Georgia Injury Law Blog

Published on: October 23, 2016

Pokémon Go a Serious Distraction for Motorists

Motorists trying to catch critters are at a serious risk of injuring themselves and others in accidents. According to an analysis of Twitter posts related to Pokémon Go, far too many people are playing the game as they are driving or walking.

In fact, according to statistics, there have been at least 14 accidents directly linked to persons playing Pokémon Go. These accidents occurred in July. In one incident, a motorist drove his car into a tree. In other incidents, motorists suddenly slammed on their brakes and jumped out of their cars in busy traffic to catch the critters. Pedestrians have also been found walking into traffic as they were playing.

The analysis of Twitter posts found that approximately 18% of tweets involved persons who were playing Pokémon go while driving. 11% of the tweets seemed to indicate that a passenger in the car was playing. About 4% of the tweets involved pedestrians who were struck by cars or almost struck by cars while playing Pokémon Go.

Published on: October 16, 2016

The Underestimated Accident Risks of Road Debris

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Thousands of accidents in the United States every year are linked not to drunk driving, or speeding, but to road debris. According to a new study, these accidents killed as many as 500 people between 2011 and 2014.

The data were released by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, and found that road debris was responsible for more than 200,000 car accidents in the United States over a four-year period. These resulted in approximately 39,000 injuries and 500 fatalities. An analysis of the data indicate worse news. It appears that accidents that are linked directly to road debris have increased by 40% since the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety began analyzing these risks back in 2011.

Most accidents seem to be the result of drivers swerving the car in order to avoid hitting a piece of debris on the road. About 37% of all fatalities occurred in accidents like these. In these cases, the driver is at a high risk of losing control of the steering and the vehicle.

Published on: October 9, 2016

Motorcycle Accident Fatalities Increased by 10% in 2015

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Alarming statistics indicate that the rate of motorcycle accident fatalities in the United States in 2015 actually increased by 10% over the previous year.

The statistics were contained in a report released by the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA). According to the GHSA, the statistics are a very stark and clear reminder of the continuous and ongoing danger that motorcyclists face when they are riding on American roadways.

According to the statistics, there were a total of 5,010 motorcycle accident fatalities in 2015. There were 450 fewer fatalities in 2014. Overall, 2015 also marked only the third year in American history that the total number of motorcycle accident fatalities crossed the 5,000 mark.

Published on: September 20, 2016

Even Mild Brain Injury Can Mean Long-Term Health Consequences for Children

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Children who suffer even a mild brain injury like a concussion can suffer long-term health consequences that may be evident for years after the injury.

According to a new study that was conducted in Sweden, young people who have suffered even a mild brain injury are at risk for various health problems including psychiatric problems later in life. They may also be at risk of dying prematurely.

The study was based on an analysis of 100,000 persons who had suffered a traumatic brain injury before they reached the age of 25. Children who had suffered an injury were found to be more likely to die early, and also suffer psychological problems as adults. The risk of long-term consequences was higher among children who were older when they suffered the injury, as well as those who suffered more severe injuries or had repeated injuries.

Published on: August 17, 2016

Dram Shop Laws in Georgia: What You Should know

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

In addition to the at-fault driver, it is possible to hold other people or entities responsible for injuries caused in a drunk driving accident. Under Georgia’s dram shop laws, sellers and servers of alcohol can be sued for monetary compensation if they have acted negligently.

Dram shop liability refers to the exposure commercial establishments such as restaurants, bars, liquor stores, hotels, or clubs have related to the sale of alcohol to customers. Georgia’s dram shop laws make a commercial drinking establishment like a pub or club liable for damages if the establishment serves alcohol to minors under the age of 21. The laws also allow an alcohol provider to be held liable when an establishment serves alcohol to a person who is noticeably intoxicated and is likely to drive a car after.

It is important to understand that an experienced dram shop attorney often makes all the difference in these complex cases. For example, the dram shop laws in Georgia do require that commercial establishment employees be aware that an intoxicated person intends to operate a motor vehicle after drinking. That makes it more challenging for drunk driving accident victims and their families to hold a commercial establishment legally liable for damages. Staff members frequently claim that they had no way of knowing how the intoxicated person would travel after leaving the drinking hole.

