According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Georgia Department of Transportation, a total of 1,244 people died in car accidents in Georgia last year. That was a drop of 3.7% from the previous year, or 48 fewer fatalities. In 2009, the number of people killed in auto accidents was 1,292. The number has been dropping steadily since 2006.

To understand the kind of progress that has been made in keeping motorists safe on Georgia roads, consider this - in 2005, there were 1,744 deaths in traffic accidents in Georgia, compared to 1,244 in 2010. In just 5 years, transportation safety agencies and law enforcement in Georgia have been able to reduce the number of people being killed in preventable traffic accidents.

What's more, there may be more good news as 2011 winds up. According to Georgia transportation safety officials, the number of people killed in traffic accidents in 2011 is likely to be lower than the number last year.

Georgia's laws against texting while driving are fairly new, but are also being enforced. It's still too early to tell how many of those 1,244 fatalities that occurred in Georgia last year were the result of distracted driving. However, last year, a total of 3,092 fatalities nationwide were linked to distractions at the wheel. 

Atlanta car accident lawyers believe that for more progress to be made in keeping motorists and passengers safer, and reducing traffic accident numbers further, authorities in Georgia need to be cracking down harder on cell phone use while driving. Georgia's texting while driving laws are still fairly new, and we still see far too many people texting while driving. In fact according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the use of handheld devices while driving is on the rise around the country. There's no reason to believe the situation is very different in Georgia.

The Atlanta car accident lawyers at the Katz Law Firm represent persons injured in car accidents in the metro Atlanta region and across Georgia.

Last year, 32,885 people died in auto accidents across the United States. That was a drop of 2.9% from 2009. These were the lowest traffic accident death numbers on record since 1949. These accident fatality numbers have declined even as the number of miles being driven by American motorists increased in 2010. In fact, there was a drop in almost all categories of car accident deaths last year, including drunk driving accidents. 

However, pedestrians were not safer in 2010. Pedestrian accident deaths actually increased last year by about 4.2% from 2009. Further, the number of persons who suffered a personal injury in pedestrian accidents in the United States increased by a staggering 19 %. Overall, more than 70,000 pedestrians were injured in accidents last year. That increase is puzzling considering that it comes after 4 straight years of declining pedestrian accident death numbers in the US. 

Federal transportation officials do not have any explanation for this increase in pedestrian accident fatality numbers. However, the data is still new, and we may have more answers in the months ahead.   There are some theories about the reasons for this increase. According to Transportation for America, a pedestrian advocacy organization, there has been an increase in the number of people walking and biking to work in recent months. However, even though there has been an increase in the number of pedestrians, safety conditions have not really improved. 

There's also some speculation that an increase in pedestrian distractions is also contributing to increasing accident numbers. However, Atlanta pedestrian accident lawyers find that hard to believe. There seems to be little evidence to indicate that there has been any increase in pedestrian distractions, like cell phone use while walking.

Unfortunately, this particular area of traffic safety seems to suffer from a lack of research. There is very little solid data available about pedestrian and motorist behaviors as far as pedestrian safety is concerned. However, there are some details that are accepted as fact. For instance, drunk driving seems to be a major factor in pedestrian accidents. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2009, approximately 40% of all pedestrian accident deaths in the country were caused by drunk drivers. Atlanta pedestrian accident attorneys expect safety initiatives in the months ahead to focus on both distracted driving and drunk driving involving both pedestrian and motorists.

The Atlanta pedestrian accident lawyers at the Katz Law Firm represent pedestrians who have been injured in accidents in the Atlanta region and across Georgia.

The study finds that men over the age of 45 are much more likely to be involved in an accident when the road is covered with ice or snow. Further, those accident risks involving men seem to increase when the men are older and are driving pickup trucks. According to the researchers, this could be due to a false sense of security that pickup trucks provide. People driving pickup trucks, sport utility vehicles or other larger vehicles are likely to feel safer and protected, and therefore, may be more likely to drive aggressively on snowy roads. They may not realize that a larger size vehicle does not necessary protect you more on icy roads when a vehicle is at a high risk of a rollover.

The study also finds that men below the age of 45 are more likely to be involved in serious accidents on dry roads. That would again be an indicator of overconfidence in young men. Female drivers were found to be much more likely to be involved in accidents on rain-covered roads. This susceptibility to accidents on roads made wet by rain affected female motorists of all age groups. According to the researchers, this could be because female drivers fail to sense lower friction on a wet road. Younger men had a 21% higher risk of being involved in a serious accident on a dry road than on a wet road. These men were 72% more likely to be involved in an accident on dry roads than on snowy roads.

