The stage collapse accident occurred at the Indiana State Fair in Indianapolis on August 13. Rigging on the stage collapsed in the late hours of the evening, killing 4 people immediately. One other person died the morning after the accident, and 2 other persons died in the days after the collapse. More than 40 persons were injured in the collapse. Just before the collapse, fair organizers and security officials had noticed strong winds measuring 77 mph, and had even been considering postponing the concert by Sugar Land that was due to take place. However, those plans to postpone the concert never materialized.

Under Indiana's liability laws, the state’s liability in an accident like this is restricted to $5 million. Now, the state has proposed its plans to divide the $5 million. The state is offering a settlement of $300,000 to the families of each person killed in the collapse. Families of victims, who had been hospitalized before their deaths, are likely to receive additional compensation. More than 60 other persons were injured in the collapse, and they will be compensated from the remainder of the $5 million fund. The compensation for those were injured in the accident, is likely to depend on the severity of the injuries. Some of the injured are being offered settlements that amount to just about 60% of their total documented medical expenses. One of the injured, who was left paralyzed, has been offered compensation of $500,000.

According to the Indiana Atty. Gen., its office found it a challenge to decide on the amount of compensation to each of the victims. The Atty. Gen.'s Office has had some assistance in designing the compensation plan from Kenneth Feinberg, who helped design the compensation plans after the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the Virginia Tech Shootings. 

The Atlanta personal injury lawyers at the Katz Law Firm represent persons who have been injured due to the negligence of others in the metro Atlanta region and across Georgia.

Eight people died and dozens of homes were destroyed when a piece of natural gas pipeline ruptured and exploded in a section of San Bruno. The resulting flames blazed for hours, burning down homes. According to the National Transportation Safety Board, the explosion was a direct result of negligence by Pacific Gas & Electric Company. The pipeline which exploded had suffered a fracture from a partially welded seam on one section. 

The pipeline had been installed in 1956, when the area was sparsely populated. However, the National Transportation Safety Board found that the pipeline did not meet the existing quality control and welding standards in 1956. The Board found that quality standards had been either overlooked by the company, or ignored. 

The National Transportation Safety Board also had plenty of criticism for the manner in which Pacific Gas and Electric Co. responded to the explosion. It took hours for the main valve that was feeding fuel to the flames, to be shut off. Pacific Gas and Electric Co. had a manual valve shutoff system to deal with an emergency situation in a well populated neighborhood in California. According to the Board, an automatic shut off system would have been able to cut off fuel supply to the blaze much quicker, reducing the size of the damage. Overall, it took the company 45 minutes to stop the flow of gas. The board found that the manual shutting off the valve contributed to the intensity of the blaze and the extent of the damage.

The National Transportation Safety Board has recommended that the company establish comprehensive emergency response procedures with a single highly competitive person in charge to assume command of the situation, well-established procedures, and frequent drills to ensure effective implementation of the procedures during an emergency.

The gas pipeline tragedy in California and the National Transportation Safety Board report into the disaster also has lessons for utility companies in Georgia. Many of the pipelines that traverse Georgia were installed decades ago, and now cover thickly populated neighborhoods.

The Atlanta personal injury lawyers at the Katz Law Firm represent persons who have been injured due to the negligence of others across the metro Atlanta region and Georgia.

The researchers used 801 pregnant women from Southern California in the study. These women were required to wear a monitoring device twenty-four hours a day. The device measured their exposure to magnetic fields. The women were required to wear the devices during the first and second trimester of pregnancy. The device measured magnetic exposure from a number of appliances, including vacuum cleaners and dryers.

After the women gave birth to their children, the researchers began to monitor the children over the next thirteen years. Over this thirteen-year period, the researchers found that 130 children developed asthma, most of them being diagnosed with asthma before they turned five. What's more, the researchers found that each one milligaus increase in exposure to magnetic fields resulted in a 15 percent increase in asthma risks in children born to these women.

Children born to women with high exposure to magnetic fields had the highest risk of asthma. In women who were exposed to a magnetic field of more than two mG, the risk of asthma in children increased by 3.5 times. The researchers were stunned at the dramatically increased risk of developing asthma in pregnant women exposed to magnetic fields. Even when women were exposed to moderate magnetic field levels, the risk of the children developing asthma increased by 75%.

