Articles Posted in Personal Injury

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Earlier research indicated that it might be the taller height of large vehicles like SUVs that make them a bigger personal injury threat to pedestrians than mere vehicle weight.   Now, newer studies confirm that speeding only exacerbates  those risks to auto accidents involving pedestrians which often result in severe and catastrophic personal injuries.

According to a new study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety,  speeding increases the risk that a sports utility vehicle or a pickup truck poses to a pedestrian.  Exactly how much of a risk depends on the height of the vehicle.  Taller vehicles that are speeding are much more likely to cause grave or fatal injury to a pedestrian when they are in a collision with them.

The size of an automobile can be a significant factor in the severity of the injuries that a pedestrian suffers in a car accident.  However,  the weight of the vehicle may not be as relevant since all vehicles, including smaller passenger cars, are heavier than pedestrians.  What seems to significantly increase the severity of the personal injury risk to pedestrians is the height of the vehicle.  Taller vehicles with a taller hood, for example,  like large – sized SUVs, are much more likely to cause serious personal injuries to pedestrians because the pedestrian is more likely to suffer personal injuries to his upper body or head in such auto accidents.  These are some of the most devastating injuries, and are very likely to result in catastrophic damage or wrongful death.

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This  December,  traffic safety organizations have been drawing attention to the car accident risks facing senior motorists. These risks often result in severe personal injuries from auto accidents.

A number of national and local organizations recently marked the week between December 2 and December 6 as Older Driver Safety Awareness Week.  The  aim of the commemoration was to draw attention to the various safety threats affecting the auto accident risks of older drivers above the age of 65.  This  is one of the most at-risk motorist   groups out there with significant health -related car accident risks that potentially  affect their driving abilities.

The national population of older drivers has increased significantly over the past decade. According to the AARP,  the population of motorists above the age of 65 increased by almost 30% between 2012 and 2021.  The car accident rate for senior drivers  of this age group increased by more than 4% between 2021 and 2022.  The  number of car accident wrongful deaths involving motorists above  the age of 65 increased from 7,515 in 2021 to 7,870 the following year.

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Teen drivers have traditionally been regarded some of the most inexperienced and dangerous drivers out there.   Here’s how Gen Z  may be challenging that narrative.

New data shows that Gen Z, or the generation born between 1997 and 2012, may be some of the safest teen drivers in several decades. According to the data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration,  Gen Z  teens who received their  licenses in 2012 -the first Gen Z teens to receive their licenses – were less likely to be involved in car accidents compared to driver’s license holders in previous generations.

This is in spite of the fact that Gen Z is one of the most technologically adept generations, and has grown up with 24/7 access to smartphones and technology in cars.  With all the technology and distractions available in a car, you would think that teen drivers are now the most distracted of all drivers, and, therefore,  some of the most dangerous on the roads.  The  data actually finds that that may not be true at all, at least relative to the accident risks of previous generations of teen drivers.  This generation of teenage driver seems to have lower accident rates compared to previous generations of teenage motorists.

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While most motorists arrange to take alternate means of transportation when they are too intoxicated to drive, they may not be as cautious when they are sleepy and not in any condition to operate a vehicle. Unfortunately, this lack of caution results in a significant number of car accidents.

The results of a new study by the National Sleep Foundation reveals the cavalier attitude that most Americans continue to have towards drowsy driving.  This is in spite of the fact that driving while sleeping or fatigued   contributes to thousands of car accidents every year.  Many of these car accidents are fatal while others may result in severe or catastrophic personal injuries.

The National Sleep Foundation survey found that as many as 7 out of 10 American motorists  were likely to seek out  alternate needs of transportation when  they found themselves to be too intoxicated to drive.  However,  the approach to drowsy driving was markedly dissimilar. Only four out of every 10 American motorists,  who had not had enough sleep and were too sleepy to drive, admitted to finding alternate modes of  transportation.

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The  Governors  Highway Safety Association is collaborating with  a major insurer  to make it more accessible for Americans to prevent distracted driving auto accidents.  A new website is part of this effort to help reduce the incidence of distracted driving on our streets.

The  Governors  Highway Safety Association recently announced a collaboration with State Farm Insurance. The initiative includes a website  called GenerationDistractionfree.org, and the aim of the initiative is to empower  parents and guardians to raise a new generation of motorists  who will be less addicted to technology and distractions at the wheel.

Parents have a huge role to play in molding their children’s driving skills.  Distracted driving is a major killer on American roads, and contributes to more than half of all car accidents recorded in Georgia every year.   These are alarming statistics, and it is clear that government- led initiatives and legislation have limited impact in reducing the incidence of distracted driving.   This is why the Governors Highway Safety Association Highway is bringing the topic of distracted driving into American homes.

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With  hundreds of thousands of children across the metro Atlanta region now back at school, it is important for motorists, parents and other stakeholders to focus on looking out for school buses and keeping children safe. Unfortunately, every year there are car accidents near school buses in which children are killed or injured.

