The young woman had been driving a Toyota Safari, which was struck by an Infiniti. The woman had a green light at an intersection, when the Infiniti driver ran a red light and broadsided the Toyota. The Toyota driver suffered serious injuries, and was rushed to the hospital. However, she died two days later.

The Infiniti driver now faces misdemeanor charges. However, the parents of the young woman want felony vehicular homicide charges to be brought against the man. Vehicular homicide charges can only brought in cases where the motorist was driving under the influence, was driving at excessive speeds or was on the run from police. This particular accident doesn't seem to meet any of those criteria, and therefore, it isn't very likely that felony charges will be filed here.

Every accident that ends in a death is a tragedy, especially when it is a fatality that is so preventable. Unfortunately, as Atlanta car accident attorneys, we often see that everything which could be done to prevent these accidents has not been done. Although Georgia's system of red light cameras is helpful in preventing these types of accidents, it has been the target of plenty of criticism and scrutiny. This is in spite of the fact that there are studies to indicate that red light camera systems reduce the incidence of red light violations, and prevent the devastating accidents that result from these violations. 

These accidents are devastating because they involve a car running a red light and broad siding, or crashing into the side of another car. The kind of side-impact injuries that result from these accidents are often severely injurious or fatal.

Speeding Cameras, DUI Enforcement Could Prevent More Fatal Accidents Every Year

A new study should be a wake-up call for those who have been celebrating the fact that traffic accident fatality levels are at their lowest levels in decades. According to the study, the US is actually faring very poorly in comparison to countries like France and Australia, in reducing highway accident fatalities.

The study, by the influential National Research Council, compared traffic accident fatality rates in this country with other countries, including European countries, Japan, Australia and other developed nations. The US has made some of the least amount of progress in reducing the number of deaths. The study found that since 1995, France has managed to reduce its traffic accident fatalities by 52%, compared to 19% in the US.

According to the report, the US must work harder in enforcing DUI and speeding laws. For instance, in France, one motorist is administered an alcohol test for every 3.6 motorists. In the US, we have no reliable figures, but it is believed that the rate of our sobriety testing is below that of Great Britain-one in every 56 drivers.

Besides, other countries seem to have accepted speeding camera systems as a means to reduce driving speeds and prevent devastating accidents. In the US, speeding camera systems have been the subject of great controversy and debate, and have been opposed in many parts of the country.

The problem is also that in this country, highway safety is the responsibility of state and local governments, and not the federal government. In most other developed countries, highway safety is solely the responsibility of the central government, which sets down safety laws and implements these.

TheAtlanta car accident attorneysat the Katz Law Firm represent injured victims of auto accidents in the metro Atlanta region and across Georgia.

Gwinnett County police are blaming reckless driving and failure to maintain lanes for a fatal accident over the weekend that killed a 19-year-old. A Valdosta man has been charged in the accident, which occurred on Sunday. According to police, the crash occurred near Lawrenceville. The suspect, James Griffin was driving a Silverado that swerved between lanes as it traveled southward on Lawrenceville-Suwanee Road, and then became airborne. The pickup truck landed on a Toyota Camry. The driver of the Camry was killed instantly in the accident.

The accident continues to remain under investigation, but police have already charged James Griffin with reckless driving and failure to maintain lanes.

Reckless driving is driving without regard for the rules of the road, or for other motorists’ safety. Such driving is much more harmful than merely disobeying traffic rules. Typically, reckless driving may include speeding, weaving between lanes, changing lanes improperly, running through red lights and other such undesirable driving practices.

Typically, in an accident involving a reckless driver, the other motorist is not prepared for the actions of the reckless driver, and may not be able to avoid the accident. For instance, there is little that a motorist can do to avoid a speeding driver who is weaving between lanes. That's also the reason why accidents involving reckless driving often have devastating consequences. These are typically high-impact crashes, with serious injuries.

Anybody may be at risk for reckless driving. However, the risk of such driving may be higher among young and teen motorists, who are more susceptible to peer pressure. You'll probably see lower incidences of reckless driving among senior drivers, although it's not really possible to make a generalization.

