Georgia Injury Lawyer Blog

As Georgia injury lawyers we see all types of automobile accidents and truck accidents but yesterday's collision in Palmetto, Georgia between a Ford Mustang and a Dodge four-wheel drive pickup truck came close to becoming a wrongful death case.

The collision between the two vehicles occurred on U.S. Highway 29 at about 7:15 a.m. According to Palmetto police, the driver of the Dodge truck, crossed over the centerline of the highway into the northbound lane and collided head-on with the Ford Mustang. Because the Dodge truck was jacked up so high, it literally rode over the Mustang and came to rest on top of it. Fortunately, neither driver had any life-threatening injuries.

The Georgia injury lawyers at Finch McCranie, LLP have been representing the victims of serious injury accidents for over 45 years. We have also represented families of victims involved in motor vehicle collisions which have resulted in the death of their loved ones. If you or a loved one has been injured as a result of the negligence of others, call us today to discuss your rights.

The Georgia injury lawyers at Finch McCranie, LLP commute into the City of Atlanta everyday. In doing so, it is astounding to see how many people are sending text messages on cell phones, Blackberries and other PDA’s while driving. Many of these drivers cause automobile accidents, truck accident, bus accidents and even motorcycle accidents which result in serious injuries and sometimes the wrongful death of innocent victims.

Texting while driving is a rising problem among teenagers and adults and is a leading cause of traffic accidents. When someone texts while driving, they are endangering their own lives as well as other drivers and pedestrians they may pass. Last week two members of the Georgia House of Representatives introduced Bills that would ban the practice of texting. If a Bill passes, Georgia would be the 20th state in the nation including North Carolina and Tennessee, to ban texting while driving. Just today I read that similar legislation is being proposed in South Carolina and it is expected to pass.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a motor vehicle accident as a result of the negligence of a driver who was texting or operating other communication devices, call the Georgia injury lawyers at Finch McCranie, LLP who have been representing injury victims for over 45 years.

Georgia injury lawyers that handle automobile accident and trucking accident cases know that a rear-end collision is no laughing matter. Although the term “whiplash” immediately evokes a negative reaction, it is a serious, painful and many times a permanent injury. Unfortunately, a rear-end crash can, and often does, result in disc herniation and other spinal injuries. In some cases such a collision can result in a brain injury if the head strikes a solid object such as a rear window in a pickup truck.

The experts will tell you that a rear-end crash can cause the occupants in the vehicle that is struck to propel their heads forward at a speed that is 10 times or greater than the force of gravity. Rear-end crashes can cause back injuries, neck injuries, shoulder injuries, whiplash, cervical spine injuries, disk injuries, nerve injuries, joint injuries, ligament injuries, and other serious injuries. Anyone who has had one of the injuries, knows that they are very painful and debilitating. A rear-end car crash victim may have to undergo surgery, take pain medication, and spend months in physical therapy.

If you or a loved one have been injured as a result of being rear-ended in a motor vehicle collision, call the Georgia injury lawyers at Finch McCranie, LLP who have been represent victims of these crashes for over 45 years.

Georgia injury lawyers know that when there is a motorcycle accident, the injuries are usually serious. Motorcycles are by their very nature far less crash worthy than closed vehicles and crashes frequently result in catastrophic injuries or death. In 2000, I spent two weeks in the trauma unit of the Orlando Regional Hospital (a fantastic hospital) where my daughter was a patient. Throughout the day and night, helicopters landed on the roof with critically injured motorist, most of which were involved in motorcycle crashes. Sadly, many died as a result of brain injuries and other serious injuries.

Recently, I went to the Georgia DOT website to locate some recent statistics on motorcycle crashes. For reasons unknown to me, the latest posted data was from 2003. According to their study:

. There were 2,851 total motorcycle crashes, 2123 involving injury crashes, and 101 fatal crashes.
. Motorcycle crashes accounted for 7% of traffic fatalities, but only about 1% of the crashes.
. Of all motorcycle riders in crashes, 56% had at least visible or more severe injuries compared to only 4% of passenger cars occupants involved in a crash.
. Males represented 87% of the injuries and fatalities in motorcycle crashes.
. Motorcycles made up 2% of all registered vehicles.
. Half of the motorcycle operators (50%) involved in fatal crashes did not have a valid Class M license or permit.
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Because of the seriousness of the injuries sustained in motorcycle accidents and because many of the motorist who cause these accident are under-insured, Georgia injury lawyers need to be creative when representing riders. It is imperative that the victim’s attorney examine all potential avenues of recovery so that the client can be fully compensated. Other areas to review include failure of the motorcycle’s mechanical systems, failure of other motorcyclists to observe the motorcyclist, failure maintain the roadway and debris on the roadway from trucks, including tire tread separation.