The researchers are recommending a public service announcement campaign that would alert motorists to the dangers of driving on snowy or icy roads in the weeks ahead. Many motorists suffer from a false sense of security because of the electronic stability control systems in their automobiles. More vehicles now come with these safety systems. Automakers have done a great job of promoting the electronic stability control systems, a fact that Atlanta car accident lawyers have approved. After all, electronic stability control systems have contributed to a reduced risk of rollover accidents involving sports utility vehicles, pickup trucks and minivans. However, electronic stability control systems are not foolproof. They do have limited efficacy, especially when a vehicle is traveling on a road that has been made wet by rain, snow or ice. A person whose car comes with electronic stability control may feel safe, and may drive at high speeds causing an accident. 

The Atlanta car accident lawyers at the Katz Law Firm represent persons who have been injured in car accidents in the metro Atlanta region and across Georgia.

One of the most frequent questions asked of personal injury lawyers is whether there is an increase in car accidents at any particular time of year. Well, the calls for help to attorneys certainly increase at holiday time. Over the holidays, more Americans travel than at any other time of the year. Largenumbers of motorists drove across Georgia to spend Thanksgiving with their families. Over the following few weeks, holiday traffic increased as people rush to stores to buy gifts, leading to a culmination of holiday travel plans between Christmas and New Years’. 

Not only were there more motorists on the roads over the holiday season than during any other time, but many of them were in less than perfect condition for driving. The numbers of intoxicated motorists spikes around Christmas, reaching a peak during New Year's. Additionally, most holiday drivers are less patient, and in a hurry. Besides, holiday shoppers are less focused on safety, and more focused on finding a parking spot. All of these factors severely increase the risk of car accidents.

Wearing a seat belt is one of the most basic steps that motorists can take to keep themselves safe in an accident. It's not just front passengers and motorists who need to be safely restrained in seat belts, but also back seat passengers and all children in the car. Atlanta car accident attorneys often note that backseat passengers tend to skip wearing seat belts altogether because of a false sense of security. 

The Click It or Ticket campaign has been hugely successful nationwide in increasing seat belt usage rates. In Georgia, the campaign went through November 27. The campaign coincided with similar campaigns around the country.

Another advantage of the Click It or Ticket campaign is that during law enforcement activities, officers very often come across intoxicated or otherwise impaired drivers. Frequently, motorists who are pulled over by police officers are found to be driving with a suspended license, expired vehicle registrations or driving at high speeds. Therefore, the campaign helps crack down on other forms of undesirable behavior that increase the risks of an auto accident.

The Atlanta car accident lawyers at the Katz Law Firm represent persons injured in automobile and car accidents in the metro Atlanta region and across Georgia.

According to police, the head-on car accident occurred on Wednesday afternoon when a Chevrolet Malibu crashed into a Ford Focus. Police say that the Malibu suddenly crossed the centerline, sideswiped a pickup truck and then crashed into the Focus. The driver of the Ford Focus was killed in the accident. The driver of the Malibu sustained personal injuries, and was taken to the hospital. There were two adults and a toddler in the Focus, and they were injured too. 

Often, when a car veers across the centerline, or off the lane, it's usually the result of distracted driving or inattention behind the wheel. Atlanta car accident lawyers expect to see more such accidents caused by inattention as students get back to school and their parents are trying to manage their ever busier lives.

Atlanta's motorists are likely to have more than safety on their minds.   These are some of the busiest days for motorists, and drivers will find more than the usual quota of speeding and reckless drivers. With the added stress of kids and work, the number of DUI motorists in the evenings are likely to increase.

As Georgia wrongful death attorneys, we often find that survivors of car accident victims may be a little reluctant to file a claim for damages. It's important to make it very clear right at the very outset that no amount of compensation in the world could ever make up for the loss of a loved one. However, financial expenses could place an additional strain on survivors after the death of a loved one. Survivors find it overwhelming to deal with their emotional trauma, and financial stresses only make it worse.

Moreover, when the deceased is the primary breadwinner of the family, the survivors may be faced with immediate expenses related to the day-to-day running of the household after the death. There may also be long term expenses. For instance, if the deceased has left behind children, there are college and education expenses to consider. A wrongful death lawsuit can help you recover compensation for all damages, and while the compensation cannot make up for the death of a loved one, it will ensure that survivors have few financial concerns to worry about.

