Georgia motorists

Published on: May 23, 2025

Georgia Invests in Auto Accident Prevention Efforts

The state of Georgia recently allocated $2.5 million for personal injury and car accident prevention efforts across the state in the form of several grants.

We definitely need greater investments in the field of auto accident and personal injury prevention in order to help reduce the number of people fatally or seriously injured in auto accidents every year. That means investments in awareness and education campaigns, planning and infrastructure, updating of records and databases, and updates to existing medical and emergency care systems. The recent grants announced in Georgia target several different areas that have long required attention.

The Georgia Department of Public Health has announced an investment of more than $1.7 million in the Injury Prevention Program’s Child Occupant Safety Project. This program promotes the safety of child passengers in automobiles across Georgia, helping provide car seat installation advice and guidance to thousands of parents and caregivers across the state. Child passengers are some of the most vulnerable passengers in any auto accident, and this grant will provide more funds to make sure that training is available not just to parents, but also to medical and health care professionals, emergency responders, firefighters and law enforcement officers. The goal is to make sure personal injuries to these vulnerable passengers are minimized or avoided all together.

Published on: July 24, 2021

Georgia Among States with Lowest Rates of Distracted Driving Accidents

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

There is good news for Atlanta motorists – Georgia is ranked as one of the states with the lowest rates of accidents caused by distracted drivers.

According to a recent report released by Zutobi, rates of distracted driving across the country have increased significantly in recent years. Some states have a bigger problem with distracted drivers, compared to others.

Fortunately, Georgia ranks at the bottom of the list, with a low rate of accidents caused by distracted drivers. The crash rate for Georgia was 3.1%, with just over 3 distracted driving- related accidents for every 100 fatal accidents recorded in Georgia. According to the report, Georgia had a total of 1,377 fatal car accidents in 2019, and out of these, 43 crashes were related to distracted motorists.

Published on: December 15, 2018

Georgia’s Trucking Accident Statistics Continue to Rise

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Thousands of trucks travel on Georgia’s highways and interstates every year, moving freight and working as indispensable components in the state’s trade and commerce system. However, there are also countless accidents every year involving these massive vehicles on Georgia’s roads that result in dozens of deaths and hundreds of injuries.

Large trucks and tractor trailers, by their very nature and design, are more likely to cause serious injuries to the occupants of the smaller vehicle when they are involved in an accident. These trucks can weigh up to 80,000 pounds, and their bulk can make any collision with them especially dangerous.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s statistics from 2006 to 2016 portray an interesting picture of Georgia’s truck safety record. A look at the data indicates that the state was able to make significant progress in reducing the number of people killed in truck accidents between 2006 and 2010. During this 5-year period, there was a continuous decline in truck accidents beginning with 232 fatalities in 2006 to ending at 153 in 2010.

Published on: January 28, 2016

2015: a Bad Year for Georgia Motorists

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Calendar year 2015 did not provide great news for motorists in Georgia. Not only was there a spike in the total number of people killed in car accidents across the state last year, but there also appears to be a rise in the number of people killed in alcohol-related car accidents.

The rise in Georgia’s car accident fatalities numbers is concerning. After declines were reported for close to nine consecutive years, traffic accident death numbers actually increased in 2015. In 2015, more than 1,300 people died in car accidents, and at least 25 % of those fatalities are estimated to have involved an impaired motorist.

The 25% number has not been confirmed yet, because the final numbers are still being compiled. Exact details about the alcohol percentage in each of these fatalities is not yet known, but based on past data, it’s quite reasonable to believe that the 2015 numbers involving drunk driving was very high. According to the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reveals that two years ago, 27% all traffic accident fatalities were directly linked to intoxicated motorists. It can take months for lab results to arrive and be verified, and final statistics for 2015 will not be confirmed until months from now. However, all initial indicators point to an increase in the number of people killed as a direct result of being involved in an accident with an intoxicated motorist.

