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The NHTSA has said that it will begin examining documents to see when the Toyota first found about the safety problem that has seriously eroded its credibility, damaged its reputation and has had product liability lawyers in Atlanta and around the country, criticizing the manner in which the automaker has handled the issue.If the new NHTSA probe does indeed reveal that Toyota was aware of auto defects contributing to unintended acceleration in its vehicles much before it announced a recall, then the company will be in more trouble than previously thought.

The agency will also look at how quickly Toyota acted to begin a recall after it found out about the problem.If the NHTSA finds that the company delayed informing federal regulators or failed to initiate an immediate recall, it could be fined penalties of up to $16.4 million. The NHTSA requires that any automaker that finds defects in its vehicles reports these to federal regulators within 5 days of finding a defect. The company must also act quickly to initiate a recall.

Toyota already had its credibility tarnished last year when one of its former lawyers alleged that the company concealed important documents during several of its product liability lawsuit proceedings.While those revelations had shocked Atlanta car accident lawyers then, they have taken on a new meaning in the light of the new unintended acceleration episodes that have emerged. If the NHTSA probe shows that the company delayed a recall, it will boost the credibility of the lawsuits that are beginning to stack up. It will also stress what trial lawyers in Atlanta have maintained all long – that in the face of the failure of the NHTSA, it falls on us to hold Toyota responsible for its failings.

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Police Believe Drunk Driving Was Cause of DeKalb County Accident

Police believe drunk driving was a possible factor in a serious multiple vehicle accident on I-85 over the weekend. The accident, which injured 9 people, involved a wrong way driver.

According to police, a Chevy Blazer was traveling southbound in the northbound HOV lane. At about 3 am, the Blazer crashed into a Ford Explorer and a Buick. Four cars were involved in the accident, and 9 people were injured, including the driver who was driving the wrong way. He continues to remain in the hospital, along with three of the injured victims.

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Killer Roads Report: Georgia Highways More Dangerous Because of Negligent Motorists

A report based on auto accident statistics by the Department of Transportation between 1994 and 2008 lists the most dangerous roads in the country by the number of fatalities that have occurred here. The top 20 is made up in a large part by cities in heavily populated states, like Texas and California.

According to the data, 23,640 people died on Georgia highways in auto accidents between 1994 and 2008.

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Two persons have been confirmed dead in a fire at a nursing home in DeKalb County. An arrest has already been made in the incident, and Atlanta nursing home abuse lawyers have also learned that the facility owner had likely been operating the home without a license.

The house in Stone Mountain had about 7 or 8 residents living at the facility.

One person died of injuries at the scene, while the other one was taken to hospital and died later from severe burn injuries. At least 4 other people suffered injuries, including mild burns and smoke inhalation. At least one resident has confirmed that he escaped burn injuries by jumping out of his first storey window.

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Commercial truck thefts have spiked across the country, including Georgia, and the implications for safety are enormous.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Georgia along with Texas, California, New Jersey, Illinois and Florida continues to be at a high risk for such heists. The number of such thefts increased dramatically during the same period from 2007 to 2008. For instance, when you consider the value of goods, 2009 saw truckloads worth $487 million stolen, as compared to the $290 million worth stolen in 2008.

The biggest possible explanation for this increase in heists seems to be the weak economy that’s pushing amateurs into crime. This is also corroborated by the fact that most cargo heists seem to involve loads of consumer goods, electronics, clothing and food.

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Atlanta’s pedestrians, who have only recently managed to avoid accidents walking on slippery ice and trudging through heavy rains, are likely to face more dangers even as the weather clears. The Atlanta Journal Constitution is reporting on a sudden outbreak of thefts in the Atlanta metro area. The thieves seem to be targeting grates and manhole covers across the city.

