Georgia Injury Law Blog

Published on: October 26, 2010

Why Georgia Needs to Pass a No Texting While Driving Bill

A Lilburn teenager was seriously injured in a single vehicle accident apparently caused because he was text messaging while driving. Nineteen-year-old Soheb Roy was text messaging his friend while driving his car, and crashed the vehicle into a telephone pole. He sustained serious injuries. The impact of the accident was strong enough to break the telephone pole into two. Police are likely to charge Roy with improper use of a cell phone while driving and failure to maintain lanes.

The accident is just one more reason why we need to have a new bill banning text messaging, passed as quickly possible. Last week, state republicans Allen Peake and Amos Amerson introduced bills that will ban text messaging behind the wheel for all motorists. Violations will come with fines and license penalties. The bill proposes fines of $50 and at least two license penalty points for violations.

Last year, one bill that would have banned texting while driving only for teen drivers, failed to pass. Whether this new bill will have better luck, remains to be seen. Georgia has failed to take the kind of serious steps necessary to prevent the 1.4 million crashes every year that are caused by having conversations on cell phones while driving, and 200,000 crashes that occur because of text messaging while driving.

Published on: October 22, 2010

Five Persons Injured in Georgia School Bus Accident

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

In the most recent in a string of serious school bus accidents in Georgia, five people have been injured in an accident involving a stopped school bus in Barrow County. The accident occurred on Wednesday. There were 14 students on the bus when the accident occurred.According to witnesses, the bus had its warning lights activated, and was unloading passengers when it was rear-ended by a Jeep.The driver of the Jeep suffered serious injuries, and was rushed to the hospital.Three students on the bus also suffered injuries, and had to taken to the Barrow Regional Medical Center.The students had been standing up at the time of the accident, waiting for their turn to exit the bus.The children reportedly sustained bumps and bruises.The driver also sustained injuries.

According to news reports, the school bus had had its warning lights activated.Moreover, the accident occurred during daylight.Investigators will likely be looking at the reason why the pickup truck driver was unable to stop before he rear-ended the school bus.

Georgia School Bus Accident Claims

Published on: October 21, 2010

Atlanta Motorist Charged in Fatal Auto Accident

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Police have charged the driver of a vehicle involved in a deadly auto accident in Atlanta over the weekend.According to Atlanta police, 21-year-old Mujahid Saleem was driving a car on Interstate 285 when the accident occurred.At some point, the car went through a grassy median, and crashed through a guardrail.It then flipped flip over, and landed on its roof.There were four passengers in the car.Two of them were killed instantly, while another passenger has sustained serious back injuries.

Saleem now faces two counts of second-degree vehicular homicide.Investigations into the accident are going on, but so far, police have no clues about what caused the accident.

Being involved in an auto accident can be one of the most traumatic experiences of a person’s life.Even moderate injuries may require hospitalization, and involve hefty doctor fees, medication costs, costs of diagnostic tests and other medical-related expenses.Once you have received the emergency medical care you need, it is time to begin thinking of meeting the rest of your medical and rehabilitation expenses.You will also need to think about getting back on your feet, and getting back to work.

Published on: October 20, 2010

Georgia Teen Driver Week – Preventing Auto Accidents by Teens

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

The week from October 17-23 is being marked as National Teen Driver Safety Week.For parents in Georgia, Atlanta car accident attorneys, schools and communities, it’s time to renew efforts towards preventing auto accidentsand truck accidents involving teens.

Automobile accidents are the number one cause of death for teenagers aged between 15 and 19 and cause a substantial number of teen injuries.Unfortunately, these facts have not changed in spite of years of efforts to prevent teen accidents.This National Teen Driver Safety Week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is launching a campaign called “Parents Have the Key” aimed at encouraging parental involvement in teen motorist safety. We all have to do more to prevent teen auto accidents, but the best place to start preventing accidents is at home.

There’s a reason why a special week for teen motorist safety is commemorated in the month of October.This is the month that is believed to be the deadliest for teen motorists.Nationally, the highest number of car accident claims involving teen motorists is filed in the month of October.

Published on: October 16, 2010

Parental Influence Critical in Creating Responsible Teen Motorists and Avoiding Auto Accidents

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Last week, a teenager was killed in a deadly Cobb County auto accident that also left two children injured.The auto accident made headlines partly because the injured belonged to the family of a gubernatorial candidate.However, it was the loss of yet another teen life in an auto accident that caught our attention.As car accident attorneys in Atlanta and parents, we have strongly promoted teen motorist safety, especially the role of parents in creating a generation of safe teen drivers.A new study indicates that we are right.

