Car Accidents Caused by Heavy Rains and High Winds

By Grant Law Office on February 26, 2014

A morning of harsh weather conditions in Georgia contributed to a number of car accidents and safety issues. High winds, heavy rain, and even tornados reportedly touched down in Southern Georgia. According to The National Weather Service, a tornado damaged homes in the Holly Hills community of Laurens County north of Dublin the morning of February 21. At least one home was ruined and a number of others were damaged by falling trees. Traffic was affected by the dangerous conditions as well. In one instance, a child was injured when several trees fell near the roadway.

According to a news report in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, a child was injured in a weather-related car accident at Oak Knoll and Crossgate drives. The stormy weather also contributed to a tractor-trailer crash that jammed traffic on 1-20 and 1-285. The truck was hauling copper wire when it overturned and slammed into the median wall. Officials believe that severe rainfall may have caused the truck to veer out of control.Read more…

Follow These Georgia Winter Weather Driving Safety Tips

By Grant Law Office on December 16, 2013

Georgia isn’t exactly known for blustery winter weather, but snow does come every so often, especially during the months of January and February. And who knows what the climate will be like this year? Georgians in all regions of the state may face hazardous winter road conditions soon. That’s why they should remind themselves of key winter driving safety guidelines and be prepared for the many challenges snow, slush, and ice present to the average driver.Read more…

Road Rage Possibly Led to Tragic Gainesville Auto Accident

By Grant Law Office on October 22, 2013

CBS Atlanta reports that during the early morning on October 11, Gainesville police received an alarming phone call from a couple who were, at the time, driving a 2006 Toyota Highlander on Browns Bridge Road, west of McEver Road. They reported being followed by a red pickup truck, the driver of which appeared to be in a bout of road rage.

According to the transcript of the emergency call, the 48-year-old male driver of the pickup truck was flashing his headlights in an aggressive manner at the Highlander while bumping the vehicle from behind. He then attempted to pass the couple using the opposite lane. The couple says he was going about 70 miles per hour when the unthinkable occurred.

The pickup truck collided head-on with an SUV going the other way. The SUV was being driven by a 20-year-old woman.Read more…

Tragic I-20 Accident Results in the Death of a Child

By Grant Law Office on September 26, 2013

On the evening of September 20 in Douglas County, a woman was driving her SUV down the I-20 when she attempted a last-minute exit. The ill-advised maneuver caused the vehicle to flip multiple times, ejecting several children. One, a seven-year-old-boy, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Douglasville policemen who responded to the grisly accident were affected deeply upon arrival. Even the most experienced officers were hit hard by the scene.

“We’ve got officers here that have been here 20 years and it’s the worst accident they have seen,” said a police lieutenant. “A lot of that has to do with the fact that [many of the victims] were children.”Read more…

Paralyzed Man Rescued by Good Samaritans after Serious Ga. 400 Accident

By Grant Law Office on September 12, 2013

A 60-year-old woman was heading southbound on Ga. 400 near Pilgrim Mill Road when her vehicle struck the back of a truck. She lost control of the car and collided with a van that was going the same way. She did not survive her injuries.

According to a report by ajc.com, three passers-by stopped after they witnessed the crash. One of them was a construction worker who was on his way northbound. Another was an off-duty Dawsonville paramedic. They immediately went to the crash site to see if they could help.

The Good Samaritans saw that a paralyzed man was trapped in a van. The vehicle had smoke rising from its hood.Read more…

Georgia DOT Plans to Improve Mike Padgett Highway

By Grant Law Office on June 28, 2013

It took several accidents along Mike Padgett Highway to encourage the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) to make significant improvements and enhance traffic safety. According to a WJBF news report, the most recent accident that occurred on Mike Padgett Highway happened in Augusta on June 19, 2013. In that accident, officials say a vehicle rolled over after a truck swerved to avoid striking another vehicle. That accident left four people injured and hospitalized.

Many nearby residents and drivers have stated their concerns about the safety of this busy roadway, and the Georgia DOT has taken notice. The $25-million dollar construction plan includes the installation of concrete medians from Bennock Mill Road to Old Waynesboro Road.Read more…

Cherokee County Accident Leaves Four Injured

By Grant Law Office on June 17, 2013

Four people were injured in a recent Cherokee County car accident involving a Mini Cooper, a pickup truck that was pulling a trailer, a Ford F-150, and a Volvo. According to a CBS Atlanta news report, the car crash occurred at Cherokee Drive and Holly Springs Road. Officials say the 30-year-old driver of the Mini Cooper entered the intersection as the pickup was making a left turn. The female driver of the Mini Cooper swerved around the trailer, crossed into the opposite lane, and struck the Ford F-150. The Volvo behind the F-150 was also affected. The driver of the Mini Cooper was the most seriously hurt of the four injured victims. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

Intersection accidents are common in Georgia, and they often result in devastating injuries. It is important whenever an intersection accident occurs to determine who had the right-of-way and if anyone failed to obey a traffic control device. Many of the most serious injury accidents at intersections involve drivers who fail to yield the right-of-way when turning left.Read more…

One in 24 Drivers Admit to Drowsy Driving

By Grant Law Office on January 14, 2013

One in 24 drivers say they have fallen asleep while driving, according to a recent study conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). According to an Associated Press news report, health officials believe that the number of people who drive while drowsy is probably even higher than that. The CDC study found that about four percent of Americans said they dozed off behind the wheel at least once while driving in the last 30 days.

The survey included 147,000 adult drivers and was conducted in 19 states and the District of Columbia in 2009 and 2010. Drowsy driving was found to be more common among men and in drivers who are between the ages of 25 and 34.Read more…

Seven Injured in Georgia Collision with Wrong-Way Elderly Driver

By Grant Law Office on January 10, 2013

Seven people, including a 10-year-old boy from Boone, were injured in a wrong-way crash on the Interstate 95 in Savannah, Georgia. According to an Associated Press news report, the injury collision occurred when an elderly driver went south in the northbound lanes of the freeway and collided with an SUV carrying members of the same family. The elderly driver turned his 2007 Buick Lucerne left across the freeway trying to get to an exit and crashed into a Honda Pilot at the entry to the ramp. All seven people in the two vehicles were hurt. The investigation into this collision is still ongoing.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there were 33 million licensed drivers in the United States who were 65 or older in 2009. An average of 500 seniors are injured in car accidents every day nationwide. For each mile traveled, fatal crash rates increase starting at age 75 and increase significantly after age 80. This is largely due to the fact that older adults are susceptible to injury and medical complications. Age-related declines in vision and cognitive functioning as well as physical changes may affect some older adults’ driving abilities.Read more…

Man Injured After Flying Saw Blade Crashes through Windshield

By Grant Law Office on December 14, 2012

A Marietta man was injured in a Georgia car accident when a flying saw blade crashed through his windshield. According to a news report in The Marietta Daily Journal, the accident occurred on I-285 in Marietta. Officials say a 14-inch round concrete saw blade went through his windshield. He suffered laceration injuries on his head and wrist. His wrist injury included cuts to three tendons and an artery. Investigators are hoping the serial number on the saw blade will help determine who was responsible for the accident.

There are many ways in which drivers and passengers can get hurt on the roadway. While most accidents result from driver negligence, there are a number of accidents each year that result from objects on the roadway and debris that has fallen off from other vehicles. According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, roadway debris causes approximately 25,000 accidents and 100 traffic fatalities each year.Read more…