According to the Georgia Department of Transportation, as many as 645 grates and 20 manhole covers have been stolen around the city. The rash of thefts apparently began last spring. While the GDOT has tried to use its investigators to catch these thieves, it has had limited success because the stolen grates and covers are scattered all around the Metro Atlanta Area. It’s very likely that these people are recycling the steel. Investigators have checked with recycling centers across the city, and have come up with zilch. This means that the covers are being disposed of outside the Metro Atlanta Area.

The DOT is welding down the grates and new manhole covers. Uncovered holes are being marked with cones and yellow tape. These thefts couldn’t be coming at a worse time for the Georgia DOT. The agency is grappling with a tight budget, and it is estimated that replacing these grates and covers may cost more than $500,000.

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Study Shows no Link between Cell Phone Bans and Accidents

The results of a study last week have sent auto safety advocates, personal injury lawyers in Atlanta and elsewhere, and the auto industry into a tizzy. The study released by the Highway Loss Data Institute and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety indicates that there has been no significant drop in accident claims after laws banning hand held cell phone use while driving were enacted.

The study analyzed accident claims in 4 states that have banned handheld cell phone use while driving, and found no significant drop in accident claims after the bans were enacted. The study has, predictably enough, caused great consternation at the US Department of Transportation, where Secretary Ray LaHood has adopted distracted driving as his pet project.Just last week, the Department of Transportation banned text messaging while driving for commercial bus and truck drivers. Six states have bans on handheld cell phones in place, and several other states are considering similar legislation this y ear.

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Investigators looking into a fatal accident on Interstate 20 believe that bad weather could have been a factor in this crash. The victim, the mother of an 11-month-old infant, had been involved in a minor collision with another motorist. Both women were standing outside their cars when they were hit by a tow truck. The victim sustained serious injuries, and died at the scene of the crash. Investigators now believe that rainy weather could have been a factor in the accident.

With all the weather prediction technologies at our disposal and the precision of meteorological updates, it’s appalling that we continue to see weather-related accidents in Atlanta. We enjoy sunny weather for too much of the year, and the climate can be monotonously predictable, perhaps lulling motorists into complacency. The result is that several motorists and truckers continue to drive as they usually do, even during inclement weather.

Lack of experience with certain weather conditions can be no excuse to drive carelessly. As Atlanta auto accident lawyers, we find it frustrating to read about an increase in auto accidents when the weather gets icy, or when there are sudden showers. Part of your duty as a motorist is to drive not just taking into consideration the road and traffic conditions, but also weather conditions. It’s pure common sense that you need to drive more carefully during storms, strong winds, rains and icy weather conditions.

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Thirty five truck drivers from Georgia have been honored by UPS for their impeccable driving. The 35 have been admitted to the company’s “Circle of Honor.” The Georgia drivers are among 928 UPS drivers who have been admitted into the elite group this year.

The honor is given to those drivers who have completed 25 years of driving without accidents. Georgia’s safest UPS driver is Robert Millican Jr. of Flintstone, who has accumulated 40 years of driving without a single accident. Milliken Jr. is placed at 9th position among 102,000 UPS drivers.

The Circle of Honor is a UPS tradition that celebrates drivers who have completed a quarter century or more without accidents on their record. Out of a total of 2,436 UPS drivers in Georgia, there are now 197 drivers who are members of the Circle of Honor. These drivers have among them a total of 5,693 years of driving without an accident.

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Teenager Killed in Stone Mountain Pedestrian Accident

A Stone Mountain teenager was killed last week in an accident involving a teen motorist. Tanesha Williams was walking to her mother’s home after school when she was struck by the car.According to DeKalb County Police, the 17-year-old driver lost control of the vehicle and drove on to the sidewalk. The other two students with Tanesha suffered moderate injuries. Tanesha died later of her injuries. She was all of 14 years old.

Meanwhile, detectives believe that the teen motorist was likely trying to pass a second car at a high rate of speed. This likely caused the driver to lose control of the car, and driving up on the sidewalk and hitting the three pedestrians. Police still don’t know whether the second car was involved in the accident or if the two cars were racing.

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