Georgia Injury Lawyers Blog

Self-Driving Cars Raise Issues about Liabilty

March 17, 2021 | by Slappey & Sadd, LLC

A White Tesla Innovations in artificial intelligence (AI) have come in leaps and bounds these past several decades. Various kinds of AI have been developed to help us improve our daily life and safety. In particular, self-driving cars, also called driverless cars, were developed to help prevent drunk driving accidents, minimize road and traffic accidents, as well as reduce the need for people to drive long distances.

Manufacturers have been testing self-driving cars for a few years now, and some features are already being made available to the public. However, these driverless vehicles raise questions regarding state regulations and accident liability.

The Risks of Self-Driving Cars

Watch our for Drunk Drivers around St. Paddy’s Day

March 12, 2021 | by Slappey & Sadd, LLC

A green mug of beer and pretzels on a table March 17 is St. Patrick’s Day. Be prepared to be bombarded with lots of Guinness, shamrocks, pots of gold, leprechauns, cabbage, corned beef, and all sorts of green things. But for all the merriment and revelry that St. Patrick’s Day brings, you should also be on high alert for drunk drivers.

It’s vital to keep in mind that alcohol is a huge element in various traffic accidents while you’re enjoying this much-awaited cultural holiday. Here are facts about drunk driving accidents from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA):

One of the most dangerous holidays in the U.S. is St. Patrick’s Day is one of the most dangerous holidays in the U.S. is Between 2013 and 2017, 234 people died because of drunk driving accidents. Additionally, in 2017, more than 10,000 people died due to drunk driving incidents, and all of those untimely deaths could have been prevented.

Pool & Spa Accidents Can Cause Catastrophic Injuries

February 28, 2021 | by Slappey & Sadd, LLC

A man swimming in a pool Any discussion of pool and spa accidents inevitably turns to drownings, and with good reason. From 2014 through 2016, there was an average of 363 drownings in pools or spas per year of children under 15 years old. In the summer of 2019 alone, there were at least 150 pool and spa drownings of children younger than 15 nationwide. Seven of those drownings occurred in Georgia. However, focusing solely on drownings ignores many non-fatal accidents that happen around pools and spas annually.

While drownings are tragic, thousands more are injured every year in accidents in or around pools or spas. In fact, from 2016 through 2018, there were an estimated 6,600 injuries treated in emergency rooms each year involving children younger than 15. Many of these involved non-fatal near-drownings, while many others were poolside accidents and accidents in the pool or spa involving slips, falls, and diving accidents.

Non-Fatal Pool And Spa Accidents Can Be Devastating

How Much is Your Bicycle Accident Case Worth?

February 24, 2021 | by Slappey & Sadd, LLC

Two cyclists biking on a street Pre-COVID, more and more Americans each year were commuting to work on bicycles. While still a small fraction of overall daily commuters, numbers were on the rise. While no statistics are available on bicycle commuting during the pandemic, continued growth in bicycle commuting likely stalled. After all, many Americans suddenly found themselves in “nonessential” jobs and were either laid off or otherwise found themselves unemployed. However, it seems likely that the upward trend in commuting via bicycle will continue as life becomes a little more normal, whenever that might turn out to be.

If so, then bicycle accidents in traffic crashes likely will become an issue again.

In 2018, there were 857 traffic fatalities among bicycle riders. Each year, there are about 450,000 bicycle-related injuries nationwide. Whether commuting, exercising, or just out for some fun, bicycle riders on the roadways have the same rights – and responsibilities – as any other vehicle on the roads. Given their near-total lack of protection, bicyclists involved in a traffic accident are far more likely to be injured, perhaps seriously, than the occupants of a car or truck. If you were the injured bicyclist, how do you determine your damages from a traffic accident?

Can Office Workers get Workers’ Compensation?

February 17, 2021 | by Slappey & Sadd, LLC

Three people having a meeting in an office Many people might not think they qualify for workers’ compensation and that workers’ comp is for only people with dangerous jobs, like construction workers, commercial fishermen, or other high-risk occupations. Office workers probably don’t think too much about workers’ comp. Can you get workers’ compensation benefits for paper cuts? An Atlanta workers’ compensation lawyer can answer this question and make sure that you get any benefits to which you are entitled.

The fact is, though, that almost anyone with a job qualifies for workers’ compensation benefits if they are injured on the job. And that is the primary requirement for receiving worker’s compensation benefits – that you be injured during the course of your employment. There are certain conditions, but nothing in worker’s compensation law requirements that you be engaged in a particular kind of work. The program is employment-based, with no regard for what that employment entails.

Almost All Jobs Are Covered by Workers’ Compensation

Can You File a Car Accident Lawsuit During the Pandemic?

February 12, 2021 | by Slappey & Sadd, LLC

A red car with driver's-side damage Most people who are injured in a traffic accident don’t immediately start wondering who they can sue and how quickly can they do so. Getting medical treatment, repairing or replacing their car, talking to their insurance company – all of these things typically come before thoughts of filing a lawsuit following an injury in a car accident. But sometimes, when the other driver is at fault, and you aren’t getting satisfaction or think you aren’t being treated fairly by their insurance company, your thoughts may, indeed, turn to filing a lawsuit to seek proper compensation for your damages.

