Georgia Injury Law Blog

Helmet Usage can Minimize Brain Injury Risk in Motorcycle Accident Victims

Efforts by law enforcement authorities and transportation authorities in Georgia and nationwide, have helped lower accident fatality rates over the past few years. However, the rates of motorcycle accident fatalities have increased dramatically during the same period.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, as of 2008, motorcycle accident fatalities had actually increased for the 11th year running.

There was a staggering increase of 144 percent in motorcycle fatalities in 2007, compared to 1997. In fact, fatality increase rates have been greater than the rates of motorcycle registration.

This much is clear - we need to not just enforce current motorcycle safety rules more strongly, but also look into other factors, like the increasingly distracted motorists on our streets who may be contributing to this increase. As Atlanta motorcycle accident lawyers, we would advise riders to follow one simple rule -always wear an approved helmet.

The NHTSA seems to agree. The agency has just released a report (Hat Tip to John Day at Day on Torts) underlining the relationship between motorcycle helmet use and the diminished risk of traumatic brain injury. The report is based on data gathered from 18 states, and featuring 104,472 motorcyclists. Out of this group, 57 percent were wearing helmets at the time of the accident, while the remaining were not. The report shows a strong relationship between helmet usage during accidents, and the risk of Traumatic Brain Injury.

·        Among motorcyclists who did not wear a helmet, the risk of a moderate to severe facial or head injury was 6.6 percent. Among helmeted motorcyclists, that number dropped to 5.5 percent.

·        Traumatic brain injury occurred in 15 percent of victims who were wearing a helmet. Among non-helmeted motorcyclists, TBI occurred in 21 percent of victims.

·        Motorcycle helmet use doesn’t merely protect against Traumatic Brain Injury, it also diminishes the severity of the injury. While 9 percent of non helmeted motorcyclists suffered minor to moderate TBI, 7 percent of helmeted motorcyclists suffered the same severity of TBI. While 7 percent of non helmeted motorcyclists suffered severe TBI, that rate was dramatically lower in helmeted motorcyclists at 4.7 percent.

Reducing these fatality rates is going to be a serious challenge. Not just are there more number of motorcyclists on the road, but these people are also older than they used to be in past decades. In fact, in 1997, riders aged 40 and above made up 33 percent of motorcyclist deaths. This group had expanded to comprise 49 percent of motorcycle fatalities by 2007.

Posted By Lisa Siegel In Motorcycles | 0 Comments Permalink

Motorcycle Education Initiative Aims to Lower Accident Statistics Across Georgia

Last month, Georgia State Patrol and the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety launched a motorcycle safety education initiative, aimed at lowering the numbers of motorcycle crash statistics across the state. According to Georgia State Patrol, the safety education unit will provide motorcycle safe information at schools, clubs, military facilities and other locations across Georgia.

The safety education initiative comes as motorcycle accident fatality rates continue on their upward graph, causing concern to law enforcement officials, motorcycling groups as well as Georgia motorcycle accident lawyers. While other highway accident statistics have dropped steadily over the past decade, motorcycle accident fatalities have actually increased during the same period of time. Currently, motorcycle accident fatalities constitute 14 percent of all highway fatalities in the US. In 2007, 162 motorcyclists died in accidents in Georgia. 3,334 people were injured in these accidents.

Bringing these numbers down is imperative. We can’t afford to feel any sense of accomplishment in bringing down fatality rates in traffic accidents when motorcycle crash rates continue to remain at the same level they have been for years. As gasoline prices began to spike in 2005, more and more numbers of motorists in Georgia ditched their cars for fuel-efficient motorbikes. The result has been a corresponding increase in accidents and deaths.

There is no reason why these statistics should remain depressing. Nationwide, other states have had remarkable success in reducing motorcycle fatality rates. In California for instance, a stronger emphasis on motorcycle safety programs for new riders, has meant a drop in motorcycle-related fatalities.

We’re positive that this motorcycle safety education is a strong step towards the goal of bringing down these fatality statistics.  In Georgia, the Department of Driver’s Services offers motorcycle safety training. We encourage all riders to enroll in these programs, to improve their chances of getting home safe after a ride. 