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

Study Indicates One in Six Fatal Accidents Linked to Drowsy Driving

It’s time to wake up to the serious dangers posed by motorists who drive when they're in a sleepy or tired state. A new study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety indicates that one in every six fatal auto accidents in the US is caused by a drowsy motorist. In fact, these drivers likely account for approximately 17% of all auto accidents in the country. 

No Atlanta car accident attorney would deny that those are sobering statistics. You don’t want to share the road with a motorist who is in serious danger of simply dozing off at the wheel. Yet, more than 41% of the respondents in the AAA study admitted that they had driven while they were very sleepy, at least once in their lifetime. Even worse, 27% of the respondents in the study admitted that over the previous month, they had driven while they were so sleepy they could barely see straight.

Except for New Jersey, no state bans drowsy driving. That is an indicator of our lackadaisical approach to this very serious threat. Part of the problem is that many motorists deny that such a problem even exists. Many of us have driven while we were sleepy, feeling confident about our safety.   Studies confirm that driving in a sleepy state impairs driving on the same levels as driving in an intoxicated state.

We need a combination of legislation and education to deal with drowsy drivers. But legislating how sleepy or alert a motorist can be while driving, could prove a challenge, Atlanta car accident lawyer would encourage more education and awareness campaigns to make motorists understand the serious risks of driving while sleepy.

Motorist in Deadly Georgia Easter Accident Sentenced to 36 Years in Prison

The BMW driver, who was involved in a deadly car accident that killed a total of five people last Easter in Fulton County, has been sentenced to six years in prison. Aimee Michaels also received 14 years of probation, and has been ordered to surrender her driver’s license, and not to operate a motor vehicle. Her mother was sentenced to eight years for tampering with evidence and hindering her daughter's arrest.

The accident occurred on April 12 last year. Michaels apparently lost control of the BMW she was driving, and struck a Mercedes. The impact of the accident sent the Mercedes crashing into a Volkswagen. The Mercedes burst into flames. All four occupants, including a couple, a nine-year-old girl and an infant boy were killed instantly in the crash. In the Volkswagen were a woman and her nine-year-old daughter. The daughter was killed in the crash. It was one of the deadliest crashes that Atlanta car accident lawyers had seen in recent times.

What brought on Michael's serious sentence was the fact that she simply drove away from the scene, and got her car repaired. Her mother allegedly was an accomplice to this. Ultimately, police managed to trace the newly repaired BMW back to Michaels’ home, and she was arrested 10 days later.

At the end of the trial, there is little information about what exactly caused the BMW to crash into the Mercedes, triggering off this devastating multivehicle accident. There are still questions about what Michaels was doing at the time of the crash. Was she distracted? Had she been driving under the influence? 

It’s the right time for us to urge motorists to drive at safe speeds, keep their attention focused on the road, and avoid driving under the influence.

Teen Motorist Killed in Cobb County Accident

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

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

Zuniga himself was severely injured, and had to be extricated from his vehicle. A 16-year-old passenger in Zuniga's car also sustained non-life-threatening injuries. Last month, Zuniga had been in other trouble, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He had been arrested after a police officer smelled marijuana in his vehicle at a traffic stop. 

This has been a terrible tragedy on so many levels. It is extremely fortunate that the Salter family survived the accident, and hopefully will not have any long-lasting impact from their injuries. This is the kind of accident that should drive home to Atlanta parents the importance of instilling safe driving behaviors in their teenagers. 

The Atlanta car accident lawyers at the Katz Law Firm represent injured victims of car accidents in the Atlanta region and across Georgia

Four People Killed in Georgia 15-Passenger Van Accident

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

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

The impact of the tire blowout and the subsequent rollover was catastrophic. According to a survivor, just about everybody in the van simply flew out when the van overturned.

Investigations into the accident have begun, and will include a look at the speed of the van at the time of the crash. The section of highway where the accident occurred has a posted speed limit of 65 mph.

