Georgia Personal Injury Blog

Signs and Symptoms of Mesothelioma

By Grant Law Office on August 17, 2011

In last week’s blog article, we discussed the basics of mesothelioma, including its definition and some historical background. This week, we continue our 3-part blog series with our second installment, covering the common signs and symptoms of malignant mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma is difficult to diagnose. The early signs and symptoms of the cancer can be very subtle or even mistaken for those of another condition, making it difficult to catch mesothelioma early-on. In addition, a person will not exhibit symptoms for 15 to 50 years after asbestos exposure, when the cancer has already developed, making it very difficult to make any connection between symptoms and disease.Read more…

Protecting Your Child by Understanding Child Injuries

By Grant Law Office on August 15, 2011

The fun of being a child is running, jumping, playing, and trying new things, but, because they are young and still developing, children tend to do these things in clumsy or awkward ways. Every parent has experienced their child coming home with a new bruise or scrape. Minor colds, fevers and infections are also common. Children usually bounce back easily from such minor issues, but some child injuries and illnesses are not caused by a child’s innocent curiosity or clumsiness. The negligence and/or wrongdoing of others can also cause children’s injuries and these are not always so easy to recover from.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):Read more…

What is Malignant Mesothelioma?

By Grant Law Office on August 12, 2011

The Atlanta mesothelioma attorneys at The Law Offices of Wayne Grant, P.C., understand the dangers of mesothelioma and why it is inexcusable that so many should suffer from it. In an effort to raise awareness of this devastating cancer, we will be posting a 3-part weekly blog series, where we will be providing valuable information concerning mesothelioma, including its definition, types, causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment. Today’s article covers its basics and even a bit of history.

Definition

According to the American Cancer Society, malignant mesothelioma is a cancer that develops in the body’s mesothelial cells, which are found in the lining of certain parts of the body, such as the chest and abdomen. Mesolthelioma is most often caused by exposure to or inhalation of asbestos dust and fibers.Read more…

Bureau of Labor Statistics Releases 2010 Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries Late August

By Grant Law Office on August 11, 2011

According to the Occupational Health and Safety Administration’s (OSHA) online magazine, Occupational Health & Safety, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is set to release its 2010 Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) later this month, on August 25. Previous statistics have shown a trend of decreasing fatalities in connection to the economic recession, especially in construction. Many are curious as to whether this trend continued through 2010.

According to previous CFOI reports, occupational fatalities had dropped dramatically in 2009 from those in 2008 as the result of the weakened economy. In 2009, there were about 4,340 worker fatalities, which was a 17 percent drop from the final 5,214 in 2008. The number of fatalities in 2009 was the lowest preliminary annual count in the CFOI’s history. The greatest decline in fatalities was in construction.Read more…

What Are Georgia’s Cell Phone Driving Laws?

By Grant Law Office on August 4, 2011

Many distracted driver accidents in Georgia, and across the nation, are caused by drivers who insist on using their cell phone to talk, text, read, or go online, while they are driving. As cell phones became more and more popular, and distracted driving accidents became more prevalent, many states deemed it necessary to restrict cell phone use while driving.

As of July 2011, ten states have banned using a hand-held cell phone while driving, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). These states include California, Connecticut, Maryland, Delaware, New York, Oregon, New Jersey, Washington, Utah, and the District of Columbia. In addition, 30 states and the District of Columbia have restricted cell phone use by novice drivers. The District of Columbia and 19 states have also prohibited school bus drivers from all cell phone use.Read more…

How Boat Defects Can Ruin Your Summer Fun

By Grant Law Office on August 2, 2011

Boats, jet-skis and other personal water crafts (PWC) are like other forms of transportation in that they are produced, usually en masse, by a manufacturing company. As with car manufacturers, sometimes a boat or a jet ski is manufactured with poor quality materials, with defective parts or with a faulty production process. Unfortunately, a defective boat or jet ski has the potential to cause serious injury or death.