Posted By Lisa Siegel In Motorcycles | 0 Comments Permalink

The Federal Highway Administration has announced the launch of a new study to probe causes of motorcycle accidents, and to help develop procedures and strategies that can prevent or minimize these accidents.

The study will be conducted at the Oklahoma State University’s Transportation Center, and will be the first one in decades. The last such study was conducted in 1981, and resulted in the release of the Hurt Report. The report led to the identification of several causes of motorcycle accidents, and contributed to the development of strategies to minimize or prevent these crashes. However, the findings of the Hurt Report and any effects they may have had on motorcycle safety, have begun to lose their relevance in the nearly 30 years since the report was released. This can be seen in the steady increase in the rates of motorcycle accident fatalities, not just in Georgia, but across the country.

According to the Federal Highway Administration, motorcycle riders continue to remain some of the most highly at-risk groups on our roads. In 2008, approximately 5,300 motorcyclists were killed nationwide in these accidents, which is about 14 percent of all traffic accident fatalities that year. An estimated 177 of those fatalities occurred in Georgia. This was even as accident fatality rates in other groups, like automobile accidents and pedestrian accidents, showed a marked downward trend. According to the Department of Transportation’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System, motorcyclist fatalities increased by 150 percent between 1997 and 2008.

As Atlanta motorcycle accident lawyers, we have been very concerned at the continued rise in motorcycle accident fatalities, and are encouraged at the launch of this new study. As we have discussed earlier on this blog, we need to be investing more efforts and funds into motorcycle safety, and this study definitely seems like a good step in that direction.  

Posted By Lisa Siegel In Motorcycles | 0 Comments Permalink

Man Killed in Cobb County Motorcycle Accident  

A Smyrna resident has been killed in a motorcycle accident involving another biker in Cobb County.

According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, the victim Anthony Tyrone Anderson was riding his motorbike behind another motorcyclist, Ronald Bagley. Bagley signaled that he was making a left turn, but when he began turning, Anderson’s motorcycle crashed into his bike. Anderson’s motorcycle was thrown across the road into several utility poles. He suffered fatal injuries.  

As Cobb County motorcycle accident lawyers, we frequently come across passionate motorcycle enthusiasts who've been seriously injured in a crash. It’s important for all motorists and motorcyclists to drive safely, and maybe even more so, for a biker. These people have very little protection to prevent serious injuries in an accident.  Helmets can prevent head injuries to a great extent, but may not be effective in all kinds of accidents. Besides, helmets may do nothing to prevent multiple body trauma injuries that often result in deaths or debilitating injuries. Non-helmeted motorcyclists of course, will have their risk of being injured or killed, increase sharply.  

The high rates of motorcycle accident fatalities have been of greater concern to Cobb County personal injury lawyers. Many of these victims are young people in the prime of their lives, and it’s a great loss when we continue to lose such people in accidents like this one. In Georgia, we have been able to bring about significant changes in automobile accident fatality rates, including alcohol-related crashes and speed-related crashes. However, we have been seeing a reverse trend in motorcycle fatalities. Law enforcement agencies must collaborate to increase awareness, and reduce these fatality rates. 
 

Posted By Lisa Siegel In Motorcycles | 0 Comments Permalink

A multi-vehicle accident on Interstate-285 in DeKalb County on Wednesday left a motorcyclist dead, and 5 other people injured. According to DeKalb County police, the accident was set off by an SUV driver who entered the highway without slowing for traffic.

The driver seems to have set off a chain reaction that led to an 18 wheeler, striking a group of motorcyclists. A 54-year-old motorcyclist has been killed, and one other motorcycle rider has sustained serious injuries. Three motorcyclists and the SUV driver have sustained moderate injuries. The accident involved three motorcycles, two SUVs and two 18 wheelers.

Details are still coming in, but it seems like that the motorcycles involved in the accident were participating in the National Biker Round-up. It was the second day of the bike fest, and the event which is hosted by the Georgia biker community, is expected to continue for about a week, ending on Sunday.

