Georgia Injury Law Blog
Georgia Accident Victims Need More Trauma Care Facilities
An uneven distribution of trauma care facilities in Georgia means that persons who meet with accidents in DeKalb or Fulton Counties have a better chance of surviving, compared to those in rural Georgia.The metropolitan Atlanta area has access to several trauma care centers where healthcare professionals can provide the kind of emergency care that saves lives.Thousands of people across Georgia are not that lucky.A new measure would remove this gap, giving accident victims in rural areas a chance to survive.
Come November, Georgia citizens can vote on a referendum on a vehicle license tag fee.The measure would add $10 to the existing fee structure, and the funds generated would be used to pay for the expansion of the trauma care facility system in Georgia.However good the intentions may be, the measure may have trouble being approved, especially during an election year.
It’s no secret to Atlanta car accident lawyers that there is a stark difference between rural and urban accident fatalities.There are several reasons for this, including higher incidences of drunk driving, and poorly maintained roads in rural areas.However, one of the main reasons why people in rural areas are more likely to die in accidents is because they simply aren’t near enough to the closest trauma care facility.
Currently, Georgia has only 16 trauma care centers, and many of these are located in the urban areas.Out of these 16, only four centers are designated level 1 for the treatment of the most serious life-threatening injuries.Experts estimate Georgia needs at least 30 trauma care centers to save more lives every year.More trauma care centers would mean not only saving more lives in motor vehicle accidents and truck accidents every year, but also reduced long term disability.