Georgia Injury Lawyers Blog

Work Zone Accidents Are on the Rise

December 17, 2018 | by Slappey & Sadd, LLC

A steamroller rolling over fresh asphalt It’s a fact of modern life: people are stressed out and in a hurry to get to work, get to school, or get to daycare. Mix in distracted driving, caused in large part by smartphones, and it’s no surprise that there are so many motor vehicle accidents on our roads and highways.

The dangers are particularly acute for our highway workers. After declining for a few years, work zone crashes are again on the rise across the country. Work zone accidents are also on the rise in Georgia, both in terms of injuries and fatalities. In 2017, there were 20,834 work zone crashes in the state of Georgia, resulting in 55 fatalities and 7,276 injuries. These are the risks that highway construction workers face every day.

Georgia Construction Zone Laws

An Update on Electric Scooters

December 15, 2018 | by Slappey & Sadd, LLC

A scooter with blue wheels After publishing this post, we learned about a serious accident that happened here in Georgia earlier in November.

Taylor McCullough and Daniel Cooney, two Georgia Southern University students, were seriously injured in November when they were struck by a car while riding a Lime scooter. Their injuries were so serious that they were airlifted to Savannah for treatment.

The Accident

Electric Scooters: How Safe Are They?

December 13, 2018 | by Slappey & Sadd, LLC

An illustration of an electric scooter First, there was Uber and Lyft. Then there was Relay Bike Share. You may have recently noticed a new development in the sharing economy, devised as a way to reduce urban congestion: racks of electric scooters available for rent by pedestrians. Popping up across the country, these services offer what appears to be a fun, affordable, and green alternative to driving. Lime and Bird are just two of the companies renting scooters and vying for customers in Atlanta. As the industry appears to be aggressively expanding, we should take time to consider some of the potential hazards that these vehicles present.

A Fun and Easy Way to Get Around the City

Renting an electric scooter is surprisingly easy. Using an app on your phone, you can locate the nearest station to unlock and rent your scooter. When you’re finished, you return to any station you like. You lock up the scooter, snap a photo, and end your ride through the app, which also handles payment. No coins or cash is required, and you use it as much or as little as you like. You pay as little as $1, at a rate of 15 cents per minute.

December is National Impaired Driving Prevention Month

December 10, 2018 | by Slappey & Sadd, LLC

A broken glass of liquor and car keys Every year since 1981, December has been designated as National Impaired Driving Prevention Month. It isn’t hard to see why – between Thanksgiving and New Years, there are plenty of reasons to celebrate. Family parties, office parties, concerts, and family get-togethers crowd the calendar, and it’s likely that alcohol will be served. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were 10,874 fatal car accidents in 2017 that involved alcohol. In December of 2017, 8.1 percent of all total accident fatalities involved alcohol.

We here at Slappey & Sadd drive the same roads you do, and so we want to share some tips to get you home safely.

Drive Smart to Avoid Drunk Drivers

Have You Suffered an Injury in an Elevator or Escalator Accident? (Part 2 of 2)

December 5, 2018 | by Slappey & Sadd, LLC

An escalator In our previous post, we reviewed the causes of elevator and escalator accidents and the common injuries that victims suffer. In this post, we’ll be discussing the long-term consequences of these accidents and some of the legal issues you may encounter.

Elevator and Escalator Accidents Can Disrupt Your Day-to-Day Life

In addition to the serious physical injuries listed in our previous post, elevator and escalator accidents can significantly disrupt your day-to-day life for weeks and even months. In some cases, you may be facing a long-term or even permanent disability. As a result, there are several potential long-term consequences you need to consider:

Have You Suffered an Injury in an Elevator or Escalator Accident? (Part 1 of 2)

December 4, 2018 | by Slappey & Sadd, LLC

Two elevator doors Elevators and escalators are everywhere, especially in major cities like Atlanta. Most of us have grown up never having lived without them, which is why we tend to overlook the fact that escalators and elevators can also be incredibly dangerous. They are incredibly sophisticated pieces of machinery that consist of numerous moving parts that can cause serious injuries when they malfunction. At least 17 people were injured in an escalator accident in Hong Kong in 2017. In October of this year, dozens were injured when an escalator collapsed in Rome. Closer to home, ten students were injured in an escalator accident at a Manhattan High School in September. If you’ve been injured while using an elevator or an escalator, this post identifies some of the things you may want to consider.