The Atlanta wrongful death lawyers at the Katz Law Firm represent persons who have lost loved ones due to the negligence of others across the metro Atlanta region and across Georgia.

According to DeKalb police, the driver of a westbound vehicle crashed into a sports utility vehicle that was traveling eastbound in the westbound lanes. The driver of the westbound car sustained fatal injuries in the crash. The wrong way driver also suffered injuries in the auto accident.

Investigations into the car accident have begun, and investigators now believe that the driver of the sport-utility vehicle was traveling in the wrong direction. These investigations are likely to also include blood-alcohol tests to determine if the driver was driving under the influence of alcohol. 

Many wrong-way driving accidents that Atlanta car accident attorneys come across involve people who have been driving under the influence of alcohol, and make a wrong turn. In fact, according to some estimates, alcohol use is a factor in between 50% and 70% of all wrong way driving accidents.

Some of the most frequent wrong way driving scenarios involve a motorist turning onto a one-way street in the opposite direction, or driving on the wrong freeway entrance ramp. A wrong way driver may also drive on the wrong side of the road or highway with terrible consequences. Wrong way driving is strongly linked to intoxicated driving. That is the reason why so many of these accidents occur at night, because most drunk driving also takes place at night. Such car accidents can also be blamed on failure to notice highway signs and signals. Visibility is poor during the night time, and moreover, an intoxicated motorist may not be able to see signs that say “Wrong Way” or “Do Not Enter.”

Unfortunately, in many these situations, there is little that other motorists can do to avoid an accident. At freeway speeds, a vehicle going the wrong way may collide with your vehicle before you even have time to react. This is especially so because many wrong way driving accidents occur at night. Moreover, other motorists are not prepared for the sight of a vehicle barreling down towards them, and may be unable to react in time.

The Atlanta car accident lawyers at the Katz Law Firm represent persons injured in car accidents in the metro Atlanta region and across Georgia. If you have been injured in a car accident in Atlanta, speak with a car accident attorney at our firm.

The data which comes from the American Auto Association has no surprises for Atlanta car accident lawyers who are familiar with the auto safety culture in the city. In 2009, 498 people died in accidents in Atlanta. More than 62,000 people suffered a personal injury in car accidents in the city.

These accidents took not only a devastating personal toll, but also wreaked substantial economic damage. The metro Atlanta region suffered losses to the tune of more than $11 million in 2009 because of auto accident-related costs. Only Miami, Chicago, Los Angeles and New York fared worse than Atlanta. The overall accident-related costs in the US totaled $299.5 billion. That's more than three times the $97.7 billion cost of congestion. 

It's no secret that Atlanta's notoriously congested traffic has a lot to do with high accident rates in the region. Congested traffic leads to bad driver moods, tailgating and other undesirable behaviors that increase the risk of accidents. Congested traffic is also a major source of road rage, which also leads to accidents and injuries. Additionally, auto accidents are more likely to occur when there are more cars competing for space on the roadways. Atlanta's traffic safety problems could be reduced by tackling the source of traffic congestion, the lack of a truly extensive mass transit system.

Atlanta drunk driving accident lawyers also come across far too many alcohol-related car crashes in the metro Atlanta region. Although the number of accidents caused by alcohol use has declined over the past few years, hundreds of lives are lost to intoxicated driving every year. Speeding is another major killer in Atlanta, and contributes to the highest number of fatalities every. Nationally, speeding is the number one factor in car accidents followed by intoxicated driving.

Although Atlanta faces numerous challenges like traffic congestion that increase motorists’ risk of accidents, none of these challenges are insurmountable. What is required is the will and dedication on the part of state and local transportation safety agencies.

The Atlanta car accident lawyers at the Katz Law Firm represent persons injured in automobile accidents in the metro Atlanta region and across Georgia. 

Fortunately, the car accident did not result in life-threatening injuries for other drivers involved. The motorist has been charged with hit-and-run, driving too fast for conditions, failure to maintain lane and driving under a suspended license. Car accident attorneys regularly see cases in which a defendant driver claims a medical condition caused the accident. In order for this defense to be successful in a civil case, they must establish not only that the medical condition caused the accident, but that the medical condition was not known or it was not known that the medical condition would result in the issue which occurred.

Police say that he was fleeing the accident scene when he crashed, but the motorist claims that he has a history of epilepsy. According to him, he suffered a seizure at the time of the accident. The motorist says that he suffered petit mal seizures in his childhood, and was placed on medication. However, he stopped taking the medications after the seizures ended. The last time he had a grand mal seizure was three years ago. He does not know what caused this latest seizure that he suffered during the accident. According to him, he has no recollection of any of the events leading up to the accident.