Published on: January 2, 2012

Woman Killed in Douglas County Car Accident

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

A woman has been confirmed dead, and at least four other people, including a child, suffered personal injuries in an auto accident in Douglas County.

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

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

Published on: November 22, 2011

Marietta Motorist Claims Seizure Caused Car Accident

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

A Marietta motorist, who was involved in a multi-vehicle auto accident, insists that the car accident was the result of a seizure that he suffered while driving.Police have already filed charges against him. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the auto accident occurred when the driver’s Ford F-250 struck another pickup truck on the same street.The motorist drove off after the accident and struck two more vehicles, before finally veering off the road and crashing into a tree.

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

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

Published on: April 18, 2011

Focus on Preventing Distracted Driving Car Accidents in Georgia This April

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

As Atlanta injury attorney I often notice people using cell phones while driving almost every day as we drive to work.Such behaviors significantly increase their risk of an auto accident, including those that result in serious personal injury.Unfortunately, this isn’t just a fad that affects the young and teen drivers, but a dangerous phenomenon that also touches most motorists.This April, the focus will be on minimizing the number of accidents every year in Georgia caused due to distracted driving, as national and local transportation safety agencies mark National Distracted Driving Month. Reducing distracted driving is probably one of the best ways to decrease the overall number of car accidents in Atlanta and throughout Georgia.

April was set as National Distracted Driving Month through a special move by Congress, and across the country including Georgia, state and local transportation agencies will mark the month with special efforts to crack down on distracted drivers, and raise awareness about these practices.While much of the focus on distracted drivers this month is likely to be on those using cell phones while driving, there are all kinds of other distractions that increase the risk of an accident.In fact, some studies estimate that approximately 80% of all accidents are caused by some kind of distractions.These include motorists using cell phones, texting, changing radio stations, snacking, reading newspapers, applying makeup, and performing any other activities that take their eyes away from the road and their hands off the steering wheel.

However, the risk from the use of cell phones and other electronic communication devices while driving is especially greater, because cell phones can be found in almost every car.Besides, in a tough economy, American workers have felt under greater pressure than ever to constantly stay in touch with the office 24/7, even while they’re driving. There is also an entire section of Atlanta’s population that has been raised on Facebook and MySpace. For these drivers, not being in touch with their friends 24/7 via smart phone is, quite simply, unthinkable.

Published on: December 1, 2009

Six Injured in Gwinnett County Car Accident

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Six Injured in Gwinnett County Car Accident

Five members of a Georgia family have a lot to be thankful for, after they escaped what could have been a serious accident in Gwinnett County over the Thanksgiving weekend. The five and their taxi driver have sustained injuries.

According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, the taxi was travelling on I-85 when it was hit by a dark-colored car. The car was also traveling south in the lane next to the taxi, when the driver lost control, and sideswiped the taxi. The impact caused the taxi to flip over. The driver and the five passengers were able to climb out of the taxi. The injured included at least 3 children, aged 9, 7 and 6. Fortunately, the injuries are not life threatening.

Published on: August 17, 2009

Covington Driver Released after Fatal Pedestrian Accident

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

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.

Published on: April 4, 2009

Families Mark Second Anniversary of Bryan County Car Accident Deaths

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

March 21^st marked two years since the car accident that killed three Bryan County high school students. Melissa and Heather Arthur and Laura Cobb were killed in an accident just two miles from their school.

On the day of the accident, the three girls were passengers in a Chevrolet Cavalier driven by Tam Duc Le. As the car turned a curve on highway 119, it collided with a pickup truck. Tam Duc Le was charged with felony counts of first degree vehicular homicide and charges of reckless driving and several other traffic violations, including failure to maintain lanes and driving too fast for conditions.

The accident also brought into focus the dangerous highway curve where the accident occurred. Before the accident that killed the three high school students, there had been several other accidents on the curve caused by speeding drivers. At the accident scene, there is still a sign asking motorists to drive at 40 miles per hour. However, families in the area say that motorists frequently drive at far higher speeds.