The researchers say that they need more studies to conclusively prove a link between exposure to magnetic fields and the risk of childhood asthma. However, they are very concerned about the results of this particular study, and suggest that pregnant women limit their exposure to electromagnetic fields as much as possible. However, some scientists have criticized the methodologies used in this research, calling them flawed.

This is not the first study to probe a link between the health effects of magnetic field exposure and human health. Previous studies have found that women who had such exposure during pregnancy had a much high risk of miscarriage and were also at a higher risk for the development of immune disorders. However, this is believed to be the first study that shows a link between exposure to electromagnetic fields and the development of asthma in children. 

The accident allegedly occurred when the worker was performing some work in the star’s California home. He was doing some wiring work in the yard, and at some point, he slipped and fell down a 12-foot slope. Just before he fell, he tried to hold on to a lattice nearby, but the screen collapsed under his weight, and he fell straight down. He suffered serious knee injuries, and as a result of these injuries, was unable to return to his former job and income levels.

Two years later, he filed a premises liability lawsuit alleging negligence against Sharon Stone. The lawsuit alleged that there had been only a lattice to break his fall, and that he had not been warned about the drop off. Stone denied those allegations, claiming that there never has been lattice on the property, and that she had always had a chain-link fence going around her yard. The actress even testified in a courtroom, and presented pictures of the chain-link fence as evidence. 

Unfortunately for her, an engineer, who testified for the plaintiff, said that the accident could have been prevented if she had simply invested the money in safeguarding the property to prevent falls. Also adding heft to the plaintiff's case was the fact that his employer was on the property, and was able to testify that there was no chain-link fence going around the yard at all on the day the worker suffered the slip and fall accident.

Stone has now been ordered to pay $232,000 in compensation to the worker. However he had claimed $1.5 million in total damages, including $900,000 for pain and suffering.

You don't have to be injured in a commercial establishment to file a premises liability action. An Atlanta slip and fall accident lawyer can file a premises liability lawsuit even when you've been injured in an accident in someone's home. A number of deficiencies in a property may be grounds for a premises liability action. Persons may be injured in a slip and fall accident on other’s property, or suffer a near-drowning incident in a swimming pool. Individuals may be injured in fires, explosions and wall collapses on other's property. They may even be injured in assaults or crimes on other people's property. 

All these accidents and injuries can be prevented only if premises owners invest the time and money taken to secure the premises and make them safe and hospitable. Guests, visitors, customers, and others who come to your property must be safe from any hazards. That doesn't mean that the property must be 100% safe with no accident risks at all.   Visitors also need to exercise some responsibility to avoid a fall or other accident. 

The hotel’s insurer had an opportunity to settle for $750,000. Now the chain may have to shell out $3.6million in damages, after a diverse Fulton County jury voted in the plaintiff’s favor.

In his closing statement, says the Daily Report, the plaintiff’s attorney honed in on the conflicting testimony of hotel staff. Some employees testified that prior to opening the doors of the conference room wet floor signs and safety mats had been posted as warning– other employees directly rebutted this testimony as did the plaintiff, Garland, and her boss. The other clincher for this case was the taped depositions of Garland’s treating physicians – graphic testimony that went unchallenged by the defending attorney. As a result, Garland received upwards of $800,000 more than requested in pain and suffering, and a great deal more than the $210,000 settlement initially put on the table by the chain.

While the aim of the Court and attorneys is often to settle out of court (usually in order to avoid excessive court costs for plaintiffs and to expedite the process itself), in cases like this it sometimes becomes necessary to take a chance and appeal to the empathetic side of a jury. As an Atlanta slip and fall attorney familiar with these types of premise liability claims, I applaud the plaintiff’s attorney in this case zealously and successfully pursued the claim on his client’s behalf. Liability in slip and fall cases stem from the owner’s failure to maintain the premises in a safe manner. It is clear in this case that the owner failed to do so.

The hotel had an obvious duty of care to maintain the safety of its floors for its patrons. In a best case scenario, this included posting warning or wet floor signs, setting out safety mats and even posting employees in doorways as soon as staff became or should have become aware of the dangerous conditions. In premises liability cases, all too often it’s about timing and best efforts. Where there is failure to exercise either, the owner usually faces an increased risk of being held liable and a slip and fall becomes costly.