Police records show that he has had a number of other charges filed against him in the past. For instance, he was once charged with driving under a suspended license, and driving with expired tags. In one instance, he was jailed for failing to appear in court.

Unfortunately, Atlanta car accident attorneys see that accidents do occur because of medical conditions. An individual may suffer a stroke or even a heart attack at the wheel. A person may suffer seizures or blackouts, or slip into a diabetic coma, while driving, many times with horrific consequences. This is one of the reasons why drivers must take complete responsibility for their own medical condition, and monitor their ability to drive safely. 

Some categories of drivers may be at a much higher risk of medically impaired driving than others. For instance, senior drivers may be at a much higher risk of suffering illnesses that affect their ability to drive safely. These drivers may suffer from more than one medical condition. They may be under a combination of medications for several illnesses, and the side effects and complications that result from drug interactions can increase the risk of impaired driving.

The Atlanta car accident lawyers at the Katz Law Firm represent persons injured in car accidents in the metro Atlanta region and across Georgia.

One of the first people that you will meet after an auto accident is the claims adjuster from the other driver’s insurance company or from your insurer. A claims adjuster's job is to identify fraud in an auto accident claim. As Atlanta car accident lawyers, we often find claims adjusters trying to confuse an accident victim, by trying to get accident victims to settle as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, when a driver says or does the wrong thing after an accident, it can negatively impact the claim.   In one recent case, an insurance adjuster was able to get a person with a serious spine injury to settle for an extremely small amount of money thereby eliminating his claim for future damages.

A claims adjuster may also try to fool you into comprising your claim by encouraging you to visit a “preferred repair shop. “ Often, these repair shops will underestimate the damage to your car or fail to have the vehicle properly repaired because they are endeavoring to lower the cost to the insurer. Each person who has been in an accident has a right to go to the repair shop of his or her choice.   

It's important for accident victims in Georgia to remember that a claims adjuster works for an insurance company, and has the insurer’s, and not their best interests, at heart. Unfortunately, many drivers simply lose sight of this very simple fact, and put their faith in claims adjusters, when it may not be in their best interest to do so. 

Another thing that Atlanta car accident lawyers often see is motorists talking too much after an accident. There is no need to give everybody at the scene, including witnesses and bystanders, a complete account of what exactly you think went wrong, and who you think was to blame for the accident. It is not the time or place to give your opinion of what caused the accident. It's natural to be anxious after an accident and make nervous jokes. However, making fun of your “old wreck of a car,” which may have seemed perfectly harmless after an accident, could actually be used against you.

In fact, Atlanta car accident lawyers would recommend that you speak to as few people as possible after the accident. Make a report to the police, but stick to the bare facts. Avoid speaking to the other driver’s insurance company's claim adjusters until you speak to an Atlantic car accident attorney.

The Atlanta auto accident attorneys at the Katz Law Firm represent persons injured in car accidents across the metro Atlanta region and Georgia.

This prosthetic device boasts of an advanced design that uses robotics to imitate the muscles and tendons of the human foot, including the Achilles’ tendon and heel. Veterans of the US military, who have been injured during combat in Iraq and Afghanistan, have had access to these bionic legs for a while now. The US military has invested in developing more advanced and scientifically-proven prosthetic devices that can mimic the natural movement of the human limb. Amputations of limbs are some of the most frequent injuries among veterans, and in fact, according to recent reports, the number of such amputations involving veterans has actually increased. 

Earlier prosthetic limbs were cumbersome and provided limited mobility. This prosthetic device is advanced enough to allow wearers to climb stairs, and walk up and down slopes with ease. With earlier devices, such movements were not possible. Veterans who have been fitted with this bionic leg have found that it is close to the actual working of the human foot.

More than a dozen prosthetic providers across the country will now offer the device. These include centers in Columbus, Ohio; Orlando, Florida; Nashville, Tennessee; Montgomery, Alabama; Manchester, New Hampshire; Silver Spring, Maryland; Fort Wayne, Indiana; Hicksville, New York; Marlton New Jersey; Jackson, Mississippi and Eddystone, Pennsylvania. For thousands of persons who experience amputations every year, these bionic limbs offer a much more enhanced quality of life than the prosthetic devices of the past.

