Georgia Injury Law Blog

Published on: December 19, 2023

Cars With Taller Front Ends More Likely to Cause Fatal Pedestrian Accidents

Pedestrians are more likely to suffer fatal personal injuries in a car accident when they are involved in an accident with a large vehicle, like a pick up truck or SUV. According to the findings of a new study, however, more than the size of the vehicle, it may be the height of the front end of the truck that may prove most detrimental to pedestrian safety.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety recently published the findings of two new research studies into pedestrian safety. According to the researchers, vehicles that have taller, higher front ends are much more likely to cause serious and fatal personal injuries to pedestrians in a car accident. The study found that cars with a hood height of more than 40 inches were approximately 45% more likely to kill pedestrians involved in an auto accident with the car, in comparison to cars that had a hood height of 30 inches or less.

The worrying part is that vehicles with taller, higher hoods have become extremely popular over the past few decades. According to research by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, over the past 30 years, there has been a significant increase in not just the size and weight of the average vehicle, but also the hood height. The average car has increased by 8 inches in height and 1000 pounds in weight. Over the same period of time, cars have also gotten about 4 inches wider and about 10 inches longer. In fact, many vehicles that you see in Atlanta today are likely to be at least 40 inches or higher at the tallest point of the hood. Aggressive – looking vehicles are not just intimidating to pedestrians, but are also capable of causing serious and devastating personal injuries that can result in wrongful death.

Published on: December 14, 2023

How to Prevent Slip and Fall Accident Injuries in Winter

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Winter is coming, and with it comes the risk of slip and fall accidents that can result in serious personal injuries. Doctors are warning pedestrians, especially the elderly, to be extra cautious while walking during the season.

Atlanta sees more than its share of snowy, wet and icy conditions during winter, and these can provide ideal conditions for a slip and fall accident. Sidewalks and paths can be covered with black ice that may be invisible, but treacherous enough to cause a fall.

What is the best thing you could do to prevent a slip and fall accident this winter? The answer is surprisingly – walk like a penguin. Slip and fall safety experts say that walking with short, slow steps is the ideal walking pace to prevent a slip and fall accident this winter. Use heavy, weighted steps and be aware of your surroundings at all times. Avoid walking fast even if the path ahead seems safe and free of ice. Avoid taking long strides that can make it hard for you to prevent a fall.

Published on: December 11, 2023

Drowsy Driving Linked to 100,000 Car Accidents Every Year

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Motorists driving while fatigued or sleepy cause as many as 100,000 car accidents every year. This November, the National Sleep Foundation is marking Drowsy Driving Prevention Week to raise awareness about the dangers of driving while sleepy.

The National Sleep Foundation commemorates the first week of November every year as Drowsy Driving Prevention Week to coincide with the end of daylight savings time. The National Sleep Foundation estimates that as many as 100,000 car accidents every year are caused by drivers who are too sleepy or fatigued to drive. According to the National Sleep Foundation, more than half of all American motorists admit to regularly or consistently driving while sleepy. About 20% of American drivers admit to having operated a motor vehicle while sleepy at least once in the past year. Clearly, there are far too many people who feel comfortable driving a car when they are simply too tired or sleepy to do so.

Some categories of motorists may be at a greater risk of drowsy driving than others. For example, motorists between the age of 16 and 25 are at a higher risk of driving while sleepy. Male motorists may also be much more likely to find nothing wrong while driving in a sleepy condition compared to female drivers. Shift workers and commercial drivers like long haul truck drivers may also be at higher risk of not getting enough sleep resulting in drowsy driving. Apart from these business travelers as well as persons suffering from medical conditions like sleep apnea are also at a higher risk. Apnea is a sleep condition that causes a person to suffer from respiratory interruptions during sleep at night which causes the person to be fatigued and sleepy in the daytime. Sometimes, drowsy driving is the result of taking medications like anti -depressants and antihistamines that may have sleepiness as a side effect.

Published on: December 8, 2023

Video Game Technology Helps Predict Young Driver Car Accident Risks

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

It is always a nerve wracking moment for any parent when their child receives a driver’s license and begins operating a motor vehicle. A new technology that makes use of a video game to identify teen responses to car accident risks may help parents understand better what kind of driver their child is likely to become.