The Causes of Elevator and Escalator Accidents

There are many things that can cause elevators and escalators to be unsafe or malfunction. In some cases, there may be multiple factors that led to the accident. General mechanical failures are common, as elevators and escalators require a lot of maintenance and upkeep. For this reason, local ordinances and state laws require that they pass regular safety inspections. Failure to conduct routine inspections or perform necessary maintenance and repairs can result in accidents and serious injuries.

Safety Issues on the Job Can Lead to Workplace Injuries

November 30, 2018 | by Slappey & Sadd, LLC

A knocked-over "caution - cleaning in progress" sign Workplace injuries are more common than you may think. In a news release issued earlier this month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that there were 2.8 million nonfatal workplace injuries in 2017. Of those injuries, almost 890,000 required the employee to miss work.

For many of us, missing work means lost income. The situation gets even more complicated if your injury leaves you partially or totally disabled, even if the disability is only temporary. And unfortunately, many of these injuries are preventable. As a result of ever-increasing pressures to be profitable, many employers become careless with regard to their employees’ safety. Using statistics from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), we’ll review some of the ways that employers routinely put the safety of their employees at risk.

Inadequate fall protection and training. Employers can violate OSHA regulations by failing to install guardrails, provide safety harnesses, or take other measures to guard against falls. OSHA also mandates that employers provide sufficient training to employees in order to help them avoid fall hazards.

You’ve Been in a Serious Car Accident. Now What?

November 30, 2018 | by Slappey & Sadd, LLC

Man with his head in his hands sitting outside of a wrecked car The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently released its report summarizing crash statistics for 2016. While the report demonstrates a decrease in the number of fatalities, there were over 7 million car accidents that resulted in more than 3 million injuries.

Despite how common they are, car accidents can be a major disruption to your life, especially if you sustain serious injuries. Not only do you need to repair or replace your vehicle, but you may need prolonged medical treatment and physical therapy. You may have to miss work and deal with lost income. Meanwhile, bills are piling up and insurance companies are pestering you with questions. You can get overwhelmed very quickly and feel like you don’t know what to do next.

If you’ve been involved in a car accident, this post will hopefully give you some direction to help you move forward and get back to normal.

What You Need to Know about Product Liability Cases in Georgia

November 30, 2018 | by Slappey & Sadd, LLC

A judge;s gavel sitting on $100 bills You may not hear them every day, but injuries due to defective products can be very serious. Burns, electrocution, deep cuts, and other injuries can require hospitalization, time off of work, and other losses. Products designed for children can present additional dangers such as choking hazards. If you’ve been injured as a result of a defective product, this post will outline what you will need to prove in order to prevail on your personal injury claim.

The Four Elements of a Products Liability Claim

Georgia law lays out the structure you have to work with if you’ve been injured by a defective product. In order to prevail on your claim, you will need to prove each of the following elements (or components) of your claim:

Truck Accidents Are on the Rise

November 29, 2018 | by Slappey & Sadd, LLC

An overturned and badly damaged semi truck According to a report published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration last month, fatal accidents involving large trucks increased by 9 percent from 2016 to 2017. While this includes fatalities involving the occupants of the truck, the data reveals the shocking reality that large trucks pose to the public at large. In 2017, 841 truck occupants were killed in accidents, while those accidents resulted in 4,761 fatalities of other people. Interestingly, almost all other categories saw a decrease in accident fatalities, and none of the exceptions to that trend saw an increase as significant as the one associated with large trucks.

The NHTSA hasn’t published data for non-fatalities, but it’s probably safe to assume that the overall number of truck accidents has increased. If you or a loved one has been injured in a truck accident, we’d like to take this opportunity to alert you to some of the unique issues involved.

Truck Drivers – Encouraged to be Negligent?