In other cases, amputations may be surgically necessary in order to save the life of the patient. For instance, an amputation may be necessary in the case of a bone infection.   Sometimes, auto accidents or workplace accidents can result in crushing injuries to the limb. Such injuries may not only be untreatable, but may also pose a risk to the person’s health.  In such cases, amputations are unavoidable, because of the risk of infection and other complications.

The Atlanta car accident lawyers at the Katz Law Firm represent persons injured in car accidents across the metro Atlanta region.

A case in point is Ford Motor Company. The company has been conducting a lot of anti-distracted driving workshops at high schools across the country, including in Georgia. Ford has been sponsoring clinics at several high schools urging students to switch off cell phones and texting devices while driving, and focus on the road. These efforts come as part of the Driving Skills for Life Program which the company promotes. 

All these are wonderful initiatives, but it would help if Ford Motor Company actually walked the walk by removing such distractions from its automobiles. Just one look at Ford's Sync voice-activated system on several of the company's automobiles should make it clear that the automaker doesn’t necessarily have its money where its mouth is. 

In fact, Ford Motor Company admits that there is an increasing demand for gadgetry in modern cars. The average American driver, the company believes, does not want to spend twenty minutes in his vehicle on his way home or to the office, without reading his e-mails and messages, checking out what's happening in his Facebook friend circle, and engaging in a myriad other activities. That's the reason why voice-activated systems that allow users to make phone calls and read text messages without taking their hands off the steering wheel, have become so popular.

Atlanta car accident lawyers know that that is nonsense. The distractions from talking on a cell phone while driving come not from the act of holding the cell phone in your hand, but the actual conversation that you have. There are enough studies to indicate that hands-free sets do not reduce distractions compared to handheld cell phones. In short, voice-activated systems can be just as distracting to motorists as using a hand-held cell phone. 

Competition amongst automakers has led to companies investing in technology designed to encourage motorists to keep in touch and work, even while they're driving. Automakers need to step back and reassess their objectives, and the fact that they are actually increasing the risk of accidents by making such technology available.

The Atlanta car accident lawyers at the Katz Law Firm represent victims injured in auto accidents in the metro Atlanta region and across Georgia. If you have been injured in a car accident in Atlanta, consult a skilled Atlanta accident attorney at our firm to learn your legal rights. All initial consultations are free.

The teen driver was 17 years old at the time of the accident. He was driving with two teenagers in his car, when his car flipped over. A sixteen-year-old teenage passenger was killed in the accident and another teenager was seriously injured. Last week, the driver pleaded guilty to charges of drunk driving and vehicle manslaughter, and was sentenced to 15 years in prison. 

The three teenagers had been at a party in Douglasville, where a lot of teenagers were drinking alcohol. Several people have already been charged with supplying alcohol to minors in this case. According to authorities, many of these people supplied alcohol to teenagers at two different parties that the victim attended on the night of the accident. 

Motor vehicle accidents are the number one cause of death for teenagers between the ages of 15 and 19 in the United States. The number of teenagers dying in accidents has remained more or less consistent, even as the overall number of people dying in traffic accidents has dropped.

Additionally, teen drivers may be more susceptible to drunk driving, because of a lack of appreciation for the risks of DUI. Underage drinking is a serious problem in Georgia, and when you combine alcohol use with a teen driver’s limited driving experiences, the consequences can be deadly.

There are other reasons why these motorists are such a high-risk category of drivers. They may be more prone to recklessness, especially when they're driving with friends. Teenagers are at a high risk of accidents when they are traveling with teenage passengers. This is not just because of peer pressure that encourages dangerous driving practices like recklessness or drunk riving, but also the distracting effect of having passengers in the car. Distracted driving among teen motorists involves not just the use of cell phones and texting devices, but also distractions from friends in the car. This is why a teenager’s risk of an accident increases with the number of teen passengers in the car. It is also the reason why many graduated driver’s licensing programs place restrictions on the number of teenagers that a teen driver can have in his car while driving.

The accident occurred on October 1, 2006 when the man ran a red light and crashed into a taxicab.   The crash killed a thirty-one-year-old woman and left two men severely injured. The victim left behind a three-year-old daughter and a seven-year-old son.

The lawyer pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide and serious injury by vehicle while driving under the influence. It later emerged that he had four prior DUI offenses on his record. In fact, on the day of the accident, he was on probation from a previous DUI, and had been ordered not to drive.

In the year 2009, there were 1,284 traffic accident fatalities in the state of Georgia. Out of these, 394 deaths occurred in drunk driving accidents. That is approximately 31% of traffic accident fatalities traced to drivers under the influence of alcohol. Out of these, 331 deaths involved accidents in which the driver was driving with an alcohol level of or greater than .08%, which is the legal limit for alcohol intoxication. 

