infrastructure

Published on: October 30, 2009

Safety Experts Warn of Bridge Collapse

Safety Experts Warn of Bridge Collapse Risks

Experts are unanimous – many of the country’s bridges are old, and in severe need of repairs.As Georgia personal injury lawyers, we are concerned about the fact that so many of our bridges are considered “structurally deficient “or “functionally obsolete.”.

The warning about our bridges comes after an incident on the Bay Bridge in San Francisco, in which pieces of steel and a cross beam snapped off the bridge, and fell on to the upper deck. The incident resulted in minor injuries to one motorist. However, the potential for serious injuries was great, considering that the incident happened during rush hour on the bridge. The pieces of steel were part of repairs that had been conducted on the bridge over the Labor Day weekend. Questions are being asked about how the repair job fell apart so soon.

Published on: October 14, 2009

Big Rig Crackdown in Chatham County Reveals Maintenance Issues

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Big Rig Crackdown in Chatham County, Georgia Reveals Maintenance Issues

A new task force in Garden City, Chatham County is cracking down on truckers to keep unsafe big rigs off the roads and prevent accidents. The first few days of the crackdown have already revealed severe maintenance issues that could place tractor trailer drivers at possible risk of an accident.

Members of the task force know that while a tractor trailer may look like it’s in perfect condition, there may be several maintenance issues that can place the vehicle at risk of an accident. The task force is already seeing some major maintenance problems on some of the trucks that have been pulled over. For instance, they have found trucks with a variety of maintenance issues, including malfunctioning lights, loose straps securing cargo, nearly bald tires with little tread and a host of other issues.

Published on: July 6, 2009

More Accident Fatalities Result from Highway Defects Than Speeding, Alcohol

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

A report by a transportation development advocacy group says that the country could save more than $200 billion from automobile accidents if it invests in better highway design, maintenance and repairs.

The Washington Post has this interesting report about how road-related conditions are responsible for more than half of the 42,000 accident-related deaths that occur each year. Contrary to popular perception, it’s poorly positioned utility poles, steep curves, road obstructions and other hazards that contribute to the most number of accident-related deaths in the country- not drunk driving, speeding or failure to wear seatbelts.

Consider this:

Published on: May 13, 2009

Safer Roads, Fewer Accidents: Georgia’s Road Improvement Stimulus Funds Are Here

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Motorists in Georgia can look forward to repaired highways and safer streets that will reduce the risk of accidents. Governor Perdue last week approved $187 million from federal stimulus funds, which will be used in up to 51 road construction and repair projects in metro Atlanta.

In April, the governor approved $207 million to be spent on highway projects, and these recent funds are in addition to those funds. All in all, Georgia is scheduled to receive $931 million for road improvement projects. Work on highways is expected to begin by summer. According to the Department of Transportation, there are dozens of projects that were in line for funds, but only those that are in poor condition or have had a high incidence of automobile accidents have been marked for construction work.

Here’s where some of those funds will go:

Published on: April 30, 2009

After Near Miss at Atlanta Bus Accident Site, DOT Begins work on HOV Exit

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

But for good fortune, it would have been a repeat of the tragic Bluffton bus accident in Atlanta that killed seven people in 2007. A group of students from Michigan escaped serious injuries when their bus driver almost made the same mistake that the Bluffton University bus driver did.

The students who were on their way from Michigan to Orlando were traveling in two buses. The driver of the first bus mistook the exit ramp for a through lane, and just managed to stop in time to avoid a potentially serious crash. It was the exact same mistake that the driver of the bus in which several Bluffton University students had been killed two years ago, had made. The near miss has called into question Georgia Department of Transportation’s tardiness in making adequate signage available to warn motorists of the dangerous site.

According to driver Rick Overtein who narrowly avoided an accident, the ramp is still very “deceiving.” Two years after the tragic Bluffton college bus accident, it’s obvious that signage warning drivers on the ramp is still insufficient. After the Bluffton accident, the Georgia Department of Transportation had come in for severe criticism, including sharp words from the National Transportation Safety Board for its failure to install proper signage. The Department of Transportation last week began work on updating the HOV exit, where the Bluffton accident occurred, a full two years later. It will be weeks before the overhead signs come up at the site.