If you or a loved one have been injured in an automobile accident, truck accident or motorcycle accident, consult the Georgia injury lawyers at Finch McCranie, LLP. Our firm has been representing personal injury victims for over 45 years.

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.

Georgia injury lawyers close attention to dangerous product recalls. In a filing with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Chrysler Group LLC announced the recall of 24,177 vehicles due to a potential defect in a brake system that could result in automobile accidents from sudden brake failure.

The recall includes 2010 model Chrysler Sebring, Dodge Avenger and Nitro, and Jeep Liberty, Commander and Grand Cherokee SUVs. The recall also applies to 2009-2010 model year Dodge Ram trucks.

According to Chrysler, the clip retention tab on the brake pedal pin on some of the vehicles was improperly formed, or not installed, during the manufacturing process. Although Chrysler is unaware of any automobile accidents related to the defective product, it could result in sudden brake failure.

The Georgia injury lawyers at Finch McCranie, LLP have been representing injured victims of dangerous products for over 45 years. Many of these cases involved serious injury and some involved the wrongful death of the client. If you or a loved one have been injured by a dangerous and defective product of any kind, contact us for a free consultation at (800) 228-9159.

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.

A few months ago, a collision between a motorcycle and a car in Atlanta, Georgia left a client, the rider of the motorcycle, seriously injured and without three of his toes. The motorcycle accident occurred when an SUV, driven by an Atlanta physician, ran a red light on Marietta Street, striking the side of our client’s motorcycle. Fortunately, there were witnesses who came forward. Paramedics, who arrived on the scene transported him to a nearby trauma center where three of his toes and part of his foot was amputated. The motorcycle accident resulted in our client incurring thousands of dollars in medical bills, substantial lost wages and a permanent injury, which will affect his mobility for the rest of his life.

If you or a loved one has been injured or if your loved one has been killed in a Georgia motorcycle accident, contact the Georgia injury lawyers at Finch McCranie, LLP at 800-228-9159. We have over 40 years of experience in representing injured victims of automobile accidents, motorcycle accidents and truck accidents.

According to the 2008 NAFTA Safety Statistics, 4,341 people were killed, and an additional 81,200 people were injured in connection with truck crashes involving a commercial vehicle. Unfortunately, many of these accidents were the result of driver fatigue which is wholly preventable. Truck drivers are at a significant risk of fatigue due to long, monotonous hours spent behind the wheel. Fatigue negatively impacts overall driving performance, slows reaction times, decreases situational awareness and impairs judgment. A study by the Adelaide Centre for Sleep Research found that drivers who had been awake for 24 straight hours have an equivalent driving performance to a person who has a blood alcohol level of 0.10, which would exceed the legal level of intoxication in most states. Commercial truck drivers and motor carriers are under a duty pursuant to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations to maintain various records associated with their operation, such as driver’s logs. Not surprisingly, these logs are often incomplete, inaccurate and sometimes completely fabricated. When representing clients who are injured as a result of tractor-trailer accidents, it is important for the victims attorney to obtain all documents that can be used to verify and/or challenge the accuracy of these logs. Trucking litigation presents a unique set of issues and it is the attorney’s obligation to work to both preserve and discover information about violations of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations.

If you have been injured or lost a loved one as a result of a truck accident, contact the Georgia injury lawyers at Finch McCranie, LLP, who have been representing victims of these accidents for over 40 years.

The Georgia injuries lawyers at Finch McCranie, LLP have been representing victims of dangerous products for over 40 years. Some of those victims died as a result of injuries they sustained in automobile accidents from defective seat belt designs. Remember the cars with the separate shoulder strap that automatically came across as soon as the car was started. It was a novel, but dangerous design. Recently the Commercial Appeal reported that a 14-year old boy, who was left paralyzed below the waste from a 2002 automobile wreck, has been awarded $6.5 million by a Memphis jury. The boy, who was 6-years old at the time of the accident, was in the backseat of his grandfather’s 1995 Mercury retrained by an adult seatbelt. The shoulder strap was behind the boy because it did not fit. When his car was struck head-on by the second car, the boy was seriously injured. The accident resulted in the wrongful death of the boy’s father, grandfather and driver of the other car. Ford Motor Company was found to be 15% liable for the total $43.8 million judgment for an adult seatbelt that was defective and not suitable for a child.

