least two persons in the vicinity who own aggressive pit bulls.In fact, these animals have, in the past, managed to claw their way out from under the fence, and run out onto the street where they intimidated passersby and children.Not surprisingly, both the owners now deny that the dog that chased Miracle belonged to them. The investigation is focusing on these dog owners.

Published on: October 7, 2010

Fatal Georgia School Bus Accident Reignites Seatbelt Debate

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Fatal Georgia School Bus Accident Reignites Seatbelt Debate

The death of a 17-year-old student in a school bus accident in southern Georgia this week has again raised questions about whether the state needs to make it mandatory for all school buses to come with seatbelts.

The accident which occurred on Monday afternoon, involved a school bus that overturned on Highway 113.The victim, a 17-year-old boy was ejected from the bus.As the bus rolled over, he came under the bus, and was crushed to death.At least 10 other students on the bus suffered injuries.

Published on: October 6, 2010

Four People Killed in Georgia 15-Passenger Van Accident

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Four People Killed in Georgia 15-Passenger Van Accident

Four people were killed in an accident caused when a15-passenger van overturned in South Georgia.The accident, which also injured more than 15 other people in the van, occurred on US Highway 27 in southwest Georgia.The occupants were members of a church group on their way to an event in Florida.

According to the Georgia State Patrol, the van’s rear right tire blew out, causing the driver to lose control of the van.The van flipped over several times, ejecting all of the passengers.The pastor of the church, the Tabernacle of Prayer and Deliverance in Columbus, and three other occupants of the van, were killed in the crash.Injured persons were airlifted to nearby hospitals.In all, there were 19 people on board ranging in age from 11 months to adults in their 40s.

Published on: September 21, 2010

Decline in Highway Fatalities Could Actually Jeopardize Auto Safety Legislation

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Decline in Highway Fatalities Could Actually Jeopardize Auto Safety Legislation

Last week, we reported about a nationwide decline in highway fatalities that has been traced to enhanced auto safety, greater use of seatbelts and better DUI enforcement.Ironically, it now seems like opponents of the massive auto safety bill that is currently pending in Congress, will use these reduced highway fatality rates to actually scuttle the legislation.

The safety measures were developed in response to the Toyota crisis which broke last year, and involved cars accelerating to high speeds before crashing.In the days after four members of a California family died when their Lexus accelerated to high speeds and crashed, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration was found to be severely wanting in its regulatory functions and oversight of auto companies.The federal agency has little power to announce recalls on its own, and must rely on automakers to take proactive steps to protect American consumers.

Published on: September 8, 2010

Atlanta Worst City for Motorists in Georgia

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Atlanta Worst City for Motorists in Georgia

The city of Augusta is the safest for motorists in Georgia, and is one of the safest in the country.Atlanta, on the other hand, is the most dangerous for motorists, with drivers here having a likelihood of being involved in an accident that is much higher than the national average.The statistics came via an annual report by Allstate insurance.You really don’t need an insurance company to tell an Atlanta auto accident lawyer that the city can often seem like a motorist’s worst nightmare.

Motorists in Atlanta have their likelihood of being involved in an accident increase by 22.4% more than the national average.The average Atlanta motorist has a gap of 8.2 years between collisions.The city ranks at 146 on Allstate’s list of the top 200 cities.Motorists in Augusta, on the other hand, have a 1.9% less likelihood of being involved in an accident, compared to the national average.These motorists have a 10.2 year gap between collisions.Augusta was placed at 60 on the list.

Published on: August 31, 2010

Accidents Cost US $99 Billion in One Year

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Accidents Cost US $99 Billion in One Year

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has analyzed the cost of traffic accidents in the year 2005, and come up with a staggering estimate-$99 billion.

That’s right.Fatal and non-fatal injurious accidents including car, motorcycle, truck, bicycle and pedestrian accidents cost the American economy $99 billion in 2005.Mind-boggling as that number is, it’s probably just the tip of the iceberg.According to the CDC, it does not include other factors that could increase accident costs, like the increase in insurance premiums after an accident and an increase in taxes.

Published on: August 25, 2010

Traffic Fatalities Focus of Highway Study

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

More Focus on Highway Safety Technologies, Less on Distracting Issues

Does the super-sized focus on specific highway safety problems like distracted driving and auto safety issues like the Toyota acceleration crisis detract attention away from potential safety technologies and processes?It’s an intriguing question posed by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and as Atlanta auto accident lawyers, we agree with many of the Institute’s opinions.

What the Insurance Institute is basically saying in its latest report, is that when federal transportation safety agencies focus heavily on a specific highway safety problem like distracted driving, and when already limited resources are devoted to tackling this problem, it takes much attention and effort away from the development of other technologies and processes that can prevent accidents.No one is denying that distracted driving is a serious problem, but it contributes to a small percentage of auto accident fatalities every year.Similarly, we aren’t saying that Toyota doesn’t have acceleration problems.In fact, in our capacity as Atlanta personal injury lawyers, we have always said that the company needs to be held accountable for its negligence.

Published on: August 22, 2010

Taking Away the Keys – Senior Motorists Need Encouragement to Give Up Driving

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

The decision to step in and take action when you see an elderly motorist beginning to lose his driving abilities, is never an easy one to make.However, for millions of Americans in the position of caregivers for their parents, it’s a moment that presents itself sooner or later.

Studies estimate that elderly motorist safety is likely to become an even bigger safety concern in the years ahead, as the baby boomer population hits its 70s.According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, in 2008, 78% of the senior population in the United States had driving licenses, compared to 73% just a decade earlier.Those numbers are expected to increase over the next decade.

It’s important for families of these motorists to know when to make the decision to suspend or restrict the person’s driving privileges.It’s also important to gently ease the person into giving up the keys, or at least present him with a set of alternatives to driving.Here are some steps you can take to keep your loved one and others safe.

Published on: August 19, 2010

Bus Accident Injuries Curbed by Seat Belts

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Feds to Mandate Seatbelts on All Buses

The worst bus accident in Atlanta in recent memory occurred three years ago, when a bus carrying a baseball team from Bluffton University plunged off a highway overpass, killing seven people including five baseball players.Some of those who were killed or injured were ejected from the vehicle, as the bus swung around sharply before it flipped over.Would those statistics have been different if the students were wearing seatbelts at the time of the accident?It is quite likely, and if a US Department of Transportation proposal to mandate seatbelts on all motor coaches is successful, we might be able to dramatically reduce the number of people seriously injured or killed in bus accidents in the future.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has announced that his agency is considering long-pending proposals by the National Transportation Safety Board, to mandate seatbelts on all motor coaches.The NTSB made the recommendations back in 1968, but any attempts at federal and state legislation to mandate seatbelts on all motor coaches have been thwarted by the powerful bus manufacturer lobby.The industry has managed to get away with putting thousands of vehicles sans seatbelts out there, and the impact has been seen in a series of deadly bus accidents, from California to Texas.