While disappointed with the verdict, the defense in this case has made no decision in regard to an appeal or any post-trial motions.

References:

Land, Greg. "Jury awards $3.6m to woman injured in fall." Fulton County Daily Report [Atlanta] 20 June 2011: 1, 5. Print.

The research is being funded by the Age UK, and is probing the link between vision and a slip and fall accident. Researchers are specifically looking at the theory that a person's risk of a fall accident increases when he is looking straight ahead, and not down at obstacles that are in front of him. According to the research, older adults who look directly ahead at obstacles in the distance may be at a higher risk of a fall accident than those who look at obstacles in front of them. 

Age UK is planning more studies into the prevention of fall accidents involving the elderly. Soon, the group will initiate a new study involving people over the age of 65. Researchers are currently looking for subjects who will participate in this new research. The research will involve a four-hour experiment during which the subjects must walk over a 7 m walkway. The participants will be required to take precise steps on a target marked on the road, as well as over a series of marked obstacles. While they walk, a number of variables will measured, including the participants’ eye and body movements. Saliva samples will be tested. Participants will also be surveyed about their experiences while walking. Through this study, the researchers hope to determine safer ways of walking for senior adults.

A senior citizen is at a much higher risk of a slip and fall accident because of a number of factors. Seniors may suffer from failing vision, which may affect their ability to identify hazards that contribute to a fall. Besides, senior citizens have problems with body gait, which can affect balance and body coordination and increase their risks of a slip and fall. They may also have poor reflexes, which affect their ability to grab onto something at the beginning of the fall.

Slip and fall accidents can lead to much more serious injuries in a senior adult than any other person. These persons are prone to a condition called osteoporosis in which there is decreased bone mineral density. Such seniors are at a high risk of suffering fractures and broken bones in an accident. A hip fracture in a senior citizen can have much more serious consequences than in a younger person. Bones can take a longer time to heal in senior adults. Besides, surgeries are riskier in these people because of their advanced years and the prevalence of other medical conditions.

Therefore, it's important for apartment building owners, commercial property owners and others to ensure that their properties are free of fall hazards and safe for senior visitors to use. For more information, see Slip and Falls by the Elderly.

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

The victim, Lashawna Threatt and her friend were in the room on the 10th floor of the W Hotel in Atlanta. They were part of a group that was celebrating Threatt’s 30th birthday. According to the friend, Threatt and her friend were play fighting in the room when they suddenly crashed through the window. The two landed on a sunroof adjoining the hotel, and while the friend suffered injuries in the accident, Threatt died as a result of her injuries. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Questions are being asked about how the two women could simply fly through a hotel window while they were playing. At this point in time, police are not investigating the safety of the hotel's windows. They are calling this an accident. A criminal investigation is also underway. There are also indications that the family of the victims is planning a lawsuit against the hotel. 

According to a news report, the hotel windows are floor-to-ceiling and are single paned. The report also suggests that the hotel underwent a million-dollar renovation four years ago, and no new window permits were issued for the hotel. Further, there were no inspections done before the installation of the windows.

If you have been involved in an accident on another person’s property, consult with an experienced Atlanta premises liability lawyer to evaluate the possibility of a claim.

It is often challenging to conduct studies into the prevention of accidents in human beings, because you can't recruit human subjects to test in real-life situations. So the researchers used birds, specifically guinea fowl, as subjects, and studied the birds as they ran confidently across the track. The researchers created a 6 m track. Some parts of the track were covered with sand paper, while the others were covered with a slippery polypropylene lining. The birds, large guinea fowl, with a small head and the round body, were chosen, because they specifically prefer to walk rather than fly.

Some of the birds, the researchers noticed, were able to navigate the track easily. Even on the slippery surface, they slipped a little, but were able to regain their balance. Others slipped several times, and fell. The researchers studied the differences between the birds that were able to maintain their balance, and those that fell. They found that the birds that were able to maintain their balance while walking on the slippery patch, usually walked across the patch in a very upright position with their feet and the body. The birds that fell, typically took bigger steps out in front of their bodies.

The lesson for humans, according to the researchers, is to step on a slippery patch the right way. Most of us put a foot out in order to test the patch, while the best approach would be to lift the foot and keep it underneath the body, as we walk on the patch.