So if you decide to call an Atlanta car accident lawyer to talk about a lawsuit to recover damages for your accident, will anyone answer the phone? Given all the restrictions on business and life in general during the COVID-19 pandemic, can you even file a lawsuit right now? In Georgia, the answer to both questions is “yes.” Legal services have been designated an essential business in the Peach State, unlike many other states across the nation. That means lawyers’ offices likely are open, subject to certain restrictions. You might have to meet with a lawyer by telephone or online video conferencing, but you can get the legal help you need to file a lawsuit to recover for your injuries.

What Will Happen If I File a Lawsuit?

Injuries Caused by Zantac

February 2, 2021 | by Slappey & Sadd, LLC

Zantac, a prescription heartburn medication, and its generic equivalent have been under pretty intense scrutiny as of late. Worse than “scrutiny,” really. Questions about whether Zantac and ranitidine, its generic equivalent, arose more than a year ago when an online pharmacy notified the Food and Drug Administration that it had determined that ranitidine use could result in elevated levels of a likely carcinogen. In response, a number of national pharmacies pulled Zantac and its generic equivalent from their shelves, as well as over-the-counter drugs containing ranitidine. A number of generic manufacturers and Sanofi, which makes the prescription drug Zantac in the U.S., recalled drugs containing ranitidine. In April 2020, the FDA asked all manufacturers of products containing ranitidine to pull their drugs from the market. If you have been injured by Zantac or another defective drug, call us today to speak with an Atlanta personal injury lawyer.

Is Zantac Dangerous?

While it remains to be proven if Zantac and ranitidine actually cause any kinds of cancer, there is no question that a suspected cancer-causing chemical has been found to be caused at unacceptable levels by ranitidine. The chemical, N-Nitrosodimethylamine, also known as NDMA, is intentionally produced in the U.S. only as a research chemical. Years ago, it was used in rocket fuel, but that practice was discontinued when the air, water, and ground hear a rocket fuel manufacturing plant was found to be laden with NDMA. The chemical sometimes is created unintentionally in the manufacture of other chemicals, as apparently happened during the manufacture of ranitidine, and apparently also can form in the digestive tract of ranitidine users. NDMA is known to be harmful to the liver, and many of the lawsuits against Sanofi and generic ranitidine makers claim the chemical is causing stomach and bladder cancer as well as liver cancer. The suits contend the manufacturers knew about the high levels of NDMA and knew the chemical could cause certain forms of cancer. There are no known cases of NDMA causing cancer in people, but the chemical is listed by an international cancer research group as carcinogenic and is used in research to induce cancer in rats.

Will the FMCSA Increase Underride Safety?

January 28, 2021 | by Slappey & Sadd, LLC

A semi truck on the highway So-called “underride” accidents account for less than 1 percent of all traffic fatalities but take on an out-sized importance because of the belief that such accidents can be prevented with additional safety equipment. Underride accidents occur when a vehicle – usually a passenger car – strikes a tractor-trailer from behind or from the side and wedges the passenger vehicle under the trailer. Because the trailer portion of a tractor-trailer rig has a high ground clearance, passenger cars generally can pass under the trailer, usually shearing the top off the car and resulting in catastrophic, frequently fatal injuries to the occupants of the car. The federal government has taken some steps regarding underride accidents but has not mandated the use of all of the safety equipment necessary to reduce or prevent such crashes.

If you have been hurt in an accident with a commercial vehicle, call us today to speak with an Atlanta truck accident lawyer.

Underride Crash Prevention Is Complicated

What You Need to Know about Red Light Accidents

January 21, 2021 | by Slappey & Sadd, LLC

A red traffic light Intersections are dangerous places when it comes to driving. In recent years, one-fourth of all traffic deaths and roughly half of all traffic injuries each year happen at intersections. In fact, the federal government reports about 2.5 million intersection accidents every year. Roughly 40 percent of all traffic accidents occur at intersections, the majority of those involving a vehicle turning left across traffic. However, where there are intersections, there often are traffic signals, and where there are traffic signals, there is someone running a red light. The results are frequently deadly. If you have been hurt in a red light accident, you should call one of our Atlanta car accident lawyers immediately.

Running A Red Light Is A Deadly Business

On average, red-light running kills more than two people every day each year. Traffic deaths caused by running red lights hit 939 in 2017, a 10-year high that was up 28 percent from just 5 years before in 2012. That number declined slightly to 899 fatalities in 2018, the most recent year for which final data is available. Of those deaths, 53 were pedestrians or bicyclists. Accidents resulting from running a red light have a significant impact on accident numbers and deaths. For example:

Power Tool Accidents At Work

January 14, 2021 | by Slappey & Sadd, LLC

A person operating a power grinder A tremendous number of jobs, including virtually every manufacturing industry as well as construction and many of the trades, such as electrical work and plumbing, simply cannot be performed without the use of power tools. Hand-held power tools make many jobs easy that otherwise would be difficult and time-consuming, if not impossible. Getting new tires? Power lug wrenches make it quick. Home construction? Drills, nail guns, power saws, and other hand-held power tools help finish the job much more quickly, keeping costs down. The list goes on and on. Unfortunately, holding that much power in your hand can be a dangerous thing, and even in the workplace, where power-tool users are professionals, accidents involving power tools are all too common.

If you have been hurt in a workplace accident, you may be entitled to significant compensation. Call us today to schedule a free case evaluation with an Atlanta personal injury lawyer.

Workplace Power Tool Accidents Remain A Problem