As a motorist, know the rules to follow when it comes to sharing the roads with school buses.  School buses are some of the most regulated vehicles on our streets, and, therefore, are subject to a number of rules and regulations.  Motorists  in Georgia and other states are also required to follow the rules when they share the roads with these massive vehicles and their precious cargo, in order to avoid auto accidents.

When you are following a school bus, look out for the flashing lights. Yellow  lights mean that the bus is preparing to slow down, which means that you need to slow down and prepare to stop as well.  A red light means that children are being picked up or dropped off.  You must remain stopped while the red light is on and the Stop arm is extended. Wait till the bus actually starts moving before you start your car and move ahead too.

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New research focuses on the use of infrared light therapy to help reduce the impact of a spinal injury soon after it occurs.

Spinal cord personal injuries are some of the most devastating injuries, and often occur in auto accidents, motorcycle accidents and pedestrian and bicycle accidents.  There is no complete cure for a spinal injury.   However, millions of dollars are being invested in research into circumventing or limiting the impact of spinal cord personal injuries.  Some of this research focuses on interventions that can limit damage during the early hours after the personal injury.

Recently, researchers using a grant by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke of the National Institutes of Health announced that they are in the process of testing an infrared tool that can help reduce the activity of  mitochondria cells after an injury.  According to the researchers, a lot of the long term impact of a spinal injury can be limited if interventions are made immediately or within a few hours after the injury.  As soon as a spinal injury occurs, the mitochondria cells go into overdrive, creating large amounts of free radicals, and increasing cell damage in the area.  According to the researchers, it is therefore important to limit the activity of the mitochondria soon after the spinal injury.

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Most American guardrails simply are not tested for the extra weight of electric cars.  This may pose a safety risk when there is a car accident involving a electric vehicles crashing into a guardrail.

According to CBS News, these safety concerns are valid because the strength of guardrails on American roads are typically tested against vehicles that  weigh approximately 5000 pounds.  However,  the average electric vehicle weighs approximately 30% more.  This deficiency in testing standards is possibly posing a risk of serious personal injury to drivers and passengers in electric cars.

Recently, a fatal car accident involved a Tesla that crashed through a guardrail.   The resulting car accident left the motorist dead and the car completely mangled. According to safety experts, these guardrails are not doing a good enough job of restraining electric vehicles compared to gasoline – powered vehicles.   The guardrails are tested against gasoline -powered vehicles, and unfortunately, electric – powered vehicles that are involved in collisions against guardrails simply crash through or even crash under the guardrail.  Tests involving concrete medians that were slammed into by electric power vehicles found that even in those cases where the car did not crash through the median and end up in the opposing lane,  large chunks of concrete did go flying through the air and into the path of oncoming cars.

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Children are some of the most vulnerable victims of car accidents. Georgia transportation safety agencies recently commemorated National Child Passenger Safety Week which this year fell between September 15 and 21.

The  Georgia Governors Office of Highway Safety and the Department of Public Health were out in full force during National Child Passenger Safety Week.  Certified child safety car seat technicians went around the state, checking car seats and educating parents about the need to make sure that their children are restrained in appropriate car seats whenever they are travelling in a car. Proper restraints are the best way to prevent children from suffering severe personal injuries in car accidents.

Georgia’s laws for car seat use are extremely clear. Under the law, children below the age of 8 must be safely restrained in a booster seat or a car seat depending on their height and weight.  Many parents, however, fail to ensure their children are restrained appropriately for their age, height and weight with disastrous  consequences.  While most parents are aware of the need to make sure their children are restrained correctly, they may have their car seats installed incorrectly or they may be restraining their children in car safety seats or booster seats that are not appropriate for their child.  Georgia parents can check the safety of their child car seat at www.gahighway.org, and get information about how to get their car seat checked by a certified technician.

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Veterans groups and spinal cord injury organizations are marking the month of September as Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Month to bring more attention and awareness to the challenges faced by the thousands of Americans who live with these debilitating personal injuries.

Spinal cord personal injuries occur when there is any kind of damage to the spinal cord as a result of a trauma to the spine such as through a car accident or fall. These personal injuries can cause a number of effects that are often not just physical, but also emotional and psychological  in nature. The impact  of a spinal cord injury can depend on the location of the injury as well as its severity.  Depending on the location of the injury, the person may no longer be able to enjoy movement of his hands and legs. In a complete spinal cord injury, the patient may lose sensation below the location of the spinal injury, while in an incomplete spinal injury, the patient may feel some degree of sensation and enjoy some movement in the area below the site of the spinal injury.  The degree of sensation and movement can differ depending on other factors.

A spinal cord injury can result in loss of movement, and loss of sensation or the ability to differentiate between hot and cold. Other effects include respiratory difficulties, frequent coughing and difficulty breathing, pain and stinging sensation in the affected areas as well spasms. The patient may experience significant loss of bladder and bowel control.

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