The results of this research could be considered while formulating fall accident prevention technologies for elders not only in their homes, but also in nursing homes and elder care facilities.

How Safe Are Georgia's Gas Pipelines?

Last week, a tremendous gas pipeline explosion tore through a neighborhood in San Bruno, California, killing four people and injuring several others. The explosion has been linked to a rupture in the gas transmission line. Since the explosion, there have been reports that residents in the neighborhood smelled gas before the blast. They complained to Pacific Gas and Electric, the utility company that owns the pipeline, and never heard back. Now, it turns out that the pipeline which was installed in 1948, had been certified by the company as being at a” high risk of failure.”

Even though this happened in California, it's very easy to feel uncomfortable about something like this happening in Georgia. When was the last time you saw utility company workers performing preventive maintenance checks and repairs of gas pipelines? Much of our national infrastructure is crumbling, and there's no reason to hope that things are much different several feet below the ground. 

The US Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration is the little-known federal unit in charge of inspecting the nation's pipelines. It has a grand total of 100 inspectors to do so. In case of intrastate lines, the response for oversight of pipelines is simply handed over to the utilities. 

There may be more reason to be alarmed. As poorly staffed as the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration is, that is far from its only problem. According to analysts, during the earlier administration, the agency was run by lobbyists. Years of neglect have rendered the agency a spineless entity that does not have the resources, power, or even will, to carry out its oversight duties. 

Fortunately, in the wake of the California explosion, the National Transportation Safety Board is pushing for fewer lobbyists at the PHMSA, and more inspectors and resources. 

Georgia residents deserve to sleep peacefully at night, without the fear that a cracked pipeline beneath their homes is leaking deadly gas.

The Atlanta personal injury lawyers at the Katz Law Firm represent victims of personal injury in the metro Atlanta region and across Georgia.
 

 The Fourth of July celebrations quickly turned into a disaster for several holidaymakers in Marietta when the deck they were on collapsed suddenly. The people were standing on the deck when it suddenly pulled away from the wall and collapsed in a yard.

The deck was about 10 feet above the ground. At least seven people sustained injuries in the collapse. Fortunately, none of the injuries are believed to be life-threatening. At least one person suffered a head injury and five persons had to be rushed to the hospital with injuries. According to Cobb County officials, no children were injured in the deck accident. The injured included a group of adults who were having a cookout.

Premises liability claims in Georgia can be brought against private homeowners. Besides the owner of the property, the tenant or occupant at the time of the injury can be held liable in a premises liability claim. Often, persons are injured at the homes of people they know. It can be hard to bring a claim against a friend or relative. However, it's important to know that most claims are settled through liability insurance policies.

A typical premises liability claim in Georgia can include economic and noneconomic damages. Economic damages will include your medical bills (hospitalization bills, doctor bills, costs of surgery, medication bills), and your lost wages. Non-economic damages can include damages for pain and suffering, including your physical pain as well as emotional anguish over the injury. Non-economic damages can be harder to tabulate, and your Atlanta premises liability lawyer will typically assist you in this evaluation. 

Boy Escapes Injuries after Fall Down MARTA Elevator Shaft

A 5-year-old boy had a miraculous escape after a fall down an elevator shaft at the Kensington MARTA station earlier this week. The boy was apparently on the second floor of the station, and was leaning against the elevator door when it suddenly opened. The child fell about 12 to 15 feet down, and landed on top of an elevator car. Firefighters used a ladder to get down to the elevator car, placed the child in a Stokes basket and brought him up.

The boy suffered minor injuries and underwent a medical evaluation. He was released, but had to be brought back to the hospital after he began to complain of headaches. MARTA is investigating the accident.

MARTA needs to get to the bottom of how this happened as quickly as possible. This was an accident that could have so easily turned serious. Whether it was a malfunctioning locking mechanism, or staff negligence, we need to know before there are other such accidents with not-so-happy endings. 

When you use a public property, you do so under the assumption that the property has been secured for use. You don’t except there to be wobbly handrails, broken steps, dark corridors, floors slippery with grease or water and other hazards. It is a property owner’s responsibility to maintain safe premises for visitors, guests, customers and others who visit the property. Maintaining safe premises does not mean that the property must be perfect or brand new. It does, however, mean that all reasonable safety standards must be met.

