Georgia Injury Law Blog

Published on: December 30, 2010

DUI Accident Risks Increase by 150% on New Year’s Holiday

One of the most serious and deadliest types of auto accidents is the DUI accident. Unfortunately, holidays result in a significant increase in DUI accidents. If Atlanta auto accident attorneys wanted more proof about the increased drunk driving hazards on New Year’s, the American Automobile Association has more evidence. According to a survey conducted by the AAA, a person’s risk of being involved in a drunk driving accident increases by 150% on New Year’s Day.

It’s never been a secret that drunk driving hazards increase over New Year’s, already believed to be one of the most alcohol-heavy holidays of the year. However, the AAA survey puts those hazards in grim perspective. If you are out driving over New Year’s this weekend, your likelihood of being involved in a fatal accident increases by 150%.

That number is not a joke. It’s very important not only to understand that driving under the influence is foolish behavior for you, but also to watch out for other intoxicated motorists around you. You may not be able to control other people’s driving behavior, but you can increase your own chances of surviving an accident. Wear your seatbelts, switch off your cell phones, and maintain low speeds as you drive over the New Year’s holiday. Avoid busy roads and highways over the holiday.

Published on: December 29, 2010

DOT Proposal to Prevent Distracted Driving Truck Accidents

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

As Atlanta truck accident attorneyswho have been concerned about the lack of serious restrictions on cell phone use by truck drivers, we were happy with a new Department of Transportation proposal banning the use of handheld cell phones by truck and bus drivers. The banning of cell phones by truck drivers and bus drivers will greatly decrease the likelihood of truck accidents and bus accidents. Personal injury attorneys and lawyers for the trucking and busing companies will closely monitor the new proposal. Simply put, the ban would prevent a significant number of personal injuries and deaths each year.

This week, the DOT made a formal announcement, proposing the ban. The ban would include not just talking on a cell phone, but also holding and dialing a cell phone while driving.The announcement comes just months after a ban on text messaging while driving for both commercial truck and bus drivers earlier this year.

According to the DOT, inattention was a factor in 9% of all commercial truck accidents in 2009. Meanwhile last year, between 6% and 13% of all bus accidents were linked to distracted driving. Obviously, there is a need for a law that would completely ban the use of handheld cell phones and text messaging devices for all commercial truck and bus drivers.

Published on: December 28, 2010

FMCSA Proposes New Truck Driver HOS Rules to Prevent Truck Accidents

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, which is responsible for issuing regulations to decrease truck accidents, this week proposed a series of changes in the current Hours of Service rules for truck drivers. According to the agency, the new rules will give the drivers more rest in a workday, allowing them to work fewer hours, and reducing the possibility of truck accidents. Of course, truck accidents pose one of the greatest risks of serious personal injury and death to drivers of cars. Lawyers for trucking companies and injury attorneys will be monitoring these changes very carefully.

Overall, the changes have been encouraging to Atlanta truck accident lawyers. The FMCSA is proposing the following changes:

· The possibility of restricted driving time from 11 hrs daily to 10 hours

Published on: December 22, 2010

Icy Weather Blamed for More Than 600 Auto Accidents in Gwinnett County, Georgia

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Close to 600 auto accidents in Gwinnett County, Georgia, last week were blamed on hazardous road conditions caused by icy roads. These accidents included a 15-car pileup on Peachtree Industrial Boulevard. Fortunately, none of these auto accidents ended in fatalities.

However, according to police, at least nine accidents resulted in occupants becoming trapped in their vehicles. They were 27 hit-and-run accidents reported. There was also at least one pedestrian accident that ended with injuries. In Cherokee County alone, police handled more than 300 accident cases. Meanwhile, in the metro Atlanta area, roadways were shut down, and schools were closed as a precautionary measure.

The hazardous road conditions were created after a mass of Arctic air collided with the moist air, creating a thin coating of ice on the roadways. Emergency rescue departments in Gwinnett County found themselves overwhelmed with thousands of calls for rescue, not just from accident victims, but also calls related to structure and wood fires.

Published on: December 21, 2010

Two Gwinnett County Accidents Linked to Drunk Driving

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

More than a week to go for Christmas, and already Atlanta car accident lawyers have noticed a rise in the number of car accidents linked to intoxicated driving. Two people have been killed in two separate suspected drunk driving accidents in Gwinnett County this week. Auto accidents involving drunk drivers are some of the most serious accidents which occur.

The first accident occurred on Monday morning on northbound Interstate 85 in Norcross. A Cadillac DeVille that had stopped after an earlier auto accident, was struck by a Mitsubishi Montero. A passenger in the Cadillac sustained fatal injuries.

A few minutes later, a second accident involving three separate vehicles in Duluth, left one person dead. This was a head-on accident that also killed a passenger. Besides these two fatalities, both of the accidents resulted in several injuries. Charges are pending in both accidents. Police believe alcohol intoxication was a factor in both of these crashes.

