Georgia Personal Injury Law Blog

Austell, Georgia- May 23, 2018 (11Alive.com) According to a report from 11alive.com, the driver of a passenger van is dead following a wreck near Six Flags. The woman was driving west on Six Flags Road when she crashed into the tandem wheels of a tractor-trailer that pulled out of a private driveway and into her path. She tragically died at the accident scene. The driver of the tractor-trailer did not get hurt in the collision, and no charges had been filed against him as of the time of this report. However, the accident is still under investigation.*

According to reports from Reuters and Business Insider, autonomous vehicles raise some interesting questions when it comes to insurance and liability. For example, when an accident like the fatal Arizona crash that killed a pedestrian occurs, who is at fault? What type of liability laws apply to the crash? Is it a products liability case, or is it an automobile accident claim against an operator of the autonomous vehicle?*

Edgefield, SC- May 23, 2018 (Index-Journal) According to a report on indexjournal.com, one man is tragically dead after a head-on wreck. The Tuesday afternoon accident occurred just north of Trenton when a driver crossed the center line of S.C. Highway 121 and struck an oncoming vehicle head-on. Both drivers were wearing seatbelts at the time of the crash, and each of them was trapped inside of their vehicle until they could be rescued. Both men were transported to a Georgia hospital for treatment of their injuries, and one of them died at the hospital.*

GEORGIA – May 22, 2018 (gahighwaysafety.com) The Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety has collected and posted information about texting and driving on its website. The data serves as a beneficial reminder leading up to enforcement of the state’s new law on distracted driving.*

According to a report from Carbuzz, recent coverage of crashes involving self-driving cars has caused Americans to view the vehicles suspiciously and have decreased their willingness to ride in them. In fact, nearly three-quarters of all Americans currently report that they are too frightened by entirely autonomous vehicles to ride in them. Last year, about ten percent more Americans had said that they were willing to ride in self-driving cars. During this past year, a series of accidents involving the vehicles, including a fatal crash, occurred. It is likely that these reports are what have influenced Americans’ willingness to ride in fully autonomous vehicles. *

San Francisco, California - May 23, 2018 (macon.com) According to a report by macon.com, Uber is taking its self-driving cars out of Arizona, following the death of a woman who was run over by one of the driverless vehicles as she crossed a dark, suburban street. This decision by the popular ride-sharing company eliminates approximately three hundred jobs across the state that were connected with supporting the company’s fleet of self-driving vehicles. Previously, the company was banned by the Governor from testing the self-driving cars in Arizona during the investigation into the fatal March 18th crash. The company also suspended testing in three other areas. Uber’s self-driving vehicles had been in Arizona since 2016.*

Washington, DC- May 23, 2018 (PR Newswire) According to a report from PR Newswire, the United States. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) just issued a public service announcement urging ATV riders to keep all ATVs off of paved public roads. Over a hundred thousand people get hurt in ATV accidents each year, and approximately six hundred and fifty people die.*

May 23, 2018, According to a report from Cnet’s Road Show, Jeep has recalled all models of its 2018 Cherokee SUV that have a 2.4-liter inline-four engine. The recall affects nearly fifty thousand vehicles that were manufactured between September 1, 2017, and January 4, 2018, at the company’s plant in Belvedere, Ohio. The company started the investigation that led to this recall earlier this year after it received reports of engine fires in 2018 Cherokee SUVs. The investigation revealed that a damaged fuel tube in the engine bay could leak, creating the risk of fire. No accidents or injuries have yet occurred in connection with the fires caused by the leaking fuel tubes in the Jeep Cherokee SUVs. Vehicles that are affected by the recall can have the fuel tube replaced by a Jeep dealership.*

BURKE COUNTY, GA. – May 22, 2018 (wrdw.com) According to an online news report from wrdw.com, a single vehicle accident on May 22 caused River Road in Burke County, Georgia, to shut down. The crash resulted in injuries to at least one person.* 

KETTERING, GA – May 19, 2018 (mydaytondailynews.com).  According to an online news report at mydaytondailynews.com, a woman fell asleep at the wheel and crashed into another vehicle in Far Hills early on the morning of Saturday, May 19, 2018.*

PHOENIX, AZ – May 18, 2018 (abc15.com) – According to an online report from abc15.com, the parents of two sisters who died in a wrong way crash in Phoenix, Arizona are suing the restaurant chain Mellow Mushroom where the drunk driver was allegedly overserved alcohol.*

STATESBORO, GA – May 21, 2018 (wtvm.com).  According to an online news report at wtvm.com, a child from Bulloch County was bitten in the face by a relative’s dog.*

PHILADELPHIA, PA – May 21, 2018 (6bc.com). According to an online news report at 6abc.com, a person is in custody following a hit and run accident that occurred in Southwest Philadelphia, leaving a twenty nine year old Georgian dead and another person seriously injured.*

ATLANTA, GA. – May 17, 2018 (iheart.com) According to an online report by iheart.com, rapper Offset was hospitalized May 16 following a vehicle accident in Atlanta.*

ATLANTA, GA – May 18, 2018 (wsbtv.com) – according to an online news report at wsbtv.com, a window washing platform gave way, causing a man to dangle from the scaffolding in Midtown Atlanta.*

AUGUSTA, GA – May 21, 2018 (wrdw.com).  According to an online news report at wrdw.com, an individual driving a bicycle was in an accident on Walton Way.*

BURKE COUNTY, GA. – May 22, 2018 (wrdw.com) According to an online news report from wrdw.com, a single vehicle accident on May 22 caused River Road in Burke County, Georgia, to shut down. The crash resulted in the tragic death of at least one person.*

HAWAII – May 16, 2018 (bigislandnow.com) According to an online news report from bigislandnow.com, Takata has agreed to pay $7 million to settle a lawsuit with several entities, including the State of Hawaii, because of its faulty airbags.

The Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety has posted information about Georgia’s seatbelt laws, which underwent a change in the recent past, when they were expanded to include pickup trucks.

TIFTON, GA – May 22, 2018 (suwaneedemocrat.com) — According to an online report at suwaneedemocract.com, effective July 1, 2018, a new hands-free law will require Georgia drivers to put their phones down when behind the wheel.*