This fatal Georgia accident comes just a few days after a similar van accident in New York. That accident killed six people, and reignited the debate over the safety of 15-passenger vans. There is enough evidence to show that these vans have an inherently unsafe design which includes a high center of gravity. This makes them more likely to roll over, especially in the event of a tire failure. However, in spite of all this evidence, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has not banned these vans altogether. All that the agency does is issue occasional safety recommendations, warning passengers that these vans have a higher susceptibility to roll over.

The Atlanta auto accident lawyers at the Katz Law Firm represent victims of car and auto accidents in the metro Atlanta area and across the state of Georgia.

One Killed in Canton Truck Accident

A 22-year-old man was killed in a multi-vehicle accident involving a tractor-trailer and two passenger vehicles in Canton last week. The accident occurred on Wednesday evening on the exit ramp from Interstate 575 to GA 140. 

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, a tractor-trailer ran a stop light at an intersection, and struck a Chevrolet Tahoe. The impact caused both vehicles to hit a Honda Prelude. The driver of the Honda Prelude, a 22-year-old resident of Canton, sustained serious injuries, and was declared dead at the scene. The driver of the Chevrolet Tahoe was also injured.

Investigations into the accident are looking specifically into why the tractor-trailer driver ran a red light. So far, no charges have been filed against him. There could have a number of reasons for the truck driver running a stop light. Distraction or inattentiveness is a common factor in red light violations. Commercial truck drivers are prevented from using cell phones and texting while driving under a new federal law. However, there are other distractions that could take a tractor-trailer driver's attention away from the highway. 

The increasing use of computers in tractor-trailers has also been a source of concern to Atlanta truck accident attorneys. The trucking industry has adopted IT technology in a big way, and many companies now equip their trucks with dashboard computers that allow the truck driver to browse the Internet, send and receive e-mails, and remain in constant touch with the dispatch office. 

These computers have made a trucker’s job much easier, but they have also magnified the risks of an accident from distracted driving. Besides, there are always non-tech distractions, like snacking, or fiddling with radio stations, that can take a truck driver's attention away from the highway.

Decline in Highway Fatalities Could Actually Jeopardize Auto Safety Legislation

Last week, we reported about a nationwide decline in highway fatalities that has been traced to enhanced auto safety, greater use of seatbelts and better DUI enforcement. Ironically, it now seems like opponents of the massive auto safety bill that is currently pending in Congress, will use these reduced highway fatality rates to actually scuttle the legislation.

The safety measures were developed in response to the Toyota crisis which broke last year, and involved cars accelerating to high speeds before crashing. In the days after four members of a California family died when their Lexus accelerated to high speeds and crashed, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration was found to be severely wanting in its regulatory functions and oversight of auto companies. The federal agency has little power to announce recalls on its own, and must rely on automakers to take proactive steps to protect American consumers. 

The new auto safety bill would take care of many of these problems. For one, it would give the NHTSA much greater recall powers, and would hold auto companies to stricter standards. 

However, enthusiasm for the bill could soon evaporate if opponents of the auto safety legislation - read, auto companies - get their way. According to the Wall Street Journal, these opponents are likely to use the decline in highway fatality numbers over the past years, to prove that Americans don't really need such sweeping auto safety reforms.

There's no doubt that we need auto safety reforms in the country. The current budget for the NHTSA is peanuts compared to the responsibilities that the agency has. Just because, there has been a significant drop in accident deaths, doesn't mean that we stop working towards keeping more Americans safe. Strengthening the NHTSA is just one way of doing that. We will lose much of the momentum that we have going on the highway safety issue, if we falter when it comes to passage of the bill.

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

More Focus on Highway Safety Technologies, Less on Distracting Issues

Does the super-sized focus on specific highway safety problems like distracted driving and auto safety issues like the Toyota acceleration crisis detract attention away from  potential safety technologies and processes? It's an intriguing question posed by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and as Atlanta auto accident lawyers, we agree with many of the Institute’s opinions.

