Georgia Injury Law Blog

Published on: August 5, 2009

Hart County Officials to Study Site of Fatal Car Accident

Officials from the Georgia Department of Transportation will be looking at an intersection at Hart County which was the scene of a fatal car accident last month. An 81-year-old man was struck and killed as he was trying to cross the SR77 from the Lavonia connector in his vehicle. The intersection since then has been the focus of much scrutiny.

After the crash, State Rep Allen Powell requested the Department of Transportation to take a look at the intersection, and see how what kind of road safety enhancements can be made. DOT officials have confirmed that they will be looking at a number of factors, including the daily traffic at the intersection, the spots that see the maximum number of vehicles, and the accident history of the intersection over the past year. They will also look specifically into the fatal accident, including the cause as well as the type of the crash. DOT representatives will also be looking at traffic counts, but that will be done after summer has been ended, because traffic counts are typically lower during the summer.

That means that whatever the DOT decides, and any recommendations it makes, will only come after fall. Even then, it may be weeks and months before any steps are taken to enhance the safety of the intersection.

Published on: July 24, 2009

Truck Accidents in Crisp County, Savannah Leave Trail of Injuries

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Truck Accidents in Crisp County, Savannah Leave Trail of Injuries

Two separate accidents in Savannah and Crisp County, both involving pickup trucks and 18 wheelers, have left one person dead and three critically injured.

In the first accident, a 66-year-old woman suffered critical injuries when her Chevy turned in front of a big rig. According to troopers, Ora Lee Morris was not wearing a seatbelt, and was ejected from the truck on impact. She was trapped underneath the truck.There is no information about why Morris turned her pickup right in front of the big rig.

Published on: July 22, 2009

NHTSA Suppressed Data Proving Cell Phone Use While Driving Raises Accident Risks

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/21/technology/21distracted.html?_r=1

Previously undisclosed documents that have now been made public, courtesy the Freedom of Information Act, show that federal auto safety agencies had access to thousands of pages of research that showed a clear risk of increased number of accidents because of cell phone use by motorists.In fact, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration had that information back in 2003, but chose not to make it public.

The documents have been obtained by two consumer safety groups, Public Citizen and the Center for Auto Safety who filed a lawsuit under the Freedom of Information Act.The documents have been published by the New York Times.

Published on: July 21, 2009

Bartow County Family Escapes Injuries in Van Accident

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

A family from Bartow family escaped what could have been potentially serious burn injuries, after a van accident caused by a tire blowout.

According to news reports, David and Sarah Joe King were traveling in their van with their two daughters on their way to South Carolina when the back left tire blew out. Tire blowouts happen quite often, and David did what is recommended in such cases. He pulled the Dodge Caravan over the side to the I-75, but within seconds, the van burst into flames. That doesn’t usually happen after a tire blowout, but in this case, it appears that the exploded tire struck the gas tank, causing it to burst into flames. David, Sarah Jo and their daughter Michelle suffered burn injuries, and Michelle and Sarah Joe had to undergo surgery. All the injured are expected to recover, and know that they are lucky to escape what could have been a serious accident.

According to Sarah Jo, the tire that blew out, was the only one they didn’t change. Tire blowouts are responsible for thousands of injuries and accidents across the country and across Georgia.A tire blowout when you’re driving can be a terrifying experience. A blowout could occur when the vehicle runs over a nail or on a hot road, or when it’s traveling at excessive speeds. In fact, a motorist doesn’t even have to be doing these for a blowout to occur. A defective or outdated tire could result in an unexpected and dangerous blow out.

Published on: July 17, 2009

Three Girls Injured in Douglas County ATV Accident

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Three teenage girls were injured on Wednesday in an ATV accident in Douglas County.

According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, the three were riding an ATV on the street, and seem to have lost control of the four-wheeler when trying to turn a curve. All three were ejected from the ATV, and suffered injuries that did not appear to life threatening. The girls were not wearing helmets. The Georgia State Patrol says that the girls may be charged because they were not allowed to ride an ATV on the road. Besides, they were not wearing helmets, and they were not licensed.

Fortunately, the injuries were not too serious, but this was an accident that could have easily resulted in serious injuries. In Georgia and across the country, thousands of injuries every year are traced to ATV accidents. Many of these accidents can be traced to design defects in the ATV. The Yamaha Rhino, for instance, has been linked to thousands of injuries across the country, because of its narrower body, and high center of gravity that places motorists at an increased risk of a rollover. Riders are likely to be thrown off the ATV, and trapped underneath, leaving them with crushing injuries.

Published on: July 15, 2009

Shipper Sponsored Poll Shows Most Americans Support Heavier Trucks

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

A shipper group has announced the results of a nationwide poll that shows that a majority of Americans are in favor of raising weight limits on trucks on our interstate highways. Considering that the poll was commissioned by an association of more than one hundred shippers and other allied trucking groups, truck accident attorneys and other opponents of any such increase, should probably not give too much credence to those findings.