It must have been a demoralizing start for the 40,000 or so motorcyclists who are expected to attend the event. These people tend to be some of the most vulnerable users of our highways. As this accident shows, there is really no safety in numbers when you are a motorcyclist. An out-of-control SUV barreling into a group of motorcyclists is bad news for the people on the bikes. Impact with a fast moving vehicle can throw a motorcyclist from his bike, and dozens of feet from the point of impact. Severe body trauma injuries are common, and if the motorcyclist hasn’t worn a helmet, then fatal head injuries can result.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, motorcycle accident fatalities have been on the rise over the past 11 years. Last year, the number of people killed in motorcycle accidents increased over 2007, the only category of accidents in which there was actually an increase in fatality statistics.

The accident attorneys at the Katz Law Firm represent injured victims of such accidents in DeKalb County and across the state of Georgia.

Posted By Lisa Siegel In Motorcycles | 0 Comments Permalink

Two people from Dalton, Georgia were killed in an accident when a pickup truck sideswiped their motorcycle.

According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, the crash occurred on highway 225 south in Murray County. Apparently, a Ford Ranger crossed the centerline for unknown reasons, and struck the motorcycle. The two riders, 39-year-old Ty Woods and 29-year-old April Lynthlin were ejected from the motorcycle, and sustained fatal injuries. According to reports, Lynthlin was in an advanced state of pregnancy.  The State Patrol's Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team has initiated an investigation.

This tragic accident coincides with the release of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's report on traffic fatalities for 2008. The numbers for last year have been very encouraging all round, except in one category- motorcycle accident fatalities. For the 11^th year running, motorcycle accident-related deaths have shown a sharp rise. In fact, deaths in motorcycle accidents now comprise 14 percent of the highway fatality rate in the country. These rates have risen even as there has been an overall drop in the number of automobiles on the highways, because of the recession and the hike in gas prices that we saw last summer. While the number of automobiles traveling our roads has dropped, collisions involving motorcycles have increased. 

One reason for this spike could be the rising rates of motorcycle usage. According to data from the past decade, motorcycle registration rates have risen substantially. With more riders preferring to zoom around on their motorcycles, the likelihood of accidents involving these accidents have also increased. Besides, there has been a sharp rise in the number of middle-aged motorcycle riders involved in accidents. That is directly linked to the large number of riders from this age group. While these motorcyclists may be enthused about the freedom and exhilaration that zipping around on a motorbike brings, they may fail to understand that the motorcycles of today are not the motorcycles of yesterday. These modern machines pack more power, and can be difficult to handle for someone who hasn’t been on a bike in years.  

The motorcycle accident attorneys at the Katz Law Firm represent victims who have been injured in motorcycle accidents in Atlanta, and across Georgia. 

Posted By Lisa Siegel In Motorcycles | 1 Comments Permalink

A motorcyclist was seriously injured in an accident involving a passenger vehicle and his motorcycle on I-85 north of Coweta County. According to news reports, the motorcyclist collided with a four door sedan leaving the rider with critical injuries.  

The accident occurred on a construction zone on I-85 where work to widen the highway is underway. We don’t know yet if that had an effect on the accident, but speed limits along the areas that are under construction have been lowered to 50mph. The highway has also been the scene of several such accidents in the past few months including a fiery tractor trailer accident earlier this year, in which one of the trucks burst into flames leaving the driver with burn injuries. That accident was one among several accidents involving tractor trailers, as well as passenger vehicles on interstate 85.

Construction work along several sections of I-85 are expected to continue for the rest of 2009, which means that driving conditions on the highway will continue to be congested. Authorities have made repeated appeals to motorists, truckers and motorcyclists to keep the ongoing congested conditions on the highway in mind while driving, and to slow down speeds. Unfortunately, according to officials, there are too many motorists and truckers who don’t seem to be heeding those pleas.

It's not just motorcyclists and motorists who are at risk from these accidents. According to statistics, construction workers working on a highway are more likely to be killed than construction workers working elsewhere. When vehicles zip by a construction zone at excessive speeds, it creates dangerous conditions not just for motorists, but also for workers on a highway.

Slowing down during rush hour can seem like an inconvenience, but the more carefully people drive on I-85, the fewer delays and highway closures resulting from accidents like this one, and the quicker work can be completed.