The Atlanta premises liability attorneys at the Katz Law Firm represent injured victims of slip and fall accidents, dog bite attacks, and assaults across the state of Georgia.

Avoiding Slip and Fall Accidents in Icy Weather

The bad weather may be behind us, but leftover snow and “black ice“ could still present the risk of slip and fall accidents. Many Georgians aren’t used to the kind of snow-covered streets and slippery sidewalks and pathways that we saw for much of last week, and this may increase the risk of falls. Although much of the snow has melted, we would still advise pedestrians and others to exercise caution.

·        Pedestrians must be careful while crossing roads. Don’t rush across even when a crosswalk looks completely clear of ice - it may still be covered with black ice, a thin layer of transparent ice which covers the surface.

·        Walk slowly, or take short steps.

·        Avoid running.

·        Watch out for slippery surfaces when you step out of your home and onto your front door.

·        Vehicle occupants or motorists getting in and out of cars must take special care.

·        Wear footwear that’s appropriate for walking in slippery conditions.

·        Avoid jogging till after the snow has completely melted away.

·        Only use sidewalks while walking.

·        Icy weather conditions can be frequently accompanied by lower visibility, so wear brightly-colored clothing to avoid pedestrian accidents.

·        It’s important to stay warm, but make sure that your vision is unimpaired. In short, don’t overdo the goggles and masks.

·        Apply the same safety rules when you visit public areas, restaurants, hotels, shopping malls, and other public properties.

The Atlanta slip and fall accident lawyers at the Katz Law Firm represent victims injured in slip and fall accidents in the metro Atlanta area and across Georgia.

A jury in Clayton County, Georgia has held that movie theater chain AMC is not liable to a woman, who was injured in a slip and fall accident after she tripped on a wet floor sign at a theater.

The woman, Sue Brown was at the AMC Southlake Theater in 2003. It was Christmas day, and the theater was packed. Just before the end of the movie, a staff member put an A-frame “wet floor” sign to warn about a small spill a few paces outside the theater door. However, by the time Brown reached the spot, the sign had fallen down, and caught as she was in the throngs of people, she wasn’t able to see the sign. Her toe got caught in the handle of the sign, and she fell.

Brown and her husband filed a suit against AMC. Initially, a Clayton Court judge granted a summary judgment for AMC, but a court of appeals reversed that decision. The Supreme Court ruled that slip and fall accident issues, especially those that relate to a retailer’s responsibility to safeguard its premises’ and the responsibility of patrons to look out for their own safety on other’s premises, must be left to juries. The case went to a Clayton County jury, which has now delivered a verdict in favor of AMC.

Lawyers for Sue Brown argued that AMC could have used other alternatives to the “wet floor” sign on which Brown tripped. AMC could have used a rope line barrier or a more stable sign that couldn’t be knocked over. Another important point in the case involved the nature, severity and origin of Brown’s back injuries.

Brown’s lawyers offered what they said, was “very strong evidence” that her back injury was caused by the slip and fall accident, but the jury was not convinced.

The Atlanta slip and fall accident lawyers at the Katz Law Firm represent injured victims of slip and fall accidents and other premises liability actions, in the metro Atlanta area and around the state of Georgia.

Teenagers Injured in Roller Coaster Crash in Augusta

Three teenagers were injured seriously enough to require a visit to the hospital, after the roller coaster they were on crashed at the Georgia Carolina State Fair in Augusta over the weekend.

The crash occurred on Saturday at around 9:30 pm. According to witnesses, they yelled out when they saw that the roller coaster were about to crash, but the operator failed to slam the brakes quickly enough causing the coaster to rear end the others. In all, four people were injured, and three of them required treatment at the hospital. The victims insist that no one at the fair bothered to check if their injuries were serious. They received no emergency care. Far from displaying any concern about the injuries, the fair operators acted quickly to shut down the roller coaster as soon as the accident occurred. Fair personnel have not yet commented about the reasons for the crash.

This wasn’t the first time that an accident like this has occurred at the Georgia Carolina State Fair. In 2006, a 13-year-old girl sustained serious head injuries when she fell off the Orbiter ride.

Amusement ride accidents are comparatively infrequent, when you consider the millions of people who visit these parks and carnivals every year. For the most part, rides go off well, and no one suffers from anything more serious than a sudden burst of adrenaline. However, as Atlanta premises liability lawyers often see, when accidents do happen, the results can be extremely serious.