It's no secret that drunk driving accident deaths have been down over the past decade. We have law enforcement to thank for that. Increased enforcement, more effective use of sobriety checkpoints and initiatives by local and state agencies supported by the federal administration, have meant a decline in wrongful deaths occurring from intoxicated driving. Additionally, there has been an attitude change as far as drunk driving is concerned. There is now lowered acceptance of driving under the influence of alcohol. 

However, every year, far too many people die in accidents that are caused because motorists could not resist driving after a few drinks. Driving in an intoxicated state can leave a person with severely inhibited response times. A person driving under the influence of alcohol is less likely to be able to respond quickly to important visual cues, like a pedestrian appearing in a crosswalk in front. 

Additionally, alcohol clouds a person's judgment, and leaves an individual incapable of judging important accident risks, like the speed and behavior of other motorists. Alcohol has another even more deadly impact on a person’s driving skills. It can increase a person's feelings of recklessness, and lowered inhibitions. A person may be more likely to engage in reckless driving practices like speeding, tailgating and may be more susceptible to road rage.

The Atlanta car accident lawyers are at the Katz Kaw Firm represent persons injured in automobile and car accidents in the metro Atlanta region and across Georgia.

The recall involves certain Pilot SUVs from model years 2009 to 2011. According to Honda, these vehicles may have a problem in the way that their seat belts have been sewn together. The stitching at the end of the lap belt on both the driver and front seat passenger seatbelt may not be complete, and the seatbelt may be at risk of coming loose from the anchor webbing during an accident. A person who is poorly restrained in a defective seatbelt like this is at a serious risk of traumatic injuries in an auto accident.

Honda has informed the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that it has received two complaints about the defective seatbelts. One of these incidents involving a defective seatbelt occurred in 2010, while the other occurred this year. Honda owners whose vehicles are included in the recall are required to visit their dealers as quickly as possible, for an inspection. If necessary, the seatbelt will be replaced free of charge. Approximately 310,773 vehicles are included in the recall. 

According to Honda, it is not aware of any injuries as a result of these defective seatbelts.   Honda has investigated these incidents, and has attributed the problem to an inexperienced sewing machine operator at one of its suppliers.

Seatbelt use is widely believed to be one of the factors responsible for the decline in traffic accident deaths across the country. More Americans buckle up than ever before. Around the country, including in Georgia, seat belt usage is at record highs. 

Atlanta car accident lawyers have law enforcement agencies to thank for this increased use of seat belts on Georgia. The Click It or Ticket program in Georgia kicks off every year with increased law enforcement activities to make sure that motorists are securely buckled in while driving. The program has been exceedingly successful in raising seat belt usage rates, and is believed to be one of the most successful programs encouraging seatbelt use while driving. The program includes law-enforcement as well as publicity campaigns.

However, when a person is unsafely restrained in a detective seatbelt, he may not even know that he has a high risk of being injured in an accident.   A seatbelt may be unsafe when it is improperly latched, when it has fragile or torn webbing, or when there is retractor failure that results in slack.

Most personal injury attorneys know that sometimes, an accident is all about a chain of events. That’s exactly what a jury found this year when they determined that the father of a 12-year-old driver who died as the result of a car accident he caused was negligent in teaching his son to drive illegally on public roads. The Daily News reports it appeared to be a case of oversimplified causation. In other words, but for Loren Fry teaching Jake Fry to drive illegally, the circumstances that led up to his wrongful death might not have occurred. The situation itself, however, is a slightly more complicated one.

Jake Fry died on February 27, 2007, and his father was actually nowhere near the car when the accident occurred. In fact, his son was driving a 1993 Ford Taurus belonging to his father's girlfriend, Kelley Hill. She was in the passenger seat at the time of the crash, and her 12-year-old daughter was also along for the ride.

No one, except for those in the car at the time, knows exactly what happened. But this jury didn’t think it mattered, since they concluded Loren Fry was actually more at fault than Hill. More than likely, the jury rationalized that by teaching his son to drive illegally, Loren Fry created a foreseeable risk that his girlfriend might do the same. Perhaps she had been in the car during one of their driving lessons. Maybe allowing Jake to drive without his father in the car was something she had done before.  It’s even possible that Loren Fry had given her permission to do so.

