Georgia Injury Law Blog

Published on: March 29, 2023

Highly Ranked Cars Less Likely to be Involved in Fatal Car Accidents

When motorists drive cars that have been ranked highly by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, they are less likely to suffer fatal personal injuries in a car accident.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is one of several organizations that publishes safety rankings for automobiles. Thousands of Americans who buy new cars every year depend on ratings by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Consumer Reports and other organizations. For them, these rankings form a critical component of the buying decision.

A new study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety finds that when motorists are driving cars that have been highly ranked, their risks of suffering fatal personal injuries in an auto accident fall by 12% compared to vehicles that are ranked poorly. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety focused on motorists driving cars that performed well on small overlap tests. The study found that motorists driving cars that performed better on small overlap tests in frontal car accidents were less likely to suffer personal injuries in an auto accident.

Published on: March 24, 2023

Is Poor Sleep Putting You at Risk of a Car Accident?

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Sedentary lifestyles and bad eating habits are placing millions of Americans at risk of poor sleep patterns, increasing their chances of being involved in an auto accident.

This March, the National Sleep Foundation will mark Sleep Awareness Week. The special week will be commemorated between March 12 and March 18. The National Sleep Foundation wants Americans to understand that when they sleep less than the recommended number of hours a night, they place themselves at risk of tiredness and fatigue that increases their chances of being involved in an auto accident while driving. In 2022, the National Sleep Foundation underscored the car accident risks that come with being in a state of sleep deprivation by partnering with the Drowsy Driving Prevention Project and the National Safety Council.

Last year, the National Sleep Foundation commissioned a poll that threw up interesting insights about the sleep patterns of Americans. The poll found that far too many Americans are not getting enough light exposure in the daytime. Exposure to light in the daytime can keep you awake while exposure to dim lighting in the evening can help you sleep. When people have very little light exposure in the daytime, it can affect their ability to sleep well at night. Much of the night time light exposure for Americans is presently coming from smartphones. For most Americans, bedtime is preceded by at least an hour of scrolling through their smartphones. The blue light that is emitted from these screens actually inhibits your ability to sleep well. When you spend far too much time staring at your cell phone before going to sleep, it makes it that much harder for you to sleep. The result is fewer hours of sleep than you require, and consequently, a state of fatigue and drowsiness. The poll also found that many Americans follow irregular eating patterns, and these too can affect a person’s ability to fall asleep quickly.

Published on: March 21, 2023

March is National Brain Injury Awareness Month

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

An estimated 2.8 million Americans suffer from a brain injury every year, and more than 5 million Americans currently live with a disability that has been caused by a brain injury. Since 2021 and right through 2023, the Brain injury Association of America has been commemorating Brain Injury Awareness Month in the month of March with the theme “More Than My Brain Injury. “

According to the Brain injury Association of America, an overwhelming majority of all brain injuries are caused as a result of falls. An estimated 47% of all traumatic brain injuries every year are caused by falls, with car accidents accounting for the second highest number of brain injuries at 13%. Approximately 17% of traumatic brain injuries are caused when a person is struck by an object, while 8% are the result of violent assaults. Other causes of brain injury include medical malpractice.

Whatever the cause of the brain injury, these are some of the most common serious personal injuries in the United States, and also some of the most misunderstood. The Brain Injury Association of America estimates that as many as one in 60 people suffers from a disability resulting from a brain injury. This means that it is highly likely that you know someone who suffers from cognitive deficits, memory problems, difficulties in concentration and a variety of other disabilities as a result of a traumatic brain injury.

Published on: March 16, 2023

Car Accident Prevention Technology can be Challenging to Repair

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Auto Accident prevention systems like front crash avoidance technology and lane departure warning systems play a significant role in protecting motorists and passengers. However, when there is any malfunctioning or problems reported with these systems, repairs can be challenging to complete.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is reporting on a recent analysis of the repairs of auto crash prevention systems in automobiles. Many of these systems including rear view camera systems and blind spot detection systems can play a tremendous role in helping keep motorists safe and preventing car accidents. However, when motorists take these cars in for repairs after the technology malfunctions or because the system is giving an error message, or after an auto accident, they find that repairs are not always satisfactory. According to the study, many motorists continue to face problems with the technology even after repairs have apparently been completed.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety study surveyed approximately 500 drivers. Most of the drivers in the study had taken in their car for repairs after experiencing problems with the safety technology in their automobile. In some cases, the problems appeared after an auto accident while in other cases, the repairs were the result of a recall or the result of a recommendation by the automobile repair shop. Repair issues were more likely to be seen when the car had been involved in a car accident. Incomplete repairs were also much more likely to be seen in those cases in which the windshield replacement was required as part of auto repairs.

Published on: February 17, 2023

Stronger Seat Belt Reminder Systems Could Prevent Minivan Car Accident Injuries

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

More lives could potentially be saved in auto accidents involving minivans every year if these vehicles came with stronger and more efficient seat belt warning systems.

A new study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety highlights the fact that far too many minivan models simply do not have effective and efficient seatbelt reminder systems in place. This is even more alarming when you consider that these vehicles are mainly purchased by families with young children.

The minivan is the ubiquitous symbol of the young American family. For decades, Americans with young families have been buying minivans for their very specific travel needs. However, failure to use proper restraint systems has disastrous consequences for America’s children. In 2020, more than one-third of children below the age of 12 killed in car accidents were not properly restrained at the time.

