You would never knowingly put your child in harm’s way and never want to imagine them involved in a car accident. Yet, young children are involved in motor vehicle accidents every day. Car seats are a basic safety system to protect your child should an accident occur.
By now, you might think every parent has their child in a proper seat. That isn’t the case. Nearly 142,000 seatbelt and car seat violations in 2017.
An unexpected collision with a semi-truck in Georgia can be terrifying and overwhelming for victims and their families. Commercial trucks are so much larger than the vehicles that they share the road with that an accident with one of them can result in catastrophic injuries and consequences to truck accident victims.
There are several different types of problems that a commercial truck poses on the roadways, which can spell danger for other drivers of passenger vehicles and motorcycles. The consequences of a truck accident can include debilitating and devastating injuries including traumatic brain injuries; spinal cord injuries and potential paralysis; internal injuries; and broken bones.
Car accident victims left with soft tissue injuries may need help with their injuries and the impact of those injuries on their lives. Soft tissue injuries can be debilitating, worsen over time and require ongoing treatment and care which is costly.
Soft tissue injuries refer to injuries to the soft areas of the body including muscles, tendons and ligaments. The most common type of soft tissue injury is a whiplash injury but other types of soft tissue injuries include sprains, strains and bruising. Whiplash injuries occur when the victim's head is violently jolted back and forth which is not uncommon in car accidents. Car accident victims struggling with a soft tissue injury may be experiencing and trying to cope with soreness, swelling, bruising and stiffness.
Distracted driving is a danger on Georgia's roadways. From 2017 to 2018 distracted driving convictions in Georgia greater than doubled. During that time period, distracted driving convictions increased by nearly 11,000 convictions. The hands-free driving law in Georgia that went into effect last year is not limited to texting while driving. The distracted driving law now extends to prohibit drivers from holding a cell phone in their hands while driving or having a cell phone touching any part of their body while driving.
Several Georgia counties in the northern part of the state and in the northeast account for the top number of distracted driving convictions in the state. The new distracted driving law is the result of a growing concern regarding distracted driving-related injuries, deaths and car accidents. Victims of distracted drivers have legal recourse to pursue a claim for damages against a negligent or distracted driver if they have been harmed in a car accident.
Victims of car accidents usually have so many questions following an unexpected car accident. They may wonder what they will do about their injuries and what they will do while they are unable to work as they struggle to recover from their injuries.
One of the most important questions injured victims may have following an unexpected car accident includes those related to timelines that come up associated with a car accident. Timelines that car accident victims never thought of before may become important following a car accident. Car accident victims should be familiar with timelines associated with promptly reporting the car accident and ensuring that it is documented in a police report.
Victims of distracted drivers can suffer a host of serious injuries that may result in disability or worse. When a victim has suffered injuries in a distracted driving-related car accident, they need to be familiar with where they can turn including personal injury legal protections which can help with medical expenses, lost wages and pain and suffering damages.
Injuries that can result from distracted driving-related accidents include severe spine injuries; traumatic brain injuries and other types of brain injuries such as concussions; soft tissue injuries and whiplash injuries; paralysis; amputations; severe broken bones; and even death. Injured victims may need help with their medical expenses, lost wages and pain and suffering damages. A distracted driver may be liable for compensating victims for the damages they have suffered in a distracted driving-related car accident.
Truck accidents can be catastrophic for victims and can cause serious injuries that can be devastating medically, financially and emotionally for victims. Fully loaded commercial vehicles weigh 25 times as much as other passenger vehicles they share the roadways with which can create a true danger for other vehicles on the roadway.
According to the Department of Transportation, during 2006, truck accidents accounted for 4,995 fatalities and 106,000 injuries. Those fatalities and injuries result in real damages and harm to victims and their families. Truck accident victims and their families may suffer serious injuries and harm including medical expenses, lost wages and pain and suffering damages. A personal injury claim for damages can help and may allow victims to recover compensation for the physical, financial and emotional damages suffered in a truck accident.
Since 2007, 10 percent or more of all traffic fatalities in Georgia involved a motorcyclist. In that time, between 6 percent and 10 percent of those fatalities involved a motorcyclist who was not wearing a helmet.
The data, compiled by the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety in Georgia, shows that fatalities most commonly occur when the operator is between 20 and 29 years old.
Car accident injuries can be devastating and can impact a victim's life for a long time to come. As a result, victims may find themselves in a position to need help with the physical, financial and emotional damages they suffer in a car accident.
A personal injury claim for damages can help victims recover compensation to help with their damages including medical expenses, lost wages and pain and suffering damages. Damages may also be available for future medical car expenses and lost earning capacity. Car accidents are costly. The economic costs of car accidents is estimated to be $277 billion annually. Car accidents are also the leading cause of injuries. Out of 5.6 million car accidents reported in 2012, 1.6 million involved injuries and another 30,000 were fatal.
Victims of distracted drivers have to be familiar with legal protections available to them. Georgia's hands-free phone law went into effect over the past year and the number of fatal accidents has also dropped during the past year. The Georgia Governor's Office of Highway Safety reported that fatal accidents were down six percent during 2018. The drop translates into 92 fewer victims of fatal accidents than the previous year. Last year was on track to be the first year Georgia saw fewer than 1,500 fatalities in four years.
Concerning causes of car accidents, both roadway and lane departures are also down for the year. The new hands-free phone law is considered a contributing factor to the decrease in traffic accident fatalities. Data concerning non-fatal accidents will be available this year. Authorities reported a decrease in accidents when the new law went into effect but believe there may have been a return to previous driving behaviors.
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Sam Dennis Law
1107 N. Patterson St.
Valdosta,
GA
31601
Phone:
229-244-4428
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