Hill pled guilty to second-degree manslaughter and third-degree assault in 2008. She was sentenced to five years, but was released this June after serving jail time. You may be wondering how it is that the jury found Loren Fry to be more at fault, yet Hill was the one who served time in prison. The answer is a simple one: Loren Fry’s trial was not a criminal one. This most recent trial was a civil trial in which Fry sought to have the insurance settlement from his son’s death evenly distributed between himself and his ex-wife. The jury’s verdict ensured that 94 percent of the original $125,000 settlement went to Kathy Fry while Loren Fry will receive six percent (an estimated $6700, according to The Daily News). At this point it’s almost certain that after legal fees, almost no monies will remain from that award of $6700. Some might say that’s a good thing, and well-deserved.  

The circumstances surrounding the incident further explain why the law has been hailed as a breakthrough regulation by many personal injury attorneys, who hope to see the law being picked up by other states and foresee its enforcement successfully increasing the safety of the state’s public highways.

The law is named for Hailey French, a woman who was severely injured in a head-on collision. The driver responsible had been arrested for DUI and released by law enforcement officers less than two hours earlier. The lawsuit brought against the driver and Washington officials alleged that officers failed to install a court-ordered alcohol ignition interlock device in the driver’s car after her previous DUI arrest.  Instead, the arresting officer drove her home, and handed her the car keys with a warning to sober up. After he left, the drunk driver took a taxi back to her car, got back on the road, and crossed the center line before hitting Hailey French. 

 “We all know to take away the keys of a person who is drunk. This law, finally, does that,” said French’s attorney, Dean Brett.    As a  car accident attorney in Atlanta  who is well-versed with the statistics of fatality car crashed involving DUIs, I would have to agree. It’s definitely a move that jails both the drunk driver and his mode of transportation. The 12 hour impound requirement, in theory, really forces the driver to take time to “cool off” and sober up before getting back behind the wheel and on the road. I would suggest that the period should probably be at least 24 hours and the person should have to undergo a breathalyzer before getting the keys back.

It may seem like there's been much progress in reducing accident numbers in the United States. After all, auto accident wrongful death numbers in this country have been on the decline over the past decade, and last year, were at their lowest levels since record keeping began. With statistics like this, it's easy for Atlanta car accident lawyers and motorists to become complacent, and believe that American drivers are much safer than anywhere else.  

That’s not true at all. A look at the safety records and accident prevention efforts in other countries indicates just how much more progress the U.S. needs to make.

The fact is that many other countries have lower accident fatality rates per vehicle mile traveled. Additionally, other countries are seeing a much more drastic drop in auto accident fatalities, compared to the United States. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety suggests that there are several factors contributing to this wide chasm between the United States and other countries. 

There are other differences between the United States and other countries when it comes to saving lives in accidents. For instance, almost every country in Europe mandates motorcycle helmets for all motorcyclists. Additionally, Australia, Japan, Canada and New Zealand also have mandatory motorcycle helmet laws for motorcyclists. In the United States however, there are at least thirty states that do not mandate motorcycle helmet laws.

Seat belt use has been increasing steadily in the United States, hovering at a respectable 84%. However, even here, countries in Europe have made dramatic progress. Seat belt use rates in those countries are much higher than in the US. 

Other countries also believe strongly in using frequent sobriety checkpoints to reduce drunk driving. With more checkpoints, law enforcement can easily haul drunk motorists off the streets. Additionally, many European countries have a much lower threshold for blood alcohol level. In Canada, Japan, Australia and in most European countries, the maximum threshold is.05% or below. In the United States, the legally allowed blood alcohol limit is .08%. That might explain the lower numbers of auto accident deaths in European countries.

Car accident attorneys in Georgia know this doesn’t bode well for drivers with furry friends. Looking away from the road for a mere two seconds doubles a driver’s risk of being involved in a car crash. Think about those two seconds. Now, picture how many seconds it takes you to pet your pooch and watch that level of risk increase significantly.

The problem, researchers summarized, could probably be rectified if more owners seriously considered restraining their pooches. Interestingly enough, many of those polled admitted that they knew operating a vehicle with an unharnessed animal was risky business, yet chose to engage in it anyway. 83 percent of drivers agreed that an unrestrained pet is dangerous, but only 16 percent reported restraining their pet.

Here are some of the top reasons why drivers elect to let their pets ride unrestrained:

·        42 percent think their dog is calm and therefore doesn’t need a restraint;

·        For another 39 percent, it never crossed their minds that their pet might need to be harnessed;

·        29 percent think a short trip (like going to the store) isn’t a big deal;

·        12 percent want their dog to be able to put his/her head out the window.