The Atlanta motorcycle accident attorneys at the Katz Law Firm represent victims who have been injured in motorcycle accidents across Georgia.

Posted By Lisa Siegel In Motorcycles | 0 Comments Permalink

A motorcycle rider who was critically injured in an accident in Forsyth County over the weekend has succumbed to his injuries at an Atlanta Hospital.

The victim 49-year-old Terry Hitt was riding a motorcycle which collided with a Suzuki SUV when the motorist tried to make an illegal U turn. The motorcycle collided with the driver’s side door of the car. Hitt sustained critical injuries and was airlifted to Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta. He died on Sunday afternoon. Hitt is survived by his two children, mother and brother.

The motorist Marian Anwar was initially charged with making an improper left turn, and now faces second degree vehicular homicide charges in connection with the motorcycle accident. 

It was the fourth fatal accident in Forsyth County this month alone.

• On the 16^th of June, an young man was killed in a truck accident when his car crashed under a tractor trailer that was stopped at a traffic light.

• On June 10^th, an Alpharetta pickup driver died in an accident involving his vehicle and a fuel tanker.

• On the 3^rd of June, an accident involving a car and a box truck killed a 39-year-old man.

Motorcycle accidents can leave the rider with severe or fatal injuries. Impact with a car that’s driving even at normal speed limits can throw a motorcyclist several feet into the air, and have him crash to the ground with tremendous force. A helmet can prevent serious head injuries, but will do nothing to prevent catastrophic body injuries, like spinal fractures.

Motorcycle accident claims in Georgia are usually settled out of court after negotiations between a Georgia motorcycle accident lawyer and legal counsel representing the motorist. However, if the motorist offers to settle for an amount that is not acceptable to the injured motorcyclist, or if he refuses to take responsibility for the accident, the case will go to court.

Posted By Lisa Siegel In Motorcycles | 0 Comments Permalink

A series of consecutive years with a high number of motorcycle accidents in Georgia has galvanized the Governor's Office of Highway Safety into action. The GOHS has declared May as Motorcycle Awareness Safety Month in the state.

The campaign started with the GOHS taking its motorcycle safety message to the people through the Georgia Motorcycle Awareness Tour. Georgia’s director Bob Dallas traveled the state on a motorcycle along with law enforcement officers. The tour kicked off in Carroll County and winded through Albany, Savannah and Augusta before ending in Atlanta.

According to the GOHS, between 2006 and 2007, there has been an increase of 113 percent in motorcycle accidents in Georgia. In 2000, there were 2,049 crashes involving motorcyclists, and that number rose to 4367 in 2007. The number of people killed in the same period rose by a staggering 161 percent from 62 deaths in 2000 to 162 deaths in 2007. According to experts, this spike had had to do with an increase in the number of motorcycles in the state. Motorcycle use has risen in popularity, and so have the number of accidents involving theses vehicles.

As summer kicks off and the number of motorcyclists on the roads increases again, the GOHS is warning riders of the special challenge they face. For instance, motorcycles because they are smaller, may often be concealed in a motorist's blind spot. These vehicles are narrower, and so can easily missed when a car is backing out in a parking lot, or at an intersection. According to the GOHS, a majority of such accidents actually occur in the daytime at an intersection where the motorist simply didn’t see the motorcycle. Besides, motorcycle riders deserve a special safety campaign because of their higher risk of injuries in an accident.

The GOHS encourages motorcycle riders to ride in a defensive mode. Always watching out for the movements of other vehicles on the road, and prepare to take defensive action if necessary. Besides, motorists are encouraged to follow all safe driving practices, including wearing protective personal gear like helmets that are approved by the Department of Transportation.

Georgia’s authorities have been proactive in conducting safety campaigns addressed at motorists, but pedestrians, bicyclists and motorcyclists who are vulnerable to collisions with automobiles tend to be ignored to some extent. Campaigns like the Georgia Motorcycle Awareness Tour are more than just PR exercises by the GOHS. They are undertaken to drill home the safety message to both motorists and motorcyclists. Atlanta motorcycle accident lawyers commend the GOHS efforts to prevent accidents and increase motorcycle safety.  

Posted By Lisa Siegel In Motorcycles | 0 Comments Permalink