While we typically associate ambulances with life-saving emergency medical responses, drivers of ambulances also routinely drive in ways that can lead to collisions, such as disregarding traffic signs and signals, speeding and engaging in other potentially hazardous driving maneuvers.  The USA Today report of a recent fatal ambulance accident in Ocilla, Georgia poses a tragic reminder. 

If you are struck by a distracted driver who is rushing to a worksite, you might be able to pursue a legal claim against the driver if, for example, you are struck in a crosswalk while crossing with the “walk” signal.  However, the situation can be complicated if the driver lacks adequate insurance to cover your injuries.  We frequently hear from pedestrians, drivers and passengers who suffer injury when they are involved in a collision with an employee driving a work truck.  Because these trucks may substantially outweigh a small economy car, the occupants in the economy car can suffer life-changing injuries.

The Georgia Super Speeder Law is a valuable tool for discouraging operating a motor vehicle at high rates of speed, which constitutes one of the most dangerous forms of driving.  When drivers violate the speed limit, they increase the probability of a collision as well as the severity of resulting injuries and vehicle damage.  According to the Institute for Road Safety Research, vehicle collision rates increase with speed as well as when individual vehicles exceed the general speed of traffic.  The organization also reports that higher speeds result in more intense collisions and worse injuries especially when there is a substantial difference in mass between the vehicles.  The traffic safety organization also reports that those in the lighter vehicle usually suffer more severe injuries than those in the heavier vehicle.

While golf carts provide a convenience on the golf course and fun in certain communities where they are legal, they can also be dangerous because of their potential to rollover as well as their lack of safety features, such as protective frames, seatbelts or airbags.  There are many communities throughout Georgia where golf carts provide a second vehicle.  Lawful operation of a golf cart is covered by both Georgia statutes and ordinances enacted by local municipalities and counties.

A recent Gwinnett County lawsuit reported in the Daily Report provides a reminder of the dangers of using social media sites when you are involved in personal injury litigation.  The plaintiff was injured when she was the passenger in a vehicle driven by a friend.  As the vehicle was proceeding straight through an intersection, a commercial van for a refrigeration company traveling in the opposite direction made a left turn directly in the path of the vehicle in which the plaintiff was a passenger.  The driver of the van was cited for failure to yield according to the Daily Report summary of the case.

If you are a parent of a teenager, you may experience fears about your kids caving under peer pressure and engaging in high risk activity like drinking and driving, experimentation with drugs or other high risk behavior.  A recent tragedy involving a teenage girl from Dawsonville, which is approximately twenty miles from Atlanta, provides a stern warning about a risky adrenaline oriented activity.  The Georgia State Patrol has indicated Anna Hawkins was “car surfing” on the hood of an SUV after the teen driver operating the vehicle lost control of the SUV and crashed into an embankment according to a report on FoxNews.com.  Our Atlanta personal injury attorneys at Montlick and Associates extend our deepest condolences to the teenager’s family.

Motor vehicle accidents continue to claim the lives of approximately thirty thousand people per year in the U.S., and cause debilitating injuries to many more.  While any collision can cause debilitating injuries and wrongful death, the unique physics of Georgia trucking accidents pose a particularly serious risk to those struck by a tractor-trailer.  The weight of a semi-truck can exceed that of a compact economy car by more than 25 times.  Because of this disparity in bulk and size, as between the two vehicles, the occupants of the small compact car will almost always be the parties that suffer permanent devastating injuries.  If you have been involved in a tractor-trailer crash in Atlanta or anywhere in Georgia, we know you will have many questions and concerns.  Remember, you can obtain specific information based on your unique situation by having a no obligation- free consultation with one of our knowledgeable Georgia trucking accident attorneys at Montlick and Associates.

While our Fulton County motorcycle accident attorneys see the havoc and life-changing effects created by texting drivers, sometimes it is hard for those who do not face these tragedies on a daily basis to see them as more than a statistic.  However, we regularly meet with heartbroken families and injury victims that have had their lives permanently altered by drivers using cell phones to talk and text.  Motorcyclists face an increased risk of being involved in a motorcycle collision as well as a heightened risk of experiencing more permanent and debilitating injuries because more limited manueverability and they have essentially no protection from injury.

If you have ever watched a car chase involving a law enforcement vehicle and another driver on television, you may have wondered why these high speed chases do not result in auto accidents.  The reality is that these high risk incidents can and do result in motor vehicle accidents that cause serious injury and wrongful death.  Whether you are struck by a law enforcement officer vehicle or a fleeing motorist, you may find that you face challenges in successfully pursuing financial recovery in a personal injury claim.

Many of us engage in a practice on a regular or even daily basis that causes injuries to dozens of people across the U.S. every day.  The activity is such second nature that few even recognize the risk.  However, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reports that approximately 17,000 people per year are injured while using an escalator or elevator.  Whether you are using an escalator in a parking structure, at the mall, or an elevator in your office building, these devices can cause serious injuries including loss of digits, amputation of extremities and broken bones or head injuries in incidents involving entrapment or falls.