According to this study, many parents are making a mistake by allowing teenagers to get their driver’s license even before they’re ready for it.The result is generally more accidents involving young teens than those who waited. The study involved 50 families in North Carolina, who were monitored over a period of four months after the teenager in the family received his driver’s license.The families were monitored through cameras that were installed in the cars of these families.

Approximately 50% of the parents in the study admitted that there were situations in which they were not comfortable letting their child drive.For instance, these parents were not comfortable allowing their children to drive in bad weather or in heavy traffic.However, even among these parents, one third went ahead and allowed their child to get his driver’s license anyway.

Published on: October 13, 2010

Teen Motorist Killed in Cobb County Accident

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Teen Motorist Killed in Cobb County Accident

A teen motorist, who was severely injured in an accident involving the family of gubernatorial candidate Roy Barnes, has died from his injuries.17-year-old Mario Zuniga Junior was being treated at Atlanta Medical Center, where he succumbed to his injuries.

On Sunday afternoon, Zuniga was driving his Porsche on Old Mountain Road near Marietta, when his car struck a Honda Odyssey being driven by Allison Barnes Salter.Salter is the daughter of gubernatorial candidate Roy Barnes.Her two children were in the car with her.The eldest child, a six-year-old, sustained facial lacerations and a four-year-old girl was seriously injured in the crash.She had to undergo surgery for a broken arm and shoulder.The family had been out running errands at the time of the accident.According to police, the only reason why the children survived the accident was that they were safely restrained in their car.The airbags in the Honda Odyssey also deployed, minimizing the possibility of injuries.

Published on: October 11, 2010

Mandatory Alcohol Testing Could Have Caused Decline in Truck Accident Fatalities

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Mandatory Alcohol Testing Could Have Caused Decline in Truck Accident Fatalities

As Atlanta truck accident lawyers, we keep ourselves informed about the latest developments in trucking safety.A study by scientists at Columbia University seems to suggest that mandatory alcohol testing programs have been responsible for the decline in truck accident fatalities in 2009.Last year, saw a significant drop in these deaths, from 4,245 fatalities in 2008, to 3,380 fatalities in 2009.

The results of the study titled Effectiveness of Mandatory Alcohol Testing Programs on Reducing Alcohol Involvement in Fatal Motor Carrier Crashes show that these alcohol testing programs that were implemented in 1995, have contributed to an approximately 23% reduced risk of alcohol use as a factor in truck accidents.

Published on: October 8, 2010

Georgia Car Accident Linked to Dog Attack

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Georgia Car Accident Linked to Dog Attack

Police in Henry County are looking for the owner of a pit bull linked to a fatal accident that killed a 14-year-old girl in McDonough.The tragedy unfolded when the girl identified as Miracle Parham, was walking to school earlier this week.She came across a pit bull on the road.The animal began to get aggressive with her, and the young girl backed out into the street.Just then, she was struck by a car, and sustained fatal injuries.

Police will not be pursuing charges against the car driver, but they are actively looking for the owner of the pit bull.They have already spoken with neighbors in the area, and it seems that there are at least two persons in the vicinity who own aggressive pit bulls.In fact, these animals have, in the past, managed to claw their way out from under the fence, and run out onto the street where they intimidated passersby and children.Not surprisingly, both the owners now deny that the dog that chased Miracle belonged to them. The investigation is focusing on these dog owners.

Published on: October 7, 2010

Fatal Georgia School Bus Accident Reignites Seatbelt Debate

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Fatal Georgia School Bus Accident Reignites Seatbelt Debate

The death of a 17-year-old student in a school bus accident in southern Georgia this week has again raised questions about whether the state needs to make it mandatory for all school buses to come with seatbelts.

The accident which occurred on Monday afternoon, involved a school bus that overturned on Highway 113.The victim, a 17-year-old boy was ejected from the bus.As the bus rolled over, he came under the bus, and was crushed to death.At least 10 other students on the bus suffered injuries.

Published on: October 6, 2010

Four People Killed in Georgia 15-Passenger Van Accident

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Four People Killed in Georgia 15-Passenger Van Accident

Four people were killed in an accident caused when a15-passenger van overturned in South Georgia.The accident, which also injured more than 15 other people in the van, occurred on US Highway 27 in southwest Georgia.The occupants were members of a church group on their way to an event in Florida.

According to the Georgia State Patrol, the van’s rear right tire blew out, causing the driver to lose control of the van.The van flipped over several times, ejecting all of the passengers.The pastor of the church, the Tabernacle of Prayer and Deliverance in Columbus, and three other occupants of the van, were killed in the crash.Injured persons were airlifted to nearby hospitals.In all, there were 19 people on board ranging in age from 11 months to adults in their 40s.