Georgia Injury Law Blog

Published on: August 31, 2009

Hospital Cleanliness Still Major Issue

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about a million people contract a hospital infection each year. A Consumer Reports survey provides clues to why those rates are so high.

In 2008, Consumer Reports surveyed 731 nurses, and this year, sampled more than 13,500 of its readers, who were polled about recent hospital experiences involving them or a loved one. The findings were surprising.

28 percent of nurses reported problems with cleanliness, while only 4 percent of patients reported so.

Published on: August 26, 2009

We Have Back to School Safety on Our Minds

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

We Have Back to School Safety on Our Minds

Thousands of school children across Georgia will be heading back to school after the summer break, raising concerns about accidents involving kids.

As Georgia personal injury lawyers, we are concerned that the summer traffic lull might lead to a sense of complacency among motorists. As schools reopen, there are going to be a markedly higher number of students walking and bicycling to and from school. There will also be hundreds of school buses, as well as parents picking up and dropping off their kids at crucial times.

Published on: August 25, 2009

Georgia Law Enforcement Kicks off Labor Day Drunk Driving Crackdown

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Georgia Law Enforcement Kicks off Labor Day Drunk Driving Crackdown

Across Georgia, Labor Day counts as one of the deadliest holidays in the calendar. Every year, during the holiday that marks the official end of the summer, several drunk driving accidents are caused by holiday makers who have neglected to designate an official driver for the evening.

Last year, there were 2,154 accidents reported during the 78-hour period that marks the most dangerous day for motorists around the holiday. Those accidents injured 577 people, and killed 20. Most of these accidents, not surprisingly, were linked to driving under the influence.

Published on: August 24, 2009

Marriott Hotel Withdraws Rape Premises Liability Defense

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Marriott Hotel Withdraws Rape Premises Liability Defense

Marriott International has withdrawn a legal defense by one of its franchise hotels that a rape victim, who was assaulted in the hotel premises, acted carelessly and failed to prevent the rape.The company has issued a statement apologizing to customers and Marriott guests, who had been outraged at the legal defense that the insurance company lawyers adopted.

In 2006, the 40-year-old woman was assaulted when she was in her mini van in the parking lot of the Marriott Hotel and Spa in Stamford, Connecticut. The woman was raped at gun point in front of her two children, both of who were below seven years old at the time. The rapist, 55 year old Gary Fricker, has since been found guilty, and is currently serving a 20-year sentence.

Published on: August 19, 2009

Elderly Lexington Couple Mauled to Death in Dog Attack

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Elderly Lexington Couple Mauled to Death in Dog Attack

Mystery still surrounds the death of a retired professor and his wife, apparently from a vicious dog attack.

On Saturday, the mutilated bodies of retired UGA professor 77-year-old Luther Karl Schweder, and his wife 65-year-old Sherry were found near their home in Lexington. Preliminary autopsies showed that Sherry had died from dog bite injuries. Her husband’s autopsy results are not yet available. But it’s very likely that Luther Schweder also died from injuries in the dog attack.

Published on: August 17, 2009

Covington Driver Released after Fatal Pedestrian Accident

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Covington Driver Released after Fatal Pedestrian Accident

Even as the family of 6-year-old Suk Maya Monger was holding a memorial service for the refugee girl who was struck and killed in a pedestrian accident, the motorist who struck her has been released from the DeKalb County Jail.

Suk Maya was killed last week. She and her mother had just got off a MARTA bus, and had walked round in front of the bus to cross the street. As they stepped into an open lane, motorist Gregory Armwood stuck the mother and daughter pair. According to police, he had just passed a stopped car and a MARTA bus. Suk Maya suffered serious head and internal injuries. She died on Wednesday. That day, tragically enough, was to have been her first day at a local Atlanta elementary school.

Published on: August 13, 2009

One Killed, Two Injured in DeKalb County Multi Vehicle Accident

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

One Killed, Two Injured in DeKalb County Multi Vehicle Accident

DeKalb County police are investigating a multi vehicle accident on Monday, that has left one motorist dead and two injured.

According to the Atlanta Journal- Constitution, the driver of a pickup truck hit a Geo Metro, injuring at least one passenger. The impact caused the Geo to ram into another car, while the pickup truck driver fled the scene of the crash.The pickup collided with an SUV a few minutes later, and the SUV driver suffered injuries that required hospitalization. The pick up truck was found crashed in a ditch a few miles ahead, and the driver has been confirmed dead.

Published on: August 11, 2009

Increase in Number of Women Involved in Drunk Driving Accidents

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Nationwide, there has been an increase in the number of female motorists involved in drunk driving accidents over the past decade. The recent death of a mother with seven others in an allegedly alcohol-fueled car accident, has turned the spotlight on this disturbing phenomenon.

Last month, Diane Schuler drove the wrong way on a street in Rochester in New York, crashing head-on into another vehicle. Diane, her 2-year-old daughter and three nieces all below 8 years of age, died when the van plowed head-on into another vehicle. Three people in the other car were also killed.Toxicology reports post the tragic accident, have shown that Schuler had alcohol in her system at the time of the crash. A broken bottle of vodka was also found in her van.

According to the New York Times, her niece Emma who was in the car with her, called her father a few minutes before the crash, complaining that her aunt was having trouble seeing, and was slurring. Investigators are now looking into Schuler’s alcohol history, as well as her actions in the hours leading up to the accident. They are looking into where she purchased the alcohol, and who allowed a woman with a blood alcohol level of .19 percent to be driving a car with children. Schuler’s family has denied that she had an alcohol problem. Her husband has spoken to the press about how his wife had a medical condition that could have caused the accident.

Published on: August 10, 2009

Atlanta Teens Get Crash Course in Accident Risks of Distracted Driving

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Atlanta Teens Get Crash Course in Accident Risks of Distracted Driving

The nationwide focus on distracted driving was also in place in Atlanta yesterday as teenage drivers got a crash course in the increased risk of accidents when they are distracted behind the wheel.

The distracted driving training course was organized by Allstate, and was one of 42 events organized across the country to prove the dangers of poor concentration while driving. Teenagers were encouraged to drive around the training course while experiencing several distractions in the form of fellow passengers and loud music. The teens were made to send text messages on their phones, snack while driving and indulge in other distracted behaviors. The results of the training program, as Atlanta personal injury lawyers, would have expected, were not too surprising. The teens found it hard to navigate the training course.

Published on: August 7, 2009

Deadly Motorcycle Accident in Atlanta Kills One Person

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

A multi-vehicle accident on Interstate-285 in DeKalb County on Wednesday left a motorcyclist dead, and 5 other people injured. According to DeKalb County police, the accident was set off by an SUV driver who entered the highway without slowing for traffic.

The driver seems to have set off a chain reaction that led to an 18 wheeler, striking a group of motorcyclists. A 54-year-old motorcyclist has been killed, and one other motorcycle rider has sustained serious injuries. Three motorcyclists and the SUV driver have sustained moderate injuries. The accident involved three motorcycles, two SUVs and two 18 wheelers.

Details are still coming in, but it seems like that the motorcycles involved in the accident were participating in the National Biker Round-up. It was the second day of the bike fest, and the event which is hosted by the Georgia biker community, is expected to continue for about a week, ending on Sunday.