Research scientists at the Neuroscience of Driving program at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Center for Injury Research and Prevention recently designed a virtual driving assessment test that is aimed at understanding teenage behaviors and responses to common auto accident risks and evaluating future driving behaviors based on these.

The new technology is called Already Assess by Diagnostic Driving. It consists of a 15 – minute simulator drive that is designed like a video game. Teenagers are required to follow the simulated course on a large computer screen using headphones, foot pedals and a steering wheel. As the teenager moves through the simulated course, the technology monitors around 100 driving skills that can predict the teen’s risk of a car accident. These skills include the crucial ability to navigate difficult curves and intersections, lane position, control of the vehicle, the proximity of his vehicle to other vehicles, and his or her ability to respond to sudden and emergency hazards. When the teenager completes the course, he is given a personalized report card that clearly outlines his or her responses to various stimuli and the areas of deficiency as well as the areas that she or he can improve on.

Published on: December 6, 2023

Brain Injury Tied to Higher Depression Risk in Women

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Traumatic brain injury of the kind that is often sustained in car accidents, trucking accident as well as slip and fall accidents is linked to several health consequences, including mental health symptoms like depression. A new study finds that women may be at a much higher risk of suffering depression after a traumatic brain injury, compared to men.

Researchers recently analyzed 9 studies on traumatic brain injury and related depression, and found that women had a risk of suffering depression after a personal injury that was as much as 50% higher than the risk for men. The analysis focused on more than 700,000 people who suffered a traumatic brain injury, including more than 360,000 women. Out of these, approximately 29% or 104,000 women reported depression after the injury. In contrast, 332,000 men suffered a brain injury in the study, and out of these, 72,000 or 22% reported depression in the months after the injury.

The researchers have been unable to speculate about the reasons for this difference between men and women, but the fact is that women seem to be at a much higher overall risk of suffering depression compared to men. Among older women, for instance, the top cause of depression is traumatic brain injury and the biggest cause of brain injury in women is slip and fall accidents. The researchers believe that it is important for physicians treating older women or any women suffering from brain injury to caution them about their risks for depression.

Published on: November 27, 2023

How to Prevent Slip and Fall Accident Injuries in Winter

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Winter is coming, and with it comes the risk of slip and fall accidents that can result in serious personal injuries. Doctors are warning pedestrians, especially the elderly, to be extra cautious while walking during the season.

Atlanta sees more than its share of snowy, wet and icy conditions during winter, and these can provide ideal conditions for a slip and fall accident. Sidewalks and paths can be covered with black ice that may be invisible, but treacherous enough to cause a fall.

What is the best thing you could do to prevent a slip and fall accident this winter? The answer is surprisingly – walk like a penguin. Slip and fall safety experts say that walking with short, slow steps is the ideal walking pace to prevent a slip and fall accident this winter. Use heavy, weighted steps and be aware of your surroundings at all times. Avoid walking fast even if the path ahead seems safe and free of ice. Avoid taking long strides that can make it hard for you to prevent a fall.

Published on: November 24, 2023

Drowsy Driving Linked to 100,000 Car Accidents Every Year

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Motorists driving while fatigued or sleepy cause as many as 100,000 car accidents every year. This November, the National Sleep Foundation is marking Drowsy Driving Prevention Week to raise awareness about the dangers of driving while sleepy.

The National Sleep Foundation commemorates the first week of November every year as Drowsy Driving Prevention Week to coincide with the end of daylight savings time. The National Sleep Foundation estimates that as many as 100,000 car accidents every year are caused by drivers who are too sleepy or fatigued to drive. According to the National Sleep Foundation, more than half of all American motorists admit to regularly or consistently driving while sleepy. About 20% of American drivers admit to having operated a motor vehicle while sleepy at least once in the past year. Clearly, there are far too many people who feel comfortable driving a car when they are simply too tired or sleepy to do so.

