Georgia Injury Law Blog

Published on: May 9, 2024

Is Sleep Deprivation Responsible for Spike in Car Accident Rates?

The results of a new study show that more Americans are working and driving on very little sleep. Sleep deprivation is a major cause of drowsy driving -related car accidents which kills thousands of Americans every year. These auto accidents also often result in catastrophic personal injuries.

According to the Gallup poll, Americans are getting even less sleep than they used to. More Americans report getting less sleep than they need or would like compared to a decade earlier. In 2013, for example, a similar poll found that 56% of Americans believed they had gotten the amount of sleep they needed, while that number dropped to just 42% in this new poll. In 2013, 43% of Americans believed that they did not get enough sleep, and that number ballooned to more than half of all Americans in the new poll.

Sleep experts recommend at least 8 hours of sleep for the average adult, but more than a quarter of Americans are barely getting that. What’s more alarming is that more than 50% of Americans say that they survive on just 6 to 7 hours of sleep every day, while 20% get less than 5 hours of sleep, which is truly worrying. Getting 5 hours of sleep or surviving on that low amount of sleep was not even heard of back in the 1940s. Women below 50 seem to be more sleep-deprived, with only 36% admitting to getting enough sleep. In contrast, 48% of men believed that they are getting enough sleep.

Published on: May 6, 2024

Daylight Time Change May Impact Pedestrian Accident Rates

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

As daylight savings time changes go into effect and clocks are brought one hour forward, a new study finds that there may be some benefits to pedestrians and bicyclists as accidents involving these road users are reduced after the change. The same benefits, however, do not extend to motorists.

The effect of daylight savings time change has been analyzed by traffic safety experts several times in the past. In this most recent study, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety researchers analyzed traffic accident data from between 2010 and 2019. They further divided these accidents based on the hours around the time change – between 4:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. – and further divided these accidents based on whether these involved motorists or pedestrians and bicyclists.

The data found that the overall net effect of the time change was minimal, regardless of whether the accident involved pedestrians and bicyclists or occupants of a passenger vehicle. However, about 5 weeks after the fall time change went into effect, they found that there was an increase in the number of car accidents involving bicyclists and a drop in the number of auto accidents involving motorists. Conversely, when they analyzed the data from about 5 weeks after the spring time change went into effect, they found an increase in the number of auto accidents involving motorists and a drop in the number of accidents involving pedestrians and bicyclists.

Published on: May 2, 2024

Promotion of Fast Cars Weakens Progress on Auto Accident Prevention

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

In 2017, 40% of automobile marketing focused on the performance or speed of the cars. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, such promotion of speeds can undermine efforts towards reducing car accidents numbers resulting in a significant number of personal injuries and wrongful deaths.

According to the analysis, the percentage of automobile marketing that focuses on performance has not budged much over the past few decades. In 1998, for instance, as much as half of all automobile marketing efforts focused on the speed of the vehicle while in 2017, that number had dropped to 40%. Clearly, automobile manufacturers continue to feel comfortable emphasizing the performance and speed of these vehicles. Unfortunately, when it comes to automobiles and their features, a clip of a speeding car is not just another advertisement. Rather, it can encourage motorists to engage in dangerous and risky driving behaviors like driving at high speeds.

Every year, as many as 12,000 people are killed in auto accidents caused directly by a speeding driver. More than 300,000 people are injured in such accidents. The number of people being injured and killed in speeding- related car accidents has increased over the past few years with a spike during the pandemic. During those months when lockdowns ensured fewer vehicles on the road, too many motorists drove at high speeds, complacent in the knowledge that they would not be cited for speeding violations. Unfortunately, those behaviors have continued even after the pandemic ended and traffic volumes went back to normal.

Published on: April 30, 2024

Stronger Laws, Education and Enforcement Impact Distracted Driving Car Accident Rates

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

A combination of strong laws, enforcement and education campaigns is being credited for a drop in distracted driving rates in several states.

A new report by the Governors Highway Safety Association finds that distracted driving is a major driver of car accident wrongful death rates. In 2021, distracted driving caused more than 12,000 wrongful deaths in car accidents and resulted in billions of dollars worth of property damage. However, some states have been very successful in reducing their accident fatality numbers.

The Governors Highway Safety Association recently released a report titled A Roadmap for Safer Roads. The report specifically looked at various states that have seen substantial success in reducing distracted driving accident rates and the techniques that have worked for these states. The Governors Highway Safety Association report found that a combination of strong laws, enforcement, education and auto technology was most effective in helping drive down the number of people using their cell phones while driving.

Published on: April 26, 2024

Stem Cells from Fat can Help in Spinal Cord Personal Injury Treatment

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Patients who have suffered a spinal cord personal injury in an auto accident may experience some improvement in their symptoms with the help of stem cell therapy using cells from their own fat.

Those findings come from a new study conducted by researchers at the Mayo Clinic. The findings of the study were published in the journal Nature Communications. The study was conducted on 10 patients who had suffered a spinal cord personal injury. The researchers found in the study that the patients were able to recover some degree of sensation and movement in the areas affected by their spinal injury.

The researchers extracted stem cells from fat from the patients’ thigh and abdomen areas. They expanded these stem cells to 100 million cells which were then injected into the affected areas. The researchers found that 7 out of the 10 patients showed improvement in their symptoms, including two out of three patients who had zero or minimal sensation below the site of their spinal cord injury. Typically, only 5% of such patients manage to recover any kind of sensation or movement in their affected areas. Moreover, the researchers say that there were no significant side effects as a result of the stem cell therapy.