If you have been injured in an automobile accident , tractor trailer accident or been seriously injured as a result of using a dangerous or defective product, contact the experienced Georgia injury attorneys at Finch McCranie, LLP. For a free evaluation of your case, call us at 1-800-228-9159.

Georgia injury lawyers are well aware of how often preventable truck accidents occur because trucking companies are negligent in either the hiring or retention of dangerous drivers. Recently, we took the deposition of the owner of a trucking company who testified that he had never run a motor vehicle report on one of his drivers because he had known him for such a long time, that it was "not necessary". Had he done so, he would have discovered that the driver had more than 20 traffic citations which included speeding and racing. Incredibly, the owner of the trucking business promoted the driver to a position in charge of safety. His duties include making sure that the company is in compliance with the regulations of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration!

The Charlottesville Daily Progress recently reported on the trial of a wrongful death case involving negligent supervision of a truck driver. They reported that a Virginia jury has ordered the owners and driver of a tractor-trailer to pay more than $5 million to the family of a 16-year old girl who was killed in a 2008 trucking accident. Following a two-day trial, jurors found that Don Swisher Trucking Corp. and McCann Delivery Service were negligent for failing to supervise the driver and allowing him to drive a truck with defective parts.

If you or a loved on have been injured as a result of a trucking accident, call the Georgia injury lawyers at Finch McCranie, LLP who have been representing the victims of truck accidents in serious injury and wrongful death cases for over 40 years.

http://www.georgiainjurylawyers.net/Truck-Accidents.cfmWhen a truck accident or automobile accident causes serious personal injuries or wrongful death, you may have a tort or wrongful death claim that you can bring against the vehicle owner and driver. In some cases, you may have a claim you can bring against a negligent third party such as a tire manufacturer. As Georgia injury lawyers, we always investigate motor vehicle collision cases carefully to determine whether there is a negligent third party to sue. We recently read that on September 10, 2009, a jury in Willacy County, Texas, returned a verdict against Michelin and awarded $11,964,000.00 in damages. The care arose out of an incident when a Ford F-250 pickup suffered a partial left front tread belt detachment of a BF Goodrich All-terrain TA Tire. The tire had been built in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The tread belt detachment caused the F-250 to travel into oncoming traffic causing a head-on collision with a Chervolet Suburban. All six (6) people in the Suburban were killed and a young passenger in the F-250 was left a paraplegic. Several manufacturing defects, which allowed moisture and other contaminants into the time components prior to manufacture, were alleged by the plaintiffs. It appears the moisture came from a leaky roof in the Tuscaloosa plant. Testimony revealed that moisture created a blister of trapped air or steam that caused a defect in the finished tire and caused the tread to separate. Evidence at trial also showed that misplaced or poorly spliced belts affected the real world performance of the tire and in this case caused the tread to separate.

If you are a victim of a truck accident or an automobile accident, you may be entitled to compensation for loss of wages, pain and suffering and medical bills. Contact Georgia injury lawyers Finch McCranie, LLP Toll Free 1-800-228-9159 to learn about your options for your truck accident or automobile accident injury recovery.

Georgia injury lawyers who represent victims of tractor trailer accidents have long since known that driver fatigue may be the number one safety problem in the trucking industry today, and is a factor in nearly 40% of all crashes nationwide. These crashes almost always lead to the serious injury or wrongful death of innocent people. On Monday, a Georgia trucker, 47-year-old Michael Stinson of Williamson, Georgia was killed in a fiery crash on a south Georgia interstate. The accident occurred on I-75 near Lake Park around 12:30 am. Although the Georgia State Patrol Specialized Crash Reconstruction Team is still investigating, it appears that Stinson’s truck slammed into the back of another tractor trailer, overturned and caught on fire. Other truckers speculate that Stinson could have dosed off.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulates the trucking industry and places limits on the number of hours a truck driver can be in service. Based upon current regulations, a driver carrying property cannot drive more than 11 hours following 10 consecutive hours off-duty. A driver cannot operate a commercial vehicle for any period after having been on duty for 14 hours following ten consecutive hours off-duty.

The Georgia injury lawyers at Finch McCranie, LLP has been representing the victims of fatigued truck drivers for many years. If you have been injured or you have lost a loved one as a result of a trucking accident, call our experienced trial lawyers at (800) 228-9159 to discuss your rights.

