Our Catastrophic Injury Attorneys Represent Clients Throughout the State of Georgia and the Southeast

At Montlick and Associates, our compassionate and caring Catastrophic Injury Lawyers want people to stay safe and never be injured in an automobile collision or other type of incident.  Unfortunately, the reality of modern day life dictates that accidents can and do happen.  We fight hard on behalf of each injured client in order to obtain for them the maximum compensation to which they are entitled under the law.  While any type of injury is unfortunate and tragic, “catastrophic” injuries are incredibly serious.  They can, in an instant and without warning, leave victims with permanent life altering disabilities and even cause death.   With this in mind, it is important to realize that not only are catastrophic injuries both physically and emotionally draining to the victims, they also present significant challenges to the individuals who are left to care for them.  In other words, the physical, emotional and monetary demands can be all too overwhelming for survivors, making it critical for catastrophic injury victims to seek competent legal representation.  With the potential for painful surgeries, long-term physical and/or occupational rehabilitation and/or the need for medical devices/prosthetics to live as normally as possible following a catastrophic accident, you deserve to be fully and fairly compensated from the at fault person(s) or company(s) who caused your injuries.

MCall.com reported that a road construction worker lost his life when he was struck by a car along Interstate 99.  A road construction worker lost his life when he was struck by a car along Interstate 99 while setting out warning flares for motorists. Mr. Gensimore was 45 years old, a father, a husband and a volunteer firefighter. The initial reports find that the driver who struck and killed Mr. Gensimore may have been speeding in the work zone area.

Auto Accidents and Serious Injuries in the State of Georgia

Most people have certain driving habits that are less than optimal, but some drivers routinely engage in conduct that substantially increases the risk of an auto accident.  While the best practice is for drivers to always observe the rules of the road and engage in defense driving, there are especially dangerous driving habits that cause more accidents and severe injuries.  When motorists disregard traffic safety and engage in these practices, the predictable result can be serious permanent injuries like spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, damage to vital organs, paralysis and other life-changing injuries.

Atlanta Workers’ Compensation Attorneys Answer:  Is Your Injury or Illness Work-Related?

In order to receive workers’ compensation benefits in Georgia, an injured employee must prove that the injury or illness is work related.  Generally, if you are an employee performing a work task for the benefit of your employer and you become injured or ill, the injury or illness will be considered work related.  Injured employees can receive workers’ compensation benefits if their injuries are work related and they meet other necessary requirements.

According to the Occupational Safety & Health Administration and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, electrocutions are a leading cause of worker deaths, accounting for about 71 deaths in the construction industry alone and an average of 411 deaths in all industries each year.  Employees whose jobs place them in proximity to electrical sources are at high risk of electrocution and electrical related injuries. 

As the weather gets warmer, workers throughout the State of Georgia and all across America begin the monumental task of making much needed repairs and improvements to our nation’s roads, bridges, and highways. While some drivers may complain about sitting in traffic near work zones or having to take alternate routes because of road construction, almost everyone can agree that the road work that occurs during the spring, summer, and fall is a positive thing. Drivers benefit from well-maintained roads and bridges and construction workers benefit from the increased availability of work.

The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) has a long itinerary of highway improvement projects planned for the 2018 spring and summer months. GDOT has taken the opportunity to schedule several projects while school is out to make use of reduced traffic during the summer months. June and July are the months in which GDOT, as well as county departments of transportation, ramp up the volume of the road work.

Many car accidents involve negligent drivers who are performing job-related tasks when they blow through a red light or slam into a vehicle stopped for traffic congestion.  The potential liability of an employer in such situations can be important because employees may not have sufficient insurance or assets to fully compensate a seriously injured collision victim.  Because an employer can be vicariously liable for the negligent acts of an employee engaged in employment-related tasks, businesses might dispute the employment status of a negligent employee to circumvent the powerful tool of vicarious liability.

Recently, a fire engine accident in Atlanta seriously injured one brave firefighter. The fire engine was traveling with four firefighters inside. The driver suddenly left the roadway and struck a tree. The impact was so strong that it crumpled the cab and injured all four firefighters aboard. The most severely injured individual landed in the intensive care unit where he is still fighting to recover fully from his extensive injuries.

Several different slip and falls occurring in Wal-Mart's across the country have been in the news recently. A Texas woman has filed a lawsuit against the mega giant company seeking over $400,000 in damages stemming from her fall on liquid on the floor. In Illinois, a man shopping inside Wal-Mart slipped and fell on spilled wine. He filed suit against the company for his back and neck injuries that have led to extensive medical expenses and chronic pain. In yet another suit, a settlement was reached after a woman and her son tripped and fell in a Wal-Mart location.