Published on: February 24, 2009

DeKalb County Faces Funds Shortage for Road Repair Projects

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Blame the economic meltdown if there are more automobile and pedestrian accidents in DeKalb County in the coming years. The County is facing a severe funds crunch, and road repair and building projects are expected to suffer as a result.

DeKalb County last year spent $19 million on construction of new roads and sidewalks, and undertaking bridge repair. This year, that amount has been drastically slashed to $5.5 million. Every year, the County invests heavily in street repavement efforts that ensure that motorists drive not just efficiently, but also safely. Investments in previous years have gone into building sidewalks, so pedestrians can walk safely without fear of accidents, and constructing of new medians that can allow vehicle movement on roads to flow smoothly and prevent crashes. In previous years, funding from the road building budget has been used to install new streetlights that can reduce nighttime accidents. All these efforts are expected to suffer this year as the County struggles with balancing the shortage of funding, with numerous road and sidewalk repair, construction and improvement projects that it needs to undertake.

It seems like the financial meltdown and the economic crisis will begin pinching DeKalb County residents where it really hurts – their safety on county roads. You know there’s a meltdown in full swing not only when unemployment figures are up, but also when a cash shortage is obstructing efforts to make our cities and roads safe for all. Road building and repair efforts are necessary every year to repair eroded and battered stretches of road that can expose motorists to risk for automobile accidents. For instance, when traffic safety programs are cut because of funding shortages, you end up with battered and faded street signs malfunctioning street lights, uneven road surfaces that pose a risk of loss of control and rollovers, and other road defects that can cause accidents. Besides, during a recession, county authorities are also forced to cut down funding for the redesign of dangerous roads that may place motorists at an increased risk of collisions.

Published on: February 5, 2009

Dekalb County Pedestrian Accident Probe May Lead to Defective Road

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

In a tragic pedestrian accident, 7-year-old Cameron Dunmore was struck and killed by an SUV, while he was crossing on a crosswalk near his school, Princeton Elementary School in DeKalb County on Monday.The second grader was at a marked school crossing, and the guard even had the Stop sign out for drivers to see. The SUV driver, a parent of another child at the same school, failed to stop for unknown reasons, and struck Cameron. Now, reports suggest that a missing traffic light which was recently removed from near the school could have played a preventive role in the accident.

According to residents of the area, they had written a letter to County authorities about the missing traffic light, and the need to have it installed back at the spot as quickly as possible. The area is a school zone, and can be extremely busy, especially during school opening and closing hours.The Country authorities seem to have slept on the matter. There was an assessment made of the zone, and not much happened after that.Even the principal of the school had been contacted by parents who were afraid that speeding cars and high traffic at busy times could cause an accident. County officials have not yet confirmed if they received any complaints from parents about the lack of a traffic light near the school, or whether they plan to install a light at the spot.

Investigations into the crash will likely look at several factors that may have contributed to the accident.For instance, why didn’t the SUV driver stop at the crossing?Did the County receive a petition to install a light, and if yes, why were these pleas ignored?Depending on the answers to these questions, liability for this pedestrian accident fatality can be ascertained.

Published on: February 5, 2008

Accidents Likely as Bridge Inspection Reports Faked

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Today’s Atlanta Journal Constitution front-page article provides a shocking revelation from the Department of Transportation.A twenty-nine year employee charged with inspecting state bridges faked his reports since last fall.Falsified inspection reports could suggest that faulty bridges are safe. A bridge collapse could lead to serious personal injuries or even death for the occupants of vehicles.

The two-man inspection team fell behind in their work, partly because one team member took off a good deal of time from work last year.Rather than own up to missing a deadline, they falsified reports.Not apparently the swiftest, the team claimed to have inspected 18 bridges in one day, which caught the attention of a supervisor.The DOT reports it will send out a new team to inspect the 54 bridges affected by the employee lying scandal.

Bridges are inspected at two-year intervals.However, bridges deemed critical may get an annual inspection.Valid DOT inspection reports show that one in five Georgia bridges are in need of repair or new design.Georgia spends about $100 million a year on bridge maintenance, but claims it needs $2.5 billion to rebuild deficient bridges.