Many truck drivers on the roads of Georgia and other states engage in dangerous activities many times a day. Hundreds of thousands of long-haul truckers use computers in their cabs to get directions and stay in close contact with dispatchers. While they are supposed to only use these devices while stationary, many truckers admit that almost nobody does.

The trucking industry supports use of the devices since they save time for the truckers and help loads arrive faster. The industry contends the devices can be used safely, posing less of a distraction than portable devices such as cell phones, and therefore should be exempted from legislation that would ban texting while driving.

There is currently pending in Congress a bill that would force states to ban texting while driving if they want to keep receiving federal highway money. The legislation will be discussed at a conference on distracted driving in Washington, starting tomorrow, organized by the Transportation Department.

The American Trucking Association has taken the position that while the industry does not condone texting while driving, the computers used by truckers require less concentration than phones. They contend that banning the use of such devices while driving will not improve safety.

Safety advocates and researchers say the computers present precisely the same risk as other devices, such as Blackberries and Iphones. And, they point out the risk may be even greater because of the size of 18-wheel tractor trailers and the longer time required for them to stop.
Some truckers say they feel pressure to use their computers even while driving in order to meet tight delivery schedules.

After videotaping truckers behind the wheel, the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute found that those who used on-board computers faced a 10 times greater risk of crashing, nearly crashing or wandering from their lane than truckers who did not use those devices.

The study found that truckers using on-board computers take their eyes off the road for an average of four seconds, enough time at highway speeds to cover roughly the length of a football field.

A Georgia man has been awarded almost $1.4 million for injuries he sustained in a tractor-trailer accident last year. The jury agreed with the injured victim that the truck driver suddenly and without warning pulled into his path. The victim’s injuries included a fractured femur, broken pelvis, broken ribs, a lacerated liver and a fractured elbow. The jury was out for approximately 2 hours before returning their verdict which included a $75,000.00 award for the man’s wife on her loss of consortium claim. If you or a loved one has been injured in a tractor trailer truck accident or a commercial bus accident, call the experienced Georgia injury lawyers at Finch McCranie, LLP for a free consultation.

The Augusta Chronicle reported today that two Augusta, Georgia men died from injuries they sustained when their Dodge pick-up truck rolled several times after hitting the median on Gordon Highway. According to the Richmond County Coroner, the truck accident occurred when the driver of the truck overcorrected when changing lanes resulting in his loss of control. This is the second case in Augusta in the last several days where the negligence of a host driver has resulted in the wrongful death of a guest passenger.

The Georgia injury lawyers at Finch McCranie, LLP have over forty years experience handling wrongful death cases. If your loved one has died in an automobile accident or a truck accident, call us at (800) 228-9159 for a free consultation.

The Georgia injury lawyers at Finch McCranie, LLP have handled many tractor trailer truck accidents and bus accidents, many of which were caused by defective equipment, including tires and brakes. Although there are plenty of federal regulations designed to force owners and operators of such vehicles to maintain safe vehicles, the regulations are often ignored. The Associated Press obtained a recent study by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) that found that hundreds of tractor-trailer and bus companies which had been order to shut down because of federal safety violations ranging from suspended licenses to possible drug use have stayed on the road by using different names. The GAO report found that a number of the commercial bus companies that had been fined and ordered out of service in 2007 and 2008 by federal regulators evaded compliance by setting up business under a new name. Unfortunately, the investigation found offenders in at lease nine (9) states, including Georgia. Accordingly to the GAO’s investigation, violators owe tens of thousands of dollars in past due fines and had many violations. Another 1,073 commercial trucking firms are also believed to have evaded compliance by reorganizing the company under a new name, often using the same address, owner’s name, employees and contact numbers. According to the report, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration says that it has put in place new oversight measures, including a computer matching process to compare new applicants to various motor carriers dating back to 2003. The study by the GAO came about a year after an unlicensed charter bus carrying a Vietnamese-American Catholic group blew a retreaded tire installed on a steering axle and skidded off a Texas highway resulting in the death of 17 people. The use of recapped tires on the steering wheels is a violation of federal regulations. Tractor-trailer and bus companies that operate in violation of federal safety laws pose a significant threat to the motoring public. It is believed that at least 300 wrongful deaths occurred last year from bus crashes alone.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a tractor trailer truck accident or a commercial bus accident, call the experienced Georgia injury lawyers at Finch McCranie, LLP for a free consultation.