Passengers can do their bit to avoid becoming one of the 10,000 people who are injured annually in these rides.

·        Avoid a park that looks shabby or poorly maintained. You can usually take this to mean a sign of poorly-maintained rides

·        See if there are any restrictions on passengers before boarding a ride

·        Check if the ride operator is competent.

·        Check the park’s safety record.

·        Check the appearance of the ride.  If it is rusty or dirty, avoid getting on.

·        Be careful when you allow your children to board a ride

·        Make sure that you follow all safety rules as informed by your ride operator. 

Marriott Hotel Withdraws Rape Premises Liability Defense

Marriott International has withdrawn a legal defense by one of its franchise hotels that a rape victim, who was assaulted in the hotel premises, acted carelessly and failed to prevent the rape. The company has issued a statement apologizing to customers and Marriott guests, who had been outraged at the legal defense that the insurance company lawyers adopted.

In 2006, the 40-year-old woman was assaulted when she was in her mini van in the parking lot of the Marriott Hotel and Spa in Stamford, Connecticut. The woman was raped at gun point in front of her two children, both of who were below seven years old at the time. The rapist, 55 year old Gary Fricker, has since been found guilty, and is currently serving a 20-year sentence.

The woman filed a premises liability lawsuit that accused the hotel of, among other things, failing to monitor parking areas, and failing to train employees in proper security measures. The lawsuit also claimed that the hotel should have been aware of other sexual assaults that had taken place in the vicinity earlier.

The hotel’s legal defense filed court papers claiming that the victim “failed to exercise due care for her own safety, and for the safety of her children and proper use of her senses and facilities.”

As Georgia premises liability lawyers, we know that the property owners can go to great lengths to deny negligence, and limit their liability in such cases. It’s also a fact that the rape victim unjustly gets blame for “inviting trouble”. The media and public at large have rightly, been appalled and disgusted with the Marriott line of defense. Internet chat boards have been buzzing with angry comments against Marriott, and women’s activists and rape support groups have lambasted the defense. It’s fair to say Marriott has lost more than a few customers, its reputation and good will, after the mess they’ve made of their defense, which was paltry to begin with.  

In 2005, Larry Reece was at a Home Depot in Marietta when a pallet of plywood fell about 24 feet on him. Reece suffered serious neck and spinal injuries that left him debilitated, and unable to continue his work as a residential contractor. According to his attorney, he settled with Home Depot over punitive damages, but the case had to go to jury trial over personal injury damages.  He has now been awarded $1.5 million in damages, while his wife has been awarded $30,000 for loss of consortium as part of the damages.

Besides the debilitating injuries and the severe pain that he suffered, Reece also had to deal with the high expenses of hospitalization and other medical costs. Since the accident, Reece has racked up about $120,000 in medical expenses. He was required to have permanent hardware in his neck to resume his normal activities. Most traumatic of all, Reece who has been a construction worker all his life, was unable to return to his job. He lost his livelihood, along with the trauma and loss of income that that accompanies.

This isn’t the first time that shoppers have been injured in such accidents at Home Depot. One reason is the store shelves that are stacked high.  "Sky shelving" or high stacking may be efficient use of space, but poses a serious risk of injuries from loads toppling over.

Premises owners are required to provide a safe environment to guests, shoppers, visitors, renters and other people on the premises. This can include providing well lit areas, walking surfaces that are free of obstructions and resist slipping, well constructed and illuminated stairways etc. Providing safe premises can also include the responsibility to inspect store shelves, and to ensure that products are not likely to get displaced and fall off the shelves.

It’s not always easy to prove the owner's liability if you are injured on his premises. Owners can try to wriggle out of liability, raising questions about property ownership, or about whether the risk should have been clear and obvious to you.   Even the most open and shut slip and fall claim can have premises owners and their legal teams trying hard to play down their responsibility, and pass it on to you. Besides, there may be more than one party responsible for the safety of the premises, which makes filing a claim more complicated.

That's why it’s so important to consult with a Georgia premises liability attorney before deciding to file a claim for injury.

Two days after a fourth level parking deck in Atlanta collapsed, damaging several cars, and resulting in, miraculously enough no injuries, rescue personnel were still not willing to take chances.  Rescue efforts continued through Tuesday as Fire and Rescue personnel used cranes, dogs and thermal cameras to comb through the debris to search for any injured persons who could be trapped inside.