Regardless of the reason, un-tethered animals riding shotgun are simply a bad idea, says AAA. But for those still wary of using restraint devices, AAA encourages dog owners to take the following precautions when they bring the family pet on a car ride:

·        Save petting and playtime for before or after the drive. Wait until you've arrived at your destination to give your dog any unnecessary attention. If he needs your immediate attention, safely pull off the road before tending to him.

·        Determine the best place for your dog to "Sit!" and "Stay!" The front airbag system in your vehicle can be deadly to a small child, and the same is true for dogs, even if they are restrained.

·        Consider sitting your dog in the back seat or cargo area of your car where they can avoid crash hazards and you can focus on driving. Also, never allow your pet to ride in the bed of a pick-up truck. He can jump out or be thrown, even if tethered, endangering himself and others on the road.

·        Buckle your pup up. Use a pet restraint system to keep your dog safe and secure in case of a collision, and also to keep them from roaming the car and distracting you from driving. Pet restraint products are available at local pet stores.

Following these safety tips should help ensure a smoother trip.

The rate justification requirement forces insurers to publically post any rate increases over 10% and explain why the increase is reasonable. This 10% rule only applies to policies covering individuals and small businesses. All new double-digit rate filings will be submitted with much more documentation now.   It is then left to the state to decide if the increase is reasonable based on health care costs and other factors.

We are relying on this new rate review process to save us from the big, bad insurance company, right? Unfortunately, Georgia law ties the hands of the insurance commissioner’s office by giving him no authority to reject rates submitted by the insurers. The insurance commissioner’s office “enforces and regulates laws enacted by the state legislature under Title 33 of the Official Code of Georgia.” In other words, Georgians will have to rely on unreasonable rate hikes to be handled by the federal government.

In my opinion, this is the best part: If the increase is found reasonable, the information will be posted for public review. In a perfect world, the state would allow the insurance commissioner’s office use the discretion of its highly educated employees filled with integrity and honesty to throw out excessive rate hike applications. But in the real world, perhaps the very idea of having the consumer scrutinize the rate increases will cause insurers to think twice before trying to bilk the people who pay the premiums. However, I doubt it. Insurance carriers have been raising rates for years and anyone with a policy knows it. Regular publicity and complaints have not done anything to slow the rate increases.

Georgia is making an effort to take advantage of the leverage given by the national health care plan. Despite former Commissioner Oxendine’s decision not to apply for a federal grant last year to help with rate review process, “Georgia will also seek federal funds available for beefing up its rate-review staffing levels...” reports georgiahealthnews.com.  The Affordable Care Act made $250 million available to states to review rate hikes.

If you want to see how the national health care reform has rolled out since March 2010, click here for a timeline.

The poll results have been published in the British Medical Journal Blog, and show that the majority of people prefer not to have mandatory bicycle helmet laws because they discourage bicyclists. According to respondents, people should be encouraged to ride bicycles, and mandatory bicycle helmet laws do the opposite. They discourage people from taking to what is essentially a very healthy activity.

68% of the respondents in the poll were against mandatory bicycle helmet laws. Not only do they believe that this would discourage bicycling, but they also felt that there wasn't enough evidence to show that wearing a bicycle helmet significantly protects a bicyclist from injury during an accident. They believe that bicyclists believe that mandatory bicycle helmets would discourage female bicyclists, typically some of the least likely to take to cycling.. Additionally, mandating bicycle helmets for all would discourage bicycling in many people who'd otherwise be able to enjoy a cheap and affordable means of transportation. Overall, most of the respondents in the survey believe that mandatory bicycle helmet laws do not reduce bicycle accident-related injuries, but reduce bicyclist numbers. Some respondents even believe that mandatory bicycle helmet laws give the wrong impression that biking is a dangerous activity.

As Atlanta bicycle accident attorneys, we have some serious problems with the results of this poll. The Bridge Medical Journal does not specify the demographics of the people who were polled as part of the study. However, we hope that bicyclists in Atlanta have more sense than this. To say that bicycling is not a dangerous activity at all would be foolhardy. The fact is that most of Atlanta’s streets are designed for the convenience and safety of motorists, and bicyclists constantly face the threat of death and injuries in accidents. In any accident involving a bicycle and an automobile, it is the person riding a bicycle with a much higher risk of suffering serious or even fatal injuries. 

This summer, we would like to see more people in Atlanta making the conscious decision to wear helmets while riding. A helmet may be inconvenient, and unfashionable, but it may save your life in an accident.