Published on: August 15, 2016

Ignition Interlock Devices Reduce Traffic Accident Fatalities by 15%

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Ignition interlock devices that prevent drivers who have alcohol in their systems from operating a motor vehicle can help reduce the rate of traffic accident fatalities by as much as 15%.

Those are the results of a new study by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania. The study used crash data from 18 states that currently have laws requiring ignition interlock devices for all motorists convicted of DUI. The researchers found a 15% cut in the rate of traffic accident fatalities in states that require ignition interlock devices for anyone convicted of driving while impaired.

In states that had these universal laws, 915 lives were saved in accidents during the study period from 2007 to 2013. Other studies have also indicated that states with mandatory ignition interlock laws reduce the likelihood that a previous offender will be arrested for drunk driving.

Published on: July 8, 2016

Medical Errors Third Leading Cause of Death in United States

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Medical errors rank third, just behind heart disease and cancer as a leading cause of death in the United States. Those findings come from a new study by researchers at Johns Hopkins University.

According to the study, patients who suffer injuries as the result of a medical error are much more likely to die, compared to persons who suffer from respiratory diseases like bronchitis and emphysema. The tragedy is that people may take precautions in order to prevent contracting bronchitis and emphysema, or any other diseases that could result in death, but may not realize that they have a much higher chance of dying from a medical error.

The study estimates that more than 250,000 U.S. deaths every year can be traced to medical errors. There are a number of medical errors that could injure or kill a patient. Misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis, overmedication and other types of medical errors are often serious enough to cause a patient’s death.

Published on: June 30, 2016

Children, Mail Carriers at High Risk for Dog Bites

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

With summer here we are reminded that some victims of dog bites seem to have it much harder than others. Children below the age of five, and postal workers are at a much higher risk of dog bites, especially during summer days.

During summer, dogs are much more likely to be out with their owners, or may be left off their leash, and that places postal workers at a much higher risk of bites. National Dog Bite Prevention Week, which this year was marked in the third week of May, focused specifically on educating people about the risks of dog bites. The U.S. Postal Service estimates that more than 5,500 postal employees suffered bites in 2013.

Children are also frequently injured during summer because they are out of school, and may be in playgrounds, parks or other places where dogs are being walked. Children are also much more likely to pet strange dogs, or to display other behavior that could be risky, and could lead to an attack.

Published on: June 20, 2016

Troubling Increase in Motorcycle Accident Fatalities

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

U.S. authorities are reporting a disturbing 10% increase in the number of people killed in motorcycle accidents across the country in 2015. Those statistics come from the Governors Highway Safety Association, which blames alcohol and drug use, higher speed limits, and an increase in the number of states repealing motorcycle helmet laws for this increase in fatalities.

According to the statistics, there were 5,010 motorcycle fatalities in 2015. That suggests an increase of 450 fatalities compared to the previous year. What makes these numbers even more alarming is that it is only the third year in American history in which the number of motorcycle fatalities has crossed the 5,000 mark.

The GHSA believes that enacting universal helmet laws would do much to help reduce the number of fatalities in motorcycle accidents every year. Currently, 32 states have no universal helmet use laws. The Governors Highway Safety Association believes that restoring these laws would be a highly effective way of reducing the number of fatalities. In states that have such universal helmet laws, the rate of helmet use is as much as 89%. In other states, the rates hover at about 48%.

Published on: June 15, 2016

60% of Teenage Driver Accidents Involve Distracted Driving

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Distractions play a major part in accidents involving teenage drivers. However, the impact of distraction on teen safety may be much higher than earlier believed. According to a new report by AAA, about 60% of all teen driver car accidents involve distractions of some kind.

The American Automobile Association says that most teenage drivers involved in accidents are talking on the cell phone, texting, or engaged in other distractions while driving. These other distractions include talking to passengers in the car.

The study found that 15% of accidents involving teenage drivers can be traced to talking to passengers.