When you are injured in a motorcycle accident, you may be overwhelmed with questions and concerns.  While an accident victim’s most common concerns tend to focus on one’s diagnosis and prognosis, financial concerns often add to the stress associated with serious injuries.  If you are taken to the hospital in an ambulance and admitted for treatment, your medical bills alone can be thousands or tens of thousands of dollars.  When your injuries force you to miss work, your family may struggle to cover basic monthly expenses.  If you are facing these economic and physical obstacles, you should consult with an experienced and knowledgable personal injury attorney at Montlick & Associates to learn about your legal rights as well as what steps can be taken to protect those rights.

Our personal injury lawyers at Montlick and Associates recognize that people do not expect to be injured by a negligent driver, faulty product or hazardous condition on the premises of another.  Because careless, reckless or intentional conduct that causes injury generally is not anticipated, most people are unprepared when disaster strikes.  There are important tips that injury victims should observe when they suffer injury caused by another individual, company or government entity.  This personal injury article provides some important don’ts that can help you avoid undermining the value of your personal injury claim.

Catastrophic Workplace Injuries in Georgia 

Catastrophic injuries are some of the most serious injuries that can occur in the workplace.  These injuries will often happen suddenly and unexpectedly, but their impact continues for a lifetime.  In Georgia, workers who suffer catastrophic injuries while on the job may be eligible to receive long-term or lifetime benefits due to the continuing nature of these injuries.  However, catastrophic injury sufferers are often faced with denied or minimized claims because the insurer will fight to avoid a lifetime award of damages.

Georgia Pedestrian Accidents and Fatalities Are on the Rise

Pedestrian accidents are not only a tragic life event but a growing problem in the State of Georgia. The Governor's Office of Highway Safety in Georgia has reported an upward trend in the number of fatal pedestrian accidents occurring inside Georgia's state lines since 2008. According to Georgia's Department of Transportation, one of the reasons for the 11% increase in fatal pedestrian accidents over last year is the problem of people trying to run across interstate highways. A study published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated that alcohol accounts for nearly 50% of all fatal pedestrian accidents.

Atlanta Workers Compensation Attorneys Evaluate the Risks Drones Present To Workers

The use of drones in the workplace has dramatically increased in recent years. Originally developed by the military to fire missiles at the enemy without endangering people, drones have found their way into the workforce. The technology offers tremendous advantages, especially when equipped with video cameras. Drones, whose scientific name is "unmanned aircraft system (UAS)," outfitted with video cameras can fly into spaces in which people cannot go or would be exceedingly dangerous to enter. Drone technology is also relatively inexpensive, especially when compared to the potential human cost associated with the task to which the drone may be applied.

Georgia Workers Compensation Attorneys Announce 25 Methods To Improving Office Safety

Dangers lurk no matter where you are employed. Accordingly, your employer has a duty to keep you safe at work. Workplace safety is not relegated to construction sites only. Offices, restaurants, and every other conceivable workplace must be safe for employees to the extent allowed by the job itself. Some jobs have risks inherent in the profession, and the employer is not liable to completely protect an employee from those. However, employers must take steps to make sure that work environments do not endanger the people who work there.

The Averett Plumbing Co. Et al. v. Castillo Case

Georgia Workers’ Compensation Attorneys Discusses This Important Georgia Court of Appeals Decision 

The Georgia Court of Appeals handed down a decision in the case of The Averett Plumbing Co. Et al. v. Castillo.  It is an important decision because the court addresses issues relating to workers who are living away from their primary residences for work purposes. In the decision, the Court discusses when a worker qualifies for workers’ compensation insurance while living away from home because of work. This is an important issue for many of Georgia’s workers who are called away from home for the benefit of their employer.

The Georgia Workers’ Compensation Claim Process

Workers’ compensation programs provide support for individuals who suffer from injuries that occurred at work. Most employers will be required through state law to hold workers’ compensation insurance. These programs are meant to provide workers with some basic necessary help, such as the cost of medical bills related to the injury, and some of a person’s missed wages so that he or she is able to support him or herself in the time that it takes for him or her to recover from the injury.

Car Crash Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in Georgia

The scene plays in your mind over and over, and still over again. The pictures replay on an endless loop. It seems as if it was just yesterday. You are driving along a road over which you have traveled thousands of times. Then, as if conjured out of thin air, another car slams into you broadside. Your body is tossed about the interior of your car like a piece of clothing in the clothes dryer. The sound is deafening. Metal contorting, glass shattering, screams of horror, or worse: silence. Are you hurt? Are you passengers hurt? Are they alive? Panic sets in and pain and horror take control of your body as you helplessly wait for first responders to come and save you. A person who has post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, if left untreated, could experience and relive that horrifying experience time and time again.