So far, there have been no reports of missing people, and the extent of the damage seems to have been restricted to the at least 38 vehicles that were damaged in the collapse. The deck in Midtown district collapsed at around noon on Monday. What caused the sudden collapse is still largely unclear. However, the company that acted as a general contractor and oversaw the construction of the deck was the same one that has been involved in another high profile, but far more serious accident last year. 

As we have discussed in this blog earlier this year, the company Hardin Construction Company is the same company that was involved in the construction of the pedestrian walkway at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens in December last year. Yes, the very same walkway that collapsed while concrete was being poured, leading to at least eight people with injuries and one contractor dead. Earlier this month, in fact, Hardin was fined for its role in that collapse. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited the company for failure to see that the towers were properly braced, fining it $6,300.

The company has already released a statement saying that it has sent its investigators to the site, and is joining in efforts to find out the causes for this near-catastrophe.

It's extremely fortunate that all the vehicles were apparently empty at the time of the collapse, and that there were no injuries.  However, it definitely merits attention when the same company has been involved in two structural collapses just a few months apart. Georgia premises liability lawyers will have to wait for weeks before we can find out exactly how this happened, but it's clear that we need to begin asking some serious questions of those involved here.

A one-year-old child had to be airlifted to an Atlanta hospital last month after she sustained serious injuries when a television set fell on her at a motel in Cherokee County. The accident happened just as a new study published in a medical journal reveals that the number of children injured by falling furniture, including large screen flat panel televisions, has risen dramatically over the past two decades.

In the motel incident, the child was injured when a 32 -inch television fell off the dresser, and onto her. She suffered a fractured skull.  It's not clear what steps the motel management had taken to secure the T.V on to the dresser to prevent such tip overs. It appears that the motel management could have done a lot to keep their premises safe for parents of little children.

According to Consumer Reports, television tip over accidents generally occur when a child tries to climb on to the table or dresser on which the television is placed. Children below the age of five are more likely to be injured by falling televisions, and these accidents seem to be more common among boys. The most common injuries that result from falling television sets are skull fractures, which can consequently lead to brain injures. Such injuries can require extensive medical treatment, including surgeries, and also require long periods of physical rehabilitation.

Consumer Reports have a number of tips that parents can follow to protect their children from television sets tipping over. As premises liability lawyers, we would advise owners of commercial properties in Georgia to take note of these steps, and follow them in their furniture design.

• Stands should be specifically designed for the television set by the manufacturer, as far as possible.
• If the T.V comes with a base, get it attached by a professional technician, and not a do-it-yourselfer.
• Place your television only on a sturdy table that can take the weight.
• Your TV stand should preferably have a ledge along the edge which can keep the television in place, and make it harder to pull or push.
• Any television stands, dressers etc must be anchored.

In May, a study conducted by researchers in Ohio found that the number of injuries caused by heavy furniture falling on children has increased by 41 percent since 1990. In 2007, approximately 17,000 children required emergency treatment after such injuries. The researchers believe that this increase has much to do with the growing popularity of large screen flat panel televisions in the country. As televisions have come slimmer, it’s become easy for excited owners to forget that these televisions pack several dozens of pounds of circuitry and glass. While these televisions look light, they are far from it. These televisions come designed with a narrow center of gravity that makes them susceptible to tip over.

Atlanta personal injury lawyers would advise parents and owners to secure these televisions on walls with wall brackets, and get securing done by a qualified technician instead of doing it themselves.

Even after new safety standards were introduced and added to building codes in the country, children in Atlanta continue to be in danger of escalator injuries caused when their shoes or clothing get snagged in the gaps at the sides of the escalator.

A report last month highlights some of the most dangerous areas in Atlanta that have escalators concealing a high risk for accidents and injuries to children. These include Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, and the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (“MARTA”), as well as numerous malls where a number of these injuries occur every week. It's not just children who have been at risk for injuries caused by escalators. Teenagers and adults have had their shoes and clothing snagged in the gaps. People have been dragged down when the edges of their coats were caught in these gaps, ending in a dislocation of the shoulder, and in other cases, have lost their balance and fallen over. Toes and feet have been badly mangled when their shoes have been caught in these gaps. 