The poll was commissioned by the Coalition for Transportation Productivity, and the results apparently show that more than 50 percent of Americans are in favor of allowing trucks to carry more weight on interstate highways, as envisioned in the Safe and Efficient Transportation Act of 2009. According to the CTP, most Americans are in favor of higher weight limits on trucks that have higher safeguards if it would help create safer roads and more efficient highway transportation.

The Safe and Efficient Transportation Act of 2009 or HR 1799, has been opposed by truck accident attorneys, safety advocates and families of victims killed in truck accidents. The bill would authorize states to allow trucks weighing up to 97,000 pounds to operate on interstate highways. Trucks would be required to add a sixth axle with brakes.

Published on: July 14, 2009

Fiery Interstate 75 Car Accident Linked to Road Rage

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Earlier this month, we reported on an accident involving a car and a rental truck in Lowndes County on I-75. The accident, that occurred just before the Fourth of July weekend, left four people dead. Days later, several other details have emerged. Georgia State Patrol now believes that road rage could have been a possible factor in that crash.

The victims were four female passengers, including a mother, her two young daughters and her boyfriend, Jerome Roberts. Police are looking into whether road rage on the part of Roberts could have been a factor in the car accident. The tragic sequence of events unfolded when another motorist, Douglas Jones, called police to tell them that a driver in a gold 2003 Saturn Vue was driving recklessly and aggressively. A rental truck driver then struck both Jones’ car and the Saturn Vue. The passengers in the Saturn Vue were trapped, and both the rental truck and the Saturn caught fire. Witnesses at the scene pulled Roberts from his car, but he was declared dead at the scene. The three female passengers died in the car from serious burin injuries. Douglas Jones also suffered injuries. According to the police, they were still on the phone with him when the crash occurred.

The Georgia State Patrol has listed Jerome Roberts as the at-fault driver in its accident report.

Published on: July 13, 2009

Traffic in Atlanta Ranks Third Worst in Country

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

As we discussed earlier on this blog, Atlanta’s drivers are not only some of the rudest, but also some of the worst motorists in the country.Apparently, there’s more glowing praise for us. A survey ranks the city at No. 3 on a list of the most traffic congested cities in the nation.

While the number of vehicles on our roads over the past year has dropped somewhat because of rising gas prices and the recession, and this has contributed to a drop in accident rates, Atlanta’s traffic continues to be congested. Our city ranks behind Los Angeles and Washington DC, and ahead of Houston and San Francisco in the study. According to the results, the average motorist in Atlanta spends about 57 hours in the year simply stuck in traffic.

There seems to have been a slight improvement over the last couple of years however, and that’s probably due to the rise in gas prices. In 2007 which is the year the study considered, gas prices were $3 a gallon in Atlanta, which could account for the slight drop in congestion rates. However, we don’t yet have figures for 2008, which is when gas prices touched $4 a gallon, further cutting down non-essential travel in metro Atlanta.

Published on: July 9, 2009

Motorcycle Accident in Murray County Kills Two

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Two people from Dalton, Georgia were killed in an accident when a pickup truck sideswiped their motorcycle.

According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, the crash occurred on highway 225 south in Murray County.Apparently, a Ford Ranger crossed the centerline for unknown reasons, and struck the motorcycle. The two riders, 39-year-old Ty Woods and 29-year-old April Lynthlin were ejected from the motorcycle, and sustained fatal injuries. According to reports, Lynthlin was in an advanced state of pregnancy. The State Patrol’s Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team has initiated an investigation.

This tragic accident coincides with the release of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s report on traffic fatalities for 2008. The numbers for last year have been very encouraging all round, except in one category- motorcycle accident fatalities. For the 11^th year running, motorcycle accident-related deaths have shown a sharp rise. In fact, deaths in motorcycle accidents now comprise 14 percent of the highway fatality rate in the country. These rates have risen even as there has been an overall drop in the number of automobiles on the highways, because of the recession and the hike in gas prices that we saw last summer. While the number of automobiles traveling our roads has dropped, collisions involving motorcycles have increased.

Published on: July 8, 2009

18 wheeler-Ice Cream Truck Accident in Atlanta Leaves Driver Injured

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

An accident involving an 18 wheeler and an ice-cream truck has left the driver of the truck seriously injured. Police have now arrested the 18 wheeler driver.

According to police, the 18 wheeler driver was traveling east on Camp Creek Parkway. He seems to have made a left turn at a green light that didn’t have a left turn arrow. The 18 wheeler was struck by an ice-cream truck, and also collided with another vehicle carrying four occupants. The driver of the ice-cream truck suffered serious injuries, and was airlifted to the Atlanta Medical Center. He is reportedly in serious condition. No other people were injured in this truck accident.

Drivers of commercial trucks must pay attention to traffic rules at all times. As the driver of a massive vehicle that can weigh up to 80,000 pounds, a tractor trailer driver simply does not have the luxury of making errors in judgment or other mistakes while driving. Any errors made by a tractor trailer driver can prove deadly.