Macon, Georgia Backseat Passenger Lawyer

Backseat Passenger

Safety was not a primary concern for America’s first automobile designers. Seat belts for adults were not standard equipment in cars until the 1950s. Additionally, the initial intention for car seats was to keep children from moving around inside the vehicle rather than protecting them during collisions. Child restraint systems as we know them today didn’t become widespread until the 1970s. In 2002, a U.S. federal law went into effect, requiring automobile manufacturers to ensure that all cars have standard anchors, tethers and hooks present in passenger vehicles in order to secure baby car seats. Car crashes are the leading cause of unintentional injury-related death among children ages 14 and under, according to the National SAFE KID...

Macon, Georgia Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Silicosis Lawyer

Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Silicosis

It’s amazing how something as small as particles of dust can get into our lungs and cause big problems. While many of us have heard about asbestos, the similar phenomenon of silicosis hasn’t gotten quite as much attention. Yet, more than 250 U.S. workers die every year and hundreds more become disabled from silicosis. Silica, often referred to as quartz, is a very common mineral found in many materials, including soil, sand, concrete, masonry, rock and granite. When these materials are cut, ground, crushed, exploded, chipped, drilled or otherwise disturbed, they create dust made up of crystalline silica. These bits can be inhaled into a person’s lungs, which react by developing fibrotic nodules and scarring around the trapped silica ...

Macon, Georgia Beep. Beep. C’mon, Pal. Move it! Lawyer

Beep. Beep. C’mon, Pal. Move it!

Lane courtesy. Sounds quaint, doesn’t it? The practice of yielding to or moving over so that faster moving traffic may pass seems like a fairly innocuous concept, yet it’s a key factor in many vehicle accidents. When drivers choose to block the left lane, whether intentionally or not, they are making the roads less safe and efficient for everyone. To bring public awareness to this issue, June has been designated as Lane Courtesy Month. The history behind the left lane reveals that it was developed more than 50 years ago for the express purpose of allowing cars to pass another vehicle and then immediately return to the right lane. Now that there are so many more vehicles on the road, failure to keep right negatively impacts traffic safe...

Macon, Georgia Poison Prevention Awareness Lawyer

Poison Prevention Awareness

The mention of poisonous substances may bring to mind the skull and crossbones image found on old bottles. While such hazardous materials certainly exist, medications and many household products used in the wrong way, in the wrong amount or by the wrong person can be poisonous. It’s important to be aware of the dangers of poisonings and how to prevent them. According to the Centers for Disease Control, poisoning is the leading cause of injury death in the United States. Most of these fatalities are due to drug and medicine misuse and abuse. More than 3.1 million calls were received by America’s 55 poison centers in 2013, with about 2.2 million of those calls dealing directly with poison exposures. The remaining calls were by people look...

Macon, Georgia Crumple Zones Lawyer

Crumple Zones

Most of us don’t give much thought to infrastructure – the roads and bridges that we travel over every day. According to the World Economic Forum, the United States, which used to have the best infrastructure in the world, now ranks 16th. Decades of neglect have resulted in crumbling concrete, corroded steel and a massive problem with no real solution in sight. In Georgia alone, there were almost 6.6 million licensed drivers in 2012 – that’s a lot of wear and tear on the transportation system. New Report Raises Concerns About Georgia Roads One group evaluating surface transportation concerns for all 50 states is a Washington, D.C., based private nonprofit research organization known as TRIP. A September 2014 report by TRIP concl...

Macon, Georgia Car Seat Recall: Graco Buckles Under Pressure Lawyer

Car Seat Recall: Graco Buckles Under Pressure

Required by law in every state, child restraint systems are intended to protect children from injury or death during vehicle collisions. In Georgia, children under 8 years old must ride in an approved safety seat or booster seat that is suited for their height and weight, and it is recommended that children under the age of one be secured in a rear-facing infant seat. There are a huge variety of models available, which should all be harmless by design, yet defects cause millions to be recalled every year. RECALLED MODELSAprica, Argos, Classic Ride, Comfort Sport, Cozy Cline, Head Wise, My Ride, Nautilus, Ready Ride, SafeSeat, Size4Me, Smart Seat, SnugRide, and Teutonia Model Car Seats.The largest car seat recall so far in the US occurred t...

Macon, Georgia Health Hazards of Leaf Blowers Lawyer

Health Hazards of Leaf Blowers

The rather innocuous looking leaf blowers that many Americans use to save time on yard and garden maintenance elicit surprisingly strong responses from their opponents. Termed “dust blowers” by some adversaries, these machines are now restricted in many communities. Local regulations across the country limit leaf blowers’ use to certain times of the day or year, prohibit gasoline-powered versions but allow electric ones, and even completely ban their use altogether. The most obvious hazard presented by leaf blowers is noise pollution, which can interfere with communication, sleep, and work. The average leaf blower measures between 70 to 75 decibels at 50 feet. That’s 20 decibels more than the acceptable ambient noise levels recomme...

Macon, Georgia DOT Reports 10% Of Fatal Crashes Involve 15-20 Year Olds Lawyer

DOT Reports 10% Of Fatal Crashes Involve 15-20 Year Olds

Although there are thousands of accidents in the United States every year, a newly released U.S. Department of Transportation report shows that nearly 10% of all drivers involved in fatal crashes were between the ages of 15 and 20 years old. Inexperience Not The Only Factor Involved The DOT's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recently released a new Traffic Safety Facts report that summarizes 2011 national crash data for young drivers between 15 and 20 years old.  The report, compiled by the NHTSA's National Center for Statistics and Analysis, shows that young drivers between those ages were involved in 4,347 fatal crashes. While the inexperience of young drivers may be part of the equation, the report also suggests that ma...

Macon, Georgia Slip & Fall Accidents: The Difference between Negligence & Carelessness Lawyer

Slip & Fall Accidents: The Difference between Negligence & Carelessness

Slip and fall accidents are responsible for sending over one million people to emergency rooms every year, according the National Floor Safety Institute (NFSI) – resulting in steep medical costs, lost income and physical pain and suffering.  When the accident happened on someone else’s property and liability is an issue, how can you determine whether an owner was truly negligent if they claim you were being careless? Playing the He Said / She Said Game Whenever a premises liability accident occurs, you’re likely to get into a he said / she game over how the accident occurred – especially when insurance companies are involved.  In fact, many insurance companies will attempt to invoke what’s called the “open and obvious doctri...

What Is A Personal Injury?

We’ve all heard the term “personal injury” in the legal context, but what does it really mean?  Most people would be surprised at the scope of the term and the numerous types of situations it applies to in everyday life. Personal Injury – Defined According to LexisNexis, a personal injury is defined as the branch of tort law that covers any wrong or damage done to another in his person, property, rights, or reputation. So, what does that mean in plain English?  Actually, a lot. Personal injury law involves an injury that is caused by another person’s failure to act