Some categories of motorists may be at a greater risk of drowsy driving than others. For example, motorists between the age of 16 and 25 are at a higher risk of driving while sleepy. Male motorists may also be much more likely to find nothing wrong while driving in a sleepy condition compared to female drivers. Shift workers and commercial drivers like long haul truck drivers may also be at higher risk of not getting enough sleep resulting in drowsy driving. Apart from these business travelers as well as persons suffering from medical conditions like sleep apnea are also at a higher risk. Apnea is a sleep condition that causes a person to suffer from respiratory interruptions during sleep at night which causes the person to be fatigued and sleepy in the daytime. Sometimes, drowsy driving is the result of taking medications like anti -depressants and antihistamines that may have sleepiness as a side effect.

Published on: November 21, 2023

Video Game Technology Helps Predict Young Driver Car Accident Risks

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

It is always a nerve wracking moment for any parent when their child receives a driver’s license and begins operating a motor vehicle. A new technology that makes use of a video game to identify teen responses to car accident risks may help parents understand better what kind of driver their child is likely to become.

Research scientists at the Neuroscience of Driving program at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Centre for Injury Research and Prevention recently designed a virtual driving assessment test that is aimed at understanding teenage behaviors and responses to common auto accident risks and evaluating future driving behaviors based on these.

The new technology is called Already Assess by Diagnostic Driving. It consists of a 15 – minute simulator drive that is designed like a video game. Teenagers are required to follow the simulated course on a large computer screen using headphones, foot pedals and a steering wheel. As the teenager moves through the simulated course, the technology monitors around 100 driving skills that can predict the teen’s risk of a car accident. These skills include the crucial ability to navigate difficult curves and intersections, lane position, control of the vehicle, the proximity of his vehicle to other vehicles, and his or her ability to respond to sudden and emergency hazards. When the teenager completes the course, he is given a personalized report card that clearly outlines his or her responses to various stimuli and the areas of deficiency as well as the areas that she or he can improve on.

Published on: November 17, 2023

Brain Injury Tied to Higher Depression Risk in Women

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Traumatic brain injury of the kind that is often sustained in car accidents, trucking accident as well as slip and fall accidents is linked to several health consequences, including mental health symptoms like depression. A new study finds that women may be at a much higher risk of suffering depression after a traumatic brain injury, compared to men.

Researchers recently analyzed 9 studies on traumatic brain injury and related depression, and found that women had a risk of suffering depression after a personal injury that was as much as 50% higher than the risk for men. The analysis focused on more than 700,000 people who suffered a traumatic brain injury, including more than 360,000 women. Out of these, approximately 29% or 104,000 women reported depression after the injury. In contrast, 332,000 men suffered a brain injury in the study, and out of these, 72,000 or 22% reported depression in the months after the injury.

The researchers have been unable to speculate about the reasons for this difference between men and women, but the fact is that women seem to be at a much higher overall risk of suffering depression compared to men. Among older women, for instance, the top cause of depression is traumatic brain injury and the biggest cause of brain injury in women is slip and fall accidents. The researchers believe that it is important for physicians treating older women or any women suffering from brain injury to caution them about their risks for depression.

Published on: November 6, 2023

Roadside Cameras, Monitoring Apps Beneficial in Preventing Distracted Driving Car Accidents

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Recent studies by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety find that some technologies may be especially beneficial in identifying distracted drivers and preventing car accidents. Distracted driving is one of the main causes of auto accidents involving serious personal injuries.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety recently released the findings of two new studies that show that roadside cameras are very beneficial in helping identify motorists who are using cell phones while driving. The study found, in fact, that these cameras were almost as beneficial as in – car monitoring systems that are designed to identify whether motorists are distracted by cell phones when at the wheel. The study also found that in – phone apps that measure and collate data about cell phone use while driving are also extremely beneficial in helping identify driving behaviors that are likely to result in car accidents.

Currently much of the data that we have on cell phone-related behavior by motorists at the wheel come from roadside surveys conducted every year by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The data in this survey comes from cameras that are used by the federal administration to monitor driving behavior from morning to evening during a few weeks every summer. Obviously, the kind of data that results from a survey like this is fairly limited since it is only collected over a certain period of time every year. There are also limitations on the number of people that can be identified or monitored using this technology.