Published on: December 20, 2010

New System Could Prevent Drowsy Driving-Related Auto Accidents

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

There is no doubt that drowsy driving causes a significant number of auto accidents and, therefore, is a serious problem on Atlanta streets. However, it has been ignored as an accident factor not just by legislators, but also by law enforcement officers who investigate auto accidents. According to a recent study by the National Sleep Foundation, as many as one in six serious or fatal car accidents is linked to drowsy driving.

Those statistics released by the National Sleep Foundation earlier this year made everyone sit up and take notice. However, as Atlanta car accident attorneys, we have been awake to the dangers of drowsy driving for years now.That’s why it was encouraging to read about new technology to prevent drowsy driving.

A new device manufactured by a Danish company acts as an automated drowsy driving test system inside your car to let you know when it’s time for you to take a break. The device is called Anti-Sleep Pilot, and it’s manufactured by Denmark-based APS Technology. The device develops a profile of the driver based on a number of questions, including whether the driver is on any medications, or whether he’s a shift-based worker. This profile is stored in the system, and when the driver is operating the vehicle, the system analyzes this data along with other information to develop a test.

Published on: December 14, 2010

More Than 10% of Georgia Drivers at Risk of Drunk Driving Accidents in 2009

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

A study just released by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration indicates that the rates of both drunk and drugged driving declined over the past year. While this is a good sign for reducing drunk driving accidents, in 2009, there were approximately 30 million drunk drivers in the US, and another 10 million driving in a drugged state. Therefore, there continues to be a significant risk of persons being killed and injured in drunk driving accidents.

The study has been released just in time for the holiday season, when more numbers of intoxicated motorists can be expected on Georgia’s streets. It only proves to Atlanta drunk driving accident lawyers that even though we have made much progress in reducing the numbers of intoxicated motorists on the road, especially hard-core drinkers who are responsible for so many accidents every year, there is much more that needs to be done.

The survey included more than 200,000 people, and found that overall, approximately 3o million Americans aged 16 and above drove drunk over the past year. That is based on an aggregate of the drunk driver rates between 2006 and 2009. That works out to about 13 .2% of the population.

Published on: December 13, 2010

Auto Accident Victims with Spinal Cord Injuries Find hope in Stem Cell Trial

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Spinal cord injuries, which frequently occur during auto accidents, truck accidents and motorcycle accidents, are one of the most life-altering injuries. There is no complete cure for spinal cord injuries, but there have been very encouraging developments in possible therapies for spinal cord injury, all of them involving the use of stem cells. A California-based company has announced that it has received approval to begin nerve stem cell trials into the treatment of spinal cord injury. This study provides a reason for hope for auto accident victims who suffered this injury.

The trials will be conducted in Switzerland. Researchers believe that the country offers greater patient referral networks and a higher expertise of professionals. However, that isn’t only how these stem cell trials will differ from others. These are believed to be the first trials that will focus on treatment of older or chronic spinal cord injuries.

Earlier this year, another company, Geron Corporation announced the world’s first embryonic stem cell clinical trials into the treatment of spinal cord injuries. Those trials are partly being conducted in Atlanta. However, those trials will only focus on new spinal cord injuries. These Swiss trials will focus on injuries that are between three and 12 months older, and if these treatments are successful, it will offer hope to the more than 2 million spinal cord injury patients in the US, who currently live with these injuries. The Swiss trial researchers believe that older spinal cord injuries have been ignored, and too much of the research is focused on fresh injuries.

Published on: December 12, 2010

Study Shows Increase in Serious Dog Bite Injuries

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

A new study shows an increase in the numbers of people being hospitalized after suffering a dog bite. Statisticians from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality looked at dog bite data between 1993 and 2008. They found that the number of people who needed hospitalization after a dog bite actually grew by 86%.

In 1993, 5,100 people had to be rushed to the hospital after a dog bite, and that number ballooned to 9,500 cases in 2008. Every day, an approximate 856 Americans are forced to seek emergency treatment after a dog bite. Of these, an average of 26 are admitted to the hospital for treatment of their injuries.

Other findings from the study:

Published on: December 11, 2010

Feds Propose Back Over Cameras to Prevent Pedestrian Accidents

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Every year, approximately 228 people are killed in back over pedestrian accidents that are caused when drivers are backing out their cars, and fail to notice pedestrians behind. Approximately 100 of those wrongful deaths every year include little children, who are tragically killed when their parents are backing out of the garage and run over them. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has now proposed backup camera systems that would prevent such accidents.

According to the NHTSA, more than 70,000 injuries occur in back over pedestrian accidents every year. Of these, more than 2,000 injuries involve little children. According to the federal agency, every year, between 95 and 112 lives could be saved in back over pedestrian accidents if such cameras are mandated in all vehicles. Besides, installation of these cameras could prevent up to 8,300 injuries. The NHTSA plans to require automakers to have these backup camera systems installed in 10% of their vehicles by September 2012, 40% of their vehicles by September 2013, and in all their vehicles by September 2014.

The biggest tragedy in most back over accidents involving children, is that the person driving the car is usually a parent, grandparent or a close relative. These pedestrian accidents often involve bigger vehicles, like sports utility vehicles and minivans. These vehicles are also heavily popular with families. Blind spots in a motorist’s rear vision may block a little child who is playing, walking or standing behind a car, with terrible consequences.