Georgia Injury Lawyer Blog

Georgia injury lawyers are well aware that use of cell phones and other hand held devices cause a significant number of automobile accidents and truck accidents. Just this morning I witnesses a near collision because a woman changing lanes was too glued to her cell phone to turn her head to make sure the lane was clear. Worse yet are “gotta stay connected type A types” who are constantly checking emails or texting while driving. The Georgia Legislature needs to get their act together and pass legislation to try to remedy the problem.

The Associated Press reported this week that the Florida Legislature is expected to consider several bills during its upcoming session that would ban drivers from using their cell phones or texting while driving. According to the article, the National Safety Council released a report in January that claimed 28 percent of all traffic collisions (1.6 million crashes a year) are caused by drivers using cell phones or texting.

The Georgia injury lawyers at Finch McCranie, LLP routinely subpoena phone records from cell phone companies when we have reason to believe that our client’s have been injured in automobile accidents or trucking accidents by drivers using cell phones or other hand held devices.

If you or a loved one have been injured as a result of being in a Georgia motor vehicle collision caused by a driver who was using one of these devices, call us to learn about your rights. We have been representing people in serious injury cases and wrongful death cases for over 45 years.

Compared with automobile accidents, motorcycle accidents or pedestrian accidents, trucking accidents can be significantly more complicated. One of the biggest mistakes a lawyer can make is treating a trucking case like a typical automobile accident case. First, the number of parties involved is generally more than two in case of truck accident. These parties involved in the case of a truck accident may include the drivers, the owners of the truck, the truck manufacturing company, the brake maker, etc.

Second, commercial vehicles are heavily regulated by both federal and state governments and determining fault in a truck accident requires the parties to not only be aware of all the applicable regulations, but the ability to effectively determine if any were not followed. A competent Georgia injury lawyer will be familiar with the regulations imposed by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Many rules and states have differing statutes of limitations that only an expert attorney can deal with. It is very important to choose a lawyer who knows in and out of truck law.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, one of the leading causes of truck accidents is driver fatigue, coupled with alcohol and/or drug use. However, how can you determine if the trucker was speeding or fatigued? An experienced attorney will know who to question, how evidence needs to be immediately preserved and gathered, and have access to experts who can piece together what happened and why.

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured as a result of being involved in a truck accident, call the Georgia injury lawyers at Finch McCranie, LLP. We have over 45 years experience representing people who have been seriously injured and families of those whose injuries have lead to the wrongful death of their loved ones.

An automobile accident in Dekalb County, Georgia has claimed the life of a young woman this week, Dekalb County police officials have reported that charges are pending against 17-year-old Shaeed Saunders stemming from the death of Tanesha Williams - age 14. Authorities have reported that on Wednesday, Saunders was attempting to pass another vehicle around a curb at a high rate of speed when he lost control of his vehicle, ran up on the sidewalk and struck Williams and 2 other students. The 2 students were injured but are expected to recover. The collision occurred near Stone Mountai High School where Saunders was a student.

The Georgia injury lawyers at Finch McCranie, LLP have represented the families of victims of automobile accidents, trucking accidents , motorcycle and and bicycle accidents and pedestrian accidents who have died as a result of the negligence of others for over 45 years. If you have lost a loved one as a result of the negligence or carelessness of someone, call us today for a free consultation.

Cell phone use and texting while driving are major problems on the Georgia roads and nationwide. Our Atlanta automobile injury lawyers see far too many cases in which drivers distracted by cell phone use are causing serious injury and death.

Even though the police are too seldom required to determine whether cellphone use was involved in an accident, the data about texting or phoning while driving is alarming. Harvard researchers estimated that drivers on cellphones cause about 2,600 fatal crashes a year and 570,000 accidents. Hands-free devices do not eliminate that risk. Other studies show that someone legally drunk could outperform a person texting behind the wheel.

While a large measure of the responsibility for these accidents lies with drivers, consumer groups are now questioning the role of the wireless phone industry in the problem, and why the industry has fought against restrictions on the use of these devices.

Last week an article in the New York Times alleged that the industry was intentionally blinded by massive profits to the dangers. The article pointed out how the industry has continually promoted the use of phones while driving. It specifically cited one ad showing a businessman on the phone and asking, “Can your secretary take dictation at 55 m.p.h.?”

In California, the mobile industry fought off bans on talking while driving for years, at one point arguing that they were looking out for consumers.

Congress has slowly begun to focus on this issue and proposals for bans are now circulating in both houses. None seem to be a priority, and it appears that individual states will have to address this growing danger. The lawyers at Finch McCranie LLP urge you to contact your elected representatives in an attempt to move this issue to the front of the legislative agenda. The problem will only continue to grow worse and innocent people will be seriously injured and killed simply because a driver is distracted by cell device.

As Georgia injury lawyers we have represented many pedestrians who have been struck and seriously injured in automobiles accidents. Just this year we represented a young mother who was crossing a roadway with her two young children when they were struck by a motorist who admitted that she never saw them prior to impact. Unfortunately one of the children died and she sustained serious injuries.

Today it was reported that a car hit an 18-year old pregnant girl and her 4-year old brother as they crossed Roswell Rd. in Atlanta. Unfortunately the child suffered serious head injuries. Allegedly they were not in a crosswalk but were in the turn lane when they were struck by the car. Georgia law makes it difficult to recover damages for your injuries if you are hit by an automobile and you are not in a crosswalk; however, a motorist still has a duty to maintain a proper lookout and see what can plainly be seen but someone exercising ordinary care. You cannot just run over pedestrians who are in the roadway if you could have and should have discovered their presence and taken evasive action. In any pedestrian case, it is crucial that a thorough investigation be done immediately to document the weather and lighting conditions existing at the time of the accident.

The Georgia injury lawyers at Finch McCranie, LLP have over 40 years experience representing victims of automobile accidents in serious injury or wrongful death claims. If you have been injured or lost a loved one due to an automobile accident, call us to learn about your rights.

Of all the possible traffic accidents in Atlanta, cases in which vehicles collide with a bicycle or a pedestrian can have the most tragic results. When walking or riding a bike, you do not have the same structural protection against impacts that you do while driving, so you are more likely to be the injured party, and you are more likely to be hurt badly.

If you are severely injured or if a loved one was killed in a bike or pedestrian accident due to the negligence of a driver, you deserve compensation for your losses, and you may need a lawyer to help you win your case.

When you are injured, unable to work, and facing medical bills, the situation can seem very dark. You not only need an attorney who will protect your rights and demand compensation, you need a friend who can give you the information and support you need.

With convenient offices in Atlanta, Georgia, Finch McCranie, LLP is dedicated to helping the victims of bicycle and pedestrian accidents in Georgia and to providing a high level of responsiveness, communication, and personal attention. At Finch McCranie, LLP, we take care of our clients. Our bicycle and pedestrian accident lawyers will fully inform you about the details of your injury case and the legal issues involved so you can make confident, educated decisions.

If you are someone you love was severely injured in a Georgia bicycle or pedestrian accident, please call the Georgia injury lawyers at Finch McCranie, LLP at 1-800-228-9159.