Harley-Davison Recalls 32 Models Totals 174,000 Motorcycle Due to Brake Failure Accident Risks

NHTSA States Numerous Crashes Resulting in Serious Injuries

On February 7, 2018, the Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Company announced a massive safety recall of approximately 174,000 Harley-Davidson motorcycles due to a problem concerning deposit build up with the valves of equipped ABS Hydraulic Control Units. When the deposits accumulate within a valve inside the ABS Hydraulic Control Unit, these deposits cause the braking system to stick which increases the risk of an accident. If you own a Harley Davidson, you can use a VIN search provided by the National Highway Safety Transportation Administration (NHTSA) to determine if your vehicle is subject to a recall. 

Many Train Accident Victims Continue to Receive Medical Treatment

On February 4, 2018, in Cayce, South Carolina an Amtrak train was accidentally diverted to a loading track and smashed into a stationary CSX freight train at approximately 60 miles per hour. South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster has confirmed the cause of the train crash was due to the Amtrak train being accidentally diverted to a loading track. The tragic Amtrak train accident tragically resulted in several deaths and over 100 injured passengers.

Georgia Slip and Fall Laws

Head Injuries Due to a Wet Floor In Bathroom

Bathrooms can be dangerous places. Falls in bathrooms are likely to cause serious injury, and can even cause death. In places where the public is invited for business purposes, such as restaurants, barrooms, hotels, and stadiums, there is always the possibility of sustaining injury in a bathroom. If you or someone you love suffered injuries from falling on a wet bathroom floor in Georgia, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries. Our personal injury attorneys are dedicated to fighting for their clients' rights, so our clients receive the maximum amount of compensation for their injuries under the law.

Common Questions about Workers' Compensation Claims in Georgia

When an employee is injured by heavy machinery or in a fall on a construction site, the Georgia workers' compensation system generally provides the exclusive remedy for on-the-job injuries.  Although workers' compensation can provide medical care, partial wage replacement, compensation for permanent disability (partial or total) and certain other benefits depending on the circumstances. Sometimes, if a worker’s on-the-job injury can be attributed to a third-party, such as in an auto accident, a personal injury claim can be pursued against the third party, even while also receiving workers’ compensation benefits. Our personal injury lawyers at Montlick and Associates often pursue both a workers'compensation claim against an injured workers' employer and a personal injury action against a third party when seeking the fullest recovery for our clients.  

Georgia Birth Injury Attorneys Discuss Pelvic Injuries

Many times when people talk about birth injuries, they talk about things that happen to an infant during labor and delivery. It is essential that we not forget that mothers are also at risk for getting hurt during labor and delivery. While a mother’s body is designed to return to its former shape and functioning (or close to it), many times labor and delivery leave a mother with changes in her body that she might not want to talk about - injuries to her pelvic area that can cause pain, a feeling of heaviness, flatulence, and incontinence.

Georgia Workplace Injury Attorney Talks About Hot Work Shipyard Accidents

A Georgia shipyard worker got hurt in an explosion at the facility where he was working. The worker was performing hot work at the time of the explosion, which left the employee with burns covering nearly eighty percent of their body. The employee’s injuries initially got treated at one healthcare facility, and they got transferred to another facility in critical condition for further treatment.

Georgia Personal Injury Attorney Talks About Pedestrian Safety 

A man was tragically killed when he was stuck by a car while walking in downtown Decatur early Friday. The police stated that the accident was a hit and run accident. The hit and run victim was transported by ambulance to the local emergency room where he succumbed to his injuries. The accident scene investigators stated the accident is being investigated by the Georgia State Patrol and Decatur Police. Both departments have determined the accident was a hit and run. 

What You May Not Know About the Causes of Automobile Accidents in Georgia

The first auto accident ever formally recorded occurred in 1891 in Ohio; James Lambert’s car hit a tree root in the road, sending it careening into a nearby hitching post. Lambert’s injuries were minor—a good thing for the rest of us as he went on to patent over six hundred inventions, primarily related to the auto industry. Although major vehicle safety improvements have taken place since 1891, the number of vehicles on the highways has also risen dramatically—there are currently 250 million registered passenger cars in the United States. Today’s statistics say that most of us will be involved in at least one serious car collision during our lifetime in addition to minor fender-benders.

Whiplash Injuries Resulting from Car Accidents in Georgia

When we get into a car accident, the first thing many people worry about is whether the other driver is going to claim whiplash and file a lawsuit.  However, the negative impressions, primarily circulated by insurance companies trying to limit pay-outs, do a severe injustice to those suffering from whiplash injuries.  Whiplash injuries are serious and often devastating to those suffering from long-term debilitating pain.  The harm may be particularly bad if you have been rear-ended by another vehicle while you were stopped or traveling considerably slower than the impacting car.