Published on: February 13, 2023

Study: Head Injury can Hasten Death

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

There are a number of complications that are associated with suffering a head injury, and one of these, according to a new study, is an increased chance of dying, with the risk having doubled over a period of 3 decades.

We know of some of the more common consequences of head injury including memory loss, attention and concentration difficulties, and cognitive deficits. Head injuries have also been linked to other long-term disabilities including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, early onset dementia and stroke. All of these are long term consequences can seriously impact the quality of a person’s life.

However, there is one serious consequence of a head injury that does not attract as much attention – the effect of the brain injury on the person’s life expectancy. A new study probed the effects of a head injury on a person’s life expectancy, and found that a head injury could increase the risk of death over a period of 30 years. In some cases, the risk of death increased by two or even three times the risk without a head injury.

Published on: February 8, 2023

Feds to Probe Abuse of Antipsychotics in Nursing Homes

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

The federal administration has announced that it will soon launch an investigation of the wrongful use or overuse of antipsychotic drugs on patients in nursing homes.

The administration has long been investigating the misuse of antipsychotic sedatives, including those that are typically prescribed for nursing home patients who do not require these drugs at all. In too many cases, investigators have found nursing homes wrongly classifying certain patients as schizophrenic so that they may be prescribed antipsychotic sedative drugs. The administration has also found several nursing homes engaging in these practices and wants to understand whether these practices are widespread in the industry. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services believes that the problem is a prevalent one, and that its scope has not been fully investigated. Therefore, it has now announced that it will soon launch an investigation of such practices in the nursing home industry.

Schizophrenia is a psychotic disorder that is characterized by symptoms that include delusions, hallucinations and other symptoms. Antipsychotic drugs are often used to treat patients with schizophrenia. Side effects of these medications can include death. It is estimated that less than 1% of the American population suffers from schizophrenia. However, more than 99 nursing homes classify as many as 20% of their patients with schizophrenia. That is a disproportionately large percentage of nursing home residents who are being diagnosed with this condition, relative to the American population with schizophrenia. In other words, the math simply does not add up here.

Published on: January 30, 2023

Car Accident Wrongful Deaths Drop Slightly in First 9 Months of 2022

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Statistics seem to show a slight drop in the number of people killed in car accidents across the country during the first 9 months of 2022, compared to the same period of time the previous year. However, the number of people killed in pedestrian accidents and bicycle accidents increased over the same period of time.

New statistics released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration show a very slight drop in auto accident fatalities in the first 9 months of last year, compared to the same period of time in 2019. A total of 31,785 people were killed in car accidents between January and September 2022, compared to the previous year. That was a 0.2% drop. The bad news, however, is that bicycle accident and pedestrian accident wrongful deaths continued to rise over the first 9 months of 2022 as they have for several years now.

Car accident deaths across the country and in Georgia have been at elevated levels since 2020 when the pandemic struck and lock downs were imposed. In spite of a drop in traffic volumes with few people driving on the streets, the number of auto accidents began to spike, confounding experts. Since then, we have learned that auto accident numbers began to rise in 2020 because of reckless driving behaviors, including speeding. With lower traffic volumes on the road, motorists became much more comfortable driving at high speeds, and those behaviors have continued since then. Additionally, the lack of enforcement campaigns during this time also meant more numbers of people driving without wearing their seatbelts or driving under the influence of alcohol, contributing to those high statistics.

Published on: January 23, 2023

Majority of Motorists, Pedestrians Concerned about Auto Accident Risks

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Fears for personal safety are widespread among motorists and pedestrians, a majority of whom in a recent survey admitted that they were very concerned about their risks of being involved in an auto accident while traveling.

The results of the survey revealed that as many as 83% of motorists and 78% of pedestrians are concerned about their risks of being involved in an auto accident while on the road. Auto safety is definitely a priority and a major concern for most American motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists. Respondents in the survey opined that safe transport should be the top most transportation safety concern for authorities, and should be given more importance than efficient commutes, sustainable transport and other initiatives.

Those fears for safety are not entirely unfounded. Americans have been treated to a variety of disquieting news articles about declining safety standards and increasing car accident deaths across the country over the past few months. In 2021, for instance, there were more than 42,000 car accident wrongful deaths recorded across the country, the highest number on record in 16 years. The number of pedestrians killed in car accidents increased by close to 12% between 2019 and 2021, and there were close to 7,500 wrongful deaths in these auto accidents last year.

Published on: January 13, 2023

Tips to Avoid Being Involved in Chain Reaction Car Accidents this Winter

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Chain reaction auto accidents that involve multiple vehicles are a serious threat during the winter season. With winter storms and blizzards in many parts of the country, including Georgia recently, it is important for motorists to understand that these are some of the most treacherous conditions that they could be driving in.

Many parts of Georgia, especially the north, typically see several snowstorms over the winter season. If you are a motorist in Georgia or plan to travel around the state over winter, it is likely that you will come across some kind of snow storm or other wintry or icy road conditions. It is important for motorists to understand that these are some of the most treacherous and hazardous weather conditions for a motorist to drive in. Multi-vehicle chain reaction car accidents that initially start off with a single vehicle or two are common during the winter months. Elsewhere around the country, several multi vehicle accidents have resulted in serious personal injuries and wrongful deaths this winter season.

Protect yourself against being involved in a multi vehicle auto accident this winter by following these tips.