Many of these accidents have involved children's shoes, especially Crocs.   The problem has been severe enough for the Consumer Product Safety Commission to even warn about these, and confirm that these shoes had been worn by an overwhelming majority of people involved in escalator accidents. The shoes now come with a safety tag warning for such injuries.

In 2000, the escalator industry added a number of escalator safety regulations to its standards, and these have also been included in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers code of standards. Flash forward to 2009, and we don’t even know if these standards have brought about any reduction in the number of accidents. That’s because the CPSC has conducted no new studies about the efficacy of these new regulations. The agency seems to believe that any escalator accidents that have occurred since 2000 have taken place because of the faulty design of Crocs shoes, and, reassuringly enough, have left it at that.   The elevator industry meanwhile, has said that its escalators are safe, and that the number of accidents that occur every week is minuscule compared to the number of people who ride these daily.

This seems to be yet another example of how industry and federal agencies fail the ultimate victim –the ordinary citizen. While the CPSC prefers to sit tight and wait till the next horribly mangling incident sparks outrage, escalator manufacturers also seem to be content adopting a "wait and watch" approach. It remains to the efforts of the media, Atlanta personal injury lawyers and citizen safety groups to keep this issue alive in the public consciousness.

Witnesses report that Ferguson, who was with his family and a church group from South Carolina, scaled two perimeter fences with another teenage friend and entered a danger zone inside the ride area.

Although some witnesses indicate Ferguson was trying to retrieve a lost hat or possibly touch the feet of riders on the ride, Cobb County police dismissed those rumors as unsubstantiated. Instead, Ferguson and his friend may simply have been trying to re-enter the park from the parking lot rather than using the main entrance as required.

Ferguson and his friend scaled a six-foot high chain link fence and then a six-foot high wrought iron fence around the perimeter of the ride. Six Flags reports the area was also off-limits via signage indicating “Authorized Personnel Only,” “Danger Zone” and “Do Not Enter.” 

The Batman Ride achieves speeds of 50 mph as riders dangle from some 11-story high drops. The ride also has two vertical loops and a two single corkscrew turns. Ferguson was apparently struck by the descending ride as he entered the area. Cobb County Medical Examiners report he was killed instantly. His friend was not injured.

In May of 2002, the ride killed a 58- year-old groundskeeper after he also wandered into the restricted area.  

Georgia Department of Labor, which oversees amusement parks, closed the ride for inspections and re-opened today with the assessment that more signage and more security personnel be added to the ride area. The ride has been in operation since 1997.

Internet reports of this tragedy are rife with condemnation for the teen who scaled two fences and ignored three danger signs – apparently to his death. 

In legal terms, it may be that the teenager’s contributory negligence was the proximate cause of his death. Should the Ferguson family bring a wrong death suit against Six Flags, Six Flags would likely raise as a defense that Ferguson’s contributory negligence was greater than or equal to any negligence on the part of Six Flags. Six Flags would also likely argue that Ferguson was a trespasser in this restricted area and Six Flags duty was to warn him of known dangers. To the extent that Ferguson chose to ignore a known danger, then Six Flags cannot be responsible for his death.

All of these legal arguments sound in good policy. However, I cannot help but notice that a theme park ride, which has been open only eleven years, has killed two people under the same circumstances – struck by the ride while in a restricted area. Is it that the ride attracts the foolhardy to defy it? Or perhaps the danger signs are not readily visible? Granted, scaling two fences to access the area does suggest the area is off-limits.   However, is it also possible that the danger is not open and obvious?  

The Department of Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond has suggested more signage and more security personnel for this ride in the future. Six Flags of Georgia is obligated to follow these recommendations. The future of the Batman ride is up in the air (no pun intended). The future of Six Flags is as well apparently. Shares in Six Flags, Inc. dropped 20 cents on Monday after report of the death. Share prices closed at $1.15 Monday on the New York Stock Exchange. This is the largest decline since Six Flags, Inc. reported earnings losses in November. 

If you plan to spend the summer enjoying Six Flags or other theme parks, please warn your children to abide by all signage and stay within designated areas of the park. 

If you believe that you or a loved one, may have a personal injury or wrongful death claim against a theme park, contact the law firm of Katz, Stepp and Wright for a free, private consultation.