According to U.S. Coast Guard recreational boating accident statistics, there were 4,604 accidents in 2010. These caused $35.5 million in property damage, 3,153 injuries and 672 fatalities.

Of the 4,604 recreational boating accidents, there were 366 accidents caused by boat or boat equipment failure, including:Read more…

What Georgians Should Know about Jackknife Accidents

By Grant Law Office on July 29, 2011

Any accident involving a big rig increases risk of serious injury, but jackknife accidents have the potential to cause a larger accident area. When a tractor trailer or other articulated vehicle jackknifes, the cab and the trailer fold at their pivoting or linking joint until the vehicle forms an acute angle, like a folding knife, with the cab and trailer facing opposite directions. In a jackknifed position, the big rig would become stuck, usually across multiple lanes of traffic, which can cause chain reaction accidents.

According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) 2009 Large Truck and Bus Crash Facts, there were 295,215 large truck accidents in that year. Over 4,000 of these were jackknife accidents. The 4,146 jackknife accidents included 3,000 property damage crashes, 1,000 injury crashes, and 146 fatal crashes.Read more…

When Your Child Suffers a Birth Injury in Georgia

By Grant Law Office on July 28, 2011

Generally defined, birth injury refers to trauma suffered by a baby during the birthing process. These injuries can be physical or mental and can create undue financial and emotional hardships for the child and his or her family. The injury may be caused by negligent pre-natal care, medical malpractice due to an untimely delivery, or medical negligence from inappropriate use of equipment during delivery.

Medical negligence, malpractice and doctor oversight are common causes of birth injuries in Georgia. It is the duty of the healthcare professionals who provide prenatal care to properly screen and diagnose any medical condition so that injury can be prevented, if possible. Failure to diagnose a debilitating medical condition during pregnancy constitutes malpractice and the attending doctor, and/or the hospital he or she works for, could be held liable. A doctor who is too forceful with equipment during delivery or fails to perform an emergency procedure on time during the delivery may also be held liable.Read more…

Overloaded Trucks Jeopardize Safety of Georgians

By Grant Law Office on July 19, 2011

Georgia large truck accidents can be devastating, but even more so when a truck’s weight exceeds legal limits. Overloaded and overweight tractor trailers are a danger to all other motorists on the road. When a truck is burdened with more weight than it can safely carry, common actions, such as turning, changing lanes, and braking, can be adversely affected. Furthermore, increased weight increases the force of any accident, making an overloaded truck accident especially destructive. Overloading a semi-truck, big rig, tractor-trailer, or 18-wheeler is common practice for trucking companies attempting to make extra profit, though it is both dangerous and illegal.

To prevent overloading, the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Freight Management and Operations department has established weight limits that apply to all commercial vehicles traveling on the Interstate Highway System. Intrastate trucks may have other weight restrictions as those are determined by the state, though most state trucking regulations coincide with federal ones. The legal weight limit of a commercial truck is 80,000 pounds, with a maximum of 20,000 pounds on a single axle. The distribution of weight, on axles and wheels, is just as important as the total weight of the truck.Read more…

Fundamentals of Georgia Premises Liability

By Grant Law Office on July 14, 2011

Land and property owners in Georgia have a responsibility to keep their property safe and in good repair for visitors, be it a grocery store, bank, shopping mall, doctor’s office or parking lot. If the property owner does not fulfill this responsibility, visitors, or invitees, may be entering dangerous conditions resulting from faulty construction, poor or improper maintenance, and even negligent security. If the dangerous condition causes injury, the Georgia property owner may be held liable for any losses suffered by the injured victim.

According to Georgia code § 51-3-1, “Where an owner or occupier of land, by express or implied invitation, induces or leads others to come upon his premises for any lawful purpose, he is liable in damages to such persons for injuries caused by his failure to exercise ordinary care in keeping the premises and approaches safe.” Read more…