Published on: April 19, 2024

Memory Problems After Brain Injury Linked to Processing Deficit

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Persons who have suffered a brain injury may find it difficult to recall memories or make new memories. This could possibly be a result of processing deficits as a result of a personal injury. Car accidents, slip and fall accidents and similar traumatic events may result in brain injuries which lead to a processing deficit.

A brain injury can result in a number of cognitive and intellectual impairments. The person may suffer from concentration problems, cognitive deficits and a lowered ability to understand and grasp basic concepts and ideas. One of the more troubling parts of life after a brain injury is limited memory function. The person may struggle to recall events, and even short term memory may be affected. According to new research, a brain injury can result in slowing down of processing times or a processing deficit which can, in turn, lead to memory dysfunction. The findings of the study are important when you consider the fact that as many as 50% of patients who have suffered a brain injury do suffer from some kind of memory dysfunction.

The researchers believe that rehabilitation after a brain injury can help with memory function to some extent. They believe that therapy, especially occupational therapy techniques used during rehabilitation must include techniques to speed up processing speed.

Published on: April 17, 2024

Focus on Preventing Distracted Driving Auto Accidents in April

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

The month of April is designated as Distracted Driving Awareness Month, and national as well as Georgia transportation agencies will pay special attention to raising awareness about the dangers of driving while not focusing on the road, in the weeks ahead. Distracted driving is a significant cause of car accidents, personal injuries and wrongful deaths.

Distractions while driving can include a number of activities that take your attention away from the task of driving. These activities can include commonly known ones involving the use of electronic devices while driving, such as cell phones, tablets and other electronic equipment in your vehicle. The kind of distractions that you experience as you are using your cell phone to make or receive phone calls or text messages while driving can really impact your ability to drive safely and increase your risks of being involved in a car accident.

However, electronic distractions are not the only ones that plague Atlanta motorists. Everyday, thousands of American drivers are distracted because they are applying makeup, snacking, drinking, interacting with passengers in the car, and doing a number of other activities that take their focus and concentration away from the task of driving.

Published on: April 15, 2024

Partial Automated Driving Systems May not help Prevent Distracted Driving Car Accidents

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says that partially automated driving systems in several vehicles are not very effective in helping prevent distracted driving. In fact, automated driving systems are likely to increase distracted driving auto accidents.

Partial automated driving systems are present in several automobiles these days. These are not technically self -driven cars, although manufacturers sometimes do position these as self -driven vehicles. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, its researchers analyzed a number of vehicles manufactured by major automakers, including BMW, and found that many of these systems fail at protecting motorists against distractions or helping them focus on the road.

Many motorists prefer partial autonomous systems because they believe these make driving easier. These systems have a few safety features that are automated, but drivers are responsible for tackling many of the routine tasks involved in driving. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety analyzed vehicles manufactured by BMW, Mercedes Benz, Ford and General Motors, and found specific challenges with the way the partial automated systems in these vehicles failed to address problems involving driver distraction. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety study found that while many of the systems do have some safeguards in place to protect drivers, these safeguards are not robust enough to help prevent car accidents.

Published on: April 12, 2024

Spinal Injury Linked to Greater Risk of Heart Disease

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Persons who have suffered a spinal injury in car accidents or motorcycle accidents are at a much higher risk of suffering heart disease down the line.

That information comes from a study conducted in Korea where researchers analyzed data on more than 5,000 patients who had suffered lumbar, cervical or thoracic spinal injury. They were looking at how many of these spinal injury survivors developed heart conditions including myocardial infarction, heart failure and atrial fibrillation. They found that persons who had suffered lumbar and cervical spinal injury had a greater risk of myocardial infarctions and heart failure. The rates were slightly higher among those persons who had suffered severe disability as a result of their spinal injury.

The researchers believe that one of the reasons for this is the fact that spinal injury survivors have very limited mobility and ability to exercise. This causes the heart muscles to become weak due to the lack of exercise. The researchers also believe that it is important for doctors treating a person with spinal injury to factor in the increased risk of cardiac disease, including myocardial infarction, atrial fibrillation and heart failure. It is important for spinal cord injury survivors and their families and caretakers to understand the higher risk of these specific heart conditions as a result of the injury. More education and awareness is needed, and greater efforts must be put into patient counselling.

Published on: April 9, 2024

Female Car Accident Victims More Likely to Go into Shock After Crash

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

New research provides yet more evidence that the bodies of women and men react differently to car accidents. According to a new study, women who have been involved in a car accident are more likely to suffer from shock after the crash.

Several studies in the past have established the different ways in which male and female bodies respond to the trauma of a car accident. Overall, while men are more likely to be involved in auto accidents, women are much more likely to suffer personal injuries in a car accident, with the rate being approximately 73% higher than for males. They are also much more likely to suffer fatal injuries in an accident. Women are much more likely to suffer certain types of injuries compared to men in auto accidents. For instance, they are much more likely to suffer from lower body injuries or leg injuries compared to men.

A new study finds that women are also much more likely to go into shock after a car accident even when their personal injuries are not as severe compared to men. The study focused on 56,000 victims of car accidents, approximately 50% of whom were women. The researchers found that even when their injuries were less severe or fewer than that of males in an accident, women were more likely to suffer symptoms of shock. While healthy adults have a shock index of between 0.5 and 0.7, the women injured in car accidents in the study displayed a shock index of greater than 1.0. A person with a shock index of 1.0 is at risk of symptoms of hemorrhagic shock including a drastic and rapid fall in blood pressure, body temperature and heartbeat, often resulting in death.