Georgia has thousands of unsafe and dangerous trucks and tractor trailers operating on its highways and roads. A new study has revealed the extent of dangerous and unsafe truck companies operating in Georgia and the United States. As nearly 30 million Americans travel U.S. roads during the Labor Day holiday, a new analysis of government data reveals that more than 28,000 motor carrier companies, representing more than 200,000 trucks, are currently operating in violation of federal safety laws.

In an original analysis of data not previously available to the public, The American Association for Justice found motorists are sharing roads with trucks that have incurred thousands of safety violations – such as defective brakes, bad tires, loads that dangerously exceeded weight limits and drivers with little or no training or drug and alcohol dependencies.

AAJ obtained data on the safety performance of U.S. trucking companies through the Motor Carrier Management Information System (MCMIS), which is maintained by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). Over a million lines of data were analyzed in an effort to pinpoint just how many unsafe trucks might be on the road.

West Virginia, North Dakota, Nebraska, Vermont and Iowa had the highest rate of companies in violation of federal safety requirements. The effects of these violations are deadly. While truck accidents occur for a variety of reasons, many are preventable, and often a direct result of trucking companies violating safety standards to cut corners and maximize profits.

The attorneys at Finch MCCranie LLP are involved on a daily basis with cases in which dangerous trucks and unsafe practices by trucking companies have caused death and serious injury. Most of these involve multiple violations of state and federal motor safety regulations.

For a full copy of the AAJ report please visit the AAJ at:

http://www.justice.org/resources/Truck_Report_Final_082109.pdf

An Alabama jury recently awarded $3.5 million to the family of a man killed when the van he was driving was crushed between 2 logging trucks according to the Montgomery Advertiser. The truck accident occurred when one of the logging trucks rear-ended the victim’s van forcing it into the logs on the truck in front of him. As a result, the logs came through the windshield and killed the victim. In this wrongful death case, the jury found that the tractor trailer truck that rear-ended the victim had defective brakes and was speeding.

This case reminds me of a similar tractor-trailer truck accident case. The Georgia injury attorneys at Finch McCranie, LLP recently settled a wrongful death case of a woman who ran into the back of an improperly lighted logging truck. The light was placed in such a way that it was impossible for it to be seen when the truck was turning making a turn after dark. As a result, the victim struck the logs which came through the windshield. To make matters worse, the driver left the scene.

If you have been in an accident or have lost a loved one in an truck accident, it is important to make sure that you understand your legal rights. You may be able to recover money for medical bills, lost wages, funeral costs, as well as compensation for wrongful death or permanent disability. Contact the experienced Georgia injury attorneys at Finch McCranie, LLP for a free evaluation of your case at 1-800-228-9159.

Georgia injury lawyers handling tractor trailer accident cases involving serious injury or wrongful death cases are well aware of the dangerous trucks on Georgia highways. Recently, the Associated Press obtained a study by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) that found that hundreds of tractor-trailer and bus companies which had been order to shut down because of federal safety violations ranging from suspended licenses to possible drug use have stayed on the road by using different names. The GAO report found that a number of the commercial bus companies that had been fined and ordered out of service in 2007 and 2008 by federal regulators evaded compliance by setting up business under new names. Unfortunately, the investigation found offenders in at least nine (9) states, including Georgia. Accordingly to the GAO’s investigation, violators owed tens of thousands of dollars in past due fines and had many violations. Another 1,073 commercial trucking firms are also believed to have evaded compliance by reorganizing the company under a new name, often using the same address, owner’s name, employees and contact numbers. According to the report, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration says that it has put in place new oversight measures, including a computer matching process to compare new applicants to various motor carriers dating back to 2003. The study by the GAO came about a year after an unlicensed charter bus, carrying a Vietnamese-American Catholic group, blew a retreaded tire installed on a steering axle. As a result, the bus skidded off a Texas highway resulting in the death of 17 people. The use of recapped tires on the steering wheels is a violation of one of many federal regulations. Tractor-trailer and bus companies that operate in violation of federal safety laws pose a significant threat to the motoring public. It is believed that at least 300 fatalities occurred last year from bus crashes alone.

If you or a loved one have been seriously injured or lost a loved one as a result of a truck accident, call the Georgia injury lawyers at Finch McCranie, LLP at 1 (800) 228-9159. We have over 40 years experience pursuing wrongful death lawsuits.