What the Insurance Institute is basically saying in its latest report, is that when federal transportation safety agencies focus heavily on a specific highway safety problem like distracted driving, and when already limited resources are devoted to tackling this problem, it takes much attention and effort away from the development of other technologies and processes that can prevent accidents. No one is denying that distracted driving is a serious problem, but it contributes to a small percentage of auto accident fatalities every year. Similarly, we aren't saying that Toyota doesn’t have acceleration problems. In fact, in our capacity as Atlanta personal injury lawyers, we have always said that the company needs to be held accountable for its negligence. 

However, all the Toyota bashing takes attention away from the fact that a majority of the approximately 40,000 highway fatalities that occur every year in the US do not involve Toyota vehicles. For that matter, they do not involve distracted driving. In short, when federal transportation safety authorities devote extensive resources to fighting specific problems, like cell phone use while driving, they ignore the fact that more fatalities every year could be prevented by using, say, red light camera systems. We could prevent more fatal highway accidents every year by constructing roundabouts at busy intersections, or installing speed limiters on all commercial trucks. Some of the newest auto safety technologies, like lane departure warning systems can help prevent a variety of accidents that are caused by a number of factors, including distracted driving. We could be focusing on mandating these on all vehicles.

We could focus on these systems, and significantly reduce highway fatality rates. Instead, federal authorities seem to concentrate on holding distracted driving summits. Not that the distracted driving problem in Georgia isn't serious and doesn't demand attention, but while we tackle it appropriately, there are other things we could do to save more lives every year. There currently seems to be an imbalance in federal highway safety priorities, which needs to be set right.

Georgia Department of Transportation Settles Wrongful Death Lawsuit

The Georgia Department of Transportation has agreed to pay $600,000 dollars to settle a wrongful death lawsuit, arising from a taxi accident that killed a 51-year-old woman. Patricia Heller was killed when her taxi went out of control and crashed into a tree. She suffered fatal injuries.

Her husband filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the taxi driver, the taxi company, a former city inspector and the Georgia Department of Transportation. The lawsuit alleged that the taxi had bald tires on the day of the accident, and had passed a city inspection just one day before the crash. The lawsuit also accused the Department Of Transportation of negligent design of that section of Interstate 85, alleging that a tree should not have been allowed to grow so close to the roadway. The lawsuit also alleged that the slope was too steep, and the drainage system was poor.

Last month, a Fulton County court ruled that the tree clearance came under the jurisdiction of the city of Hapeville, and not the Department of Transportation. However, the negligent design claim was allowed to go ahead. Now, the Georgia Department of Transportation has agreed to pay $600,000 to settle the wrongful death lawsuit. It has also apologized to Heller's family, including her husband and two children.

Since the accident, the Georgia Department of Transportation has established a more expansive tree clearance program. However, the agency says it has no plans of making any changes to its drainage system or the slope design, because it doesn't believe any changes are needed

The Atlanta auto accident lawyers at the Katz Law Firm represent injured victims of auto accidents in the metro Atlanta region and around Georgia.

In a move that is sure to increase auto safety for Americans, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has announced that it will soon launch its new auto testing and rating program. Several 2011 models will be tested using these tougher testing standards.  The agency will begin testing about 55 models, including some American favorites like the Honda Odyssey, the Ford Fusion and Taurus, and the Chevrolet Cruze.

Under the new testing system, cars will be tested against each other, and not against a standard performance bar. In the old system, far too many cars were able to meet the standards, and obtain a five-star rating. In the new system, vehicles will have to compete with each other to get the five-star rating, and there will be far fewer vehicles that actually meet the new standards. Several cars that currently enjoy a five-star rating could find their rating drop to a two-star one, once the testing program is implemented.

The new testing program will include a pole test and a female crash test dummy in the front passenger seat. The tests will result in a single overall safety score. For the first time, the rating will also contain information about any additional safety features the car contains, like lane departure systems and forward collision warning systems. With this rating system, consumers will find it easier to buy cars that not only prevent accidents, but also protect them in the event of an accident.

As Atlanta auto accident lawyers, we know that safer cars have been a major factor in the drop in accident fatalities over the past decade. Cars in 2010 are much, much safer than they were back in the 1970’s. The new rigorous testing standards will help protect motorists and occupants, and minimize those fatality rates further.

How many highway fatalities are too many highway fatalities? That's one question that has had auto safety advocates’ and Atlanta car accident lawyers’ attention ever since the NHTSA announced that highway fatalities in the US were at an all-time low.

While 33,960 fatalities in 2009 may seem like good news, there's one group of transportation safety officials that doesn't believe so. The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials is aiming for the ultimate highway accident fatality rate – zero. It is adopting an approach called Toward Zero Deaths. The program's goal is to alter the most common driving behaviors that frequently cause accidents - drunk driving, distracted driving, speeding and failing to buckle up.

The group is finding much success in its efforts towards minimizing fatality rates even further. Auto safety groups are urging Congress to set a target of halving the highway fatality rate in the next two decades. In August, AASHTO and the Transportation Research Board will convene a meeting in Washington that will be attended by auto safety experts from around the country. Several states are engaged in encouraging initiatives aimed at further reducing fatality rates.

According to traffic safety experts, more than motorist behaviors, it is advanced auto technologies that could be instrumental in reaching this goal. Atlanta car accident attorneys will agree. With the Toyota safety scandal still making headlines and new recalls being issued every second day, it is easy to believe that our vehicles are dangerous machines. The fact is however, that electronic stability control systems, side air bag systems, collision warning systems, and other advanced technologies save lives every year.

These technologies are still too new for us to understand exactly how many fatalities these prevent annually, but we’re willing to bet the number is substantial. Over the next few years, the NHTSA will mandate backup cameras in automobiles to prevent backover accidents. The agency is also looking at the possibility of requiring noise emitting systems in ultra-quiet hybrid electric cars. The noise that these systems generate will alert pedestrians to an approaching car. 

It's hard to imagine a time when no person will drive intoxicated or at dangerous speeds. It is however possible to imagine that in the near future, automobiles will evolve into protective cocoons of safety, shielding motorists and passengers from death.

Covington Driver Released after Fatal Pedestrian Accident

Even as the family of 6-year-old Suk Maya Monger was holding a memorial service for the refugee girl who was struck and killed in a pedestrian accident, the motorist who struck her has been released from the DeKalb County Jail.

Suk Maya was killed last week. She and her mother had just got off a MARTA bus, and had walked round in front of the bus to cross the street. As they stepped into an open lane, motorist Gregory Armwood stuck the mother and daughter pair. According to police, he had just passed a stopped car and a MARTA bus. Suk Maya suffered serious head and internal injuries. She died on Wednesday. That day, tragically enough, was to have been her first day at a local Atlanta elementary school.

The girl had been in the country for just 12 days. Her family had traveled to the US under a federal refugee program for people from countries where they face persecution. The Mongers had come from Bhutan where they faced ethnic cleansing. Suk Maya herself was born in a refuge camp in Nepal where her family lived for 10 years. There was no access to schools, and they survived on relief, along with about 200,000 Nepalese refugees. At the time of the accident, the family was still applying for social security numbers. Obviously, they have little money, and this is an unimaginably tragic time for them.

According to a Clarkston police officer who witnessed the accident, Armwood passed a vehicle and then a bus. State records show that this man has racked up several traffic offenses over the past 17 years, including drunk driving, running stop signs and speeding. In 2003, he was convicted in DeKalb County for driving at 75mph in a 55mph zone.

Armwood seems to have a history of disobeying traffic rules. Unfortunately a 6-year-old girl, who came into this country looking for a better life, has paid the price.  This was a man who, with his record history of traffic violations, should not have found it that easy to drive a car and mow down an innocent girl. We hope this time round, Armwood is prosecuted vigorously to prevent him from getting back on the streets where he could be a danger to others like little Suk Maya. 

The DeKalb County pedestrian accident attorneys at the Katz Law Firm represent victims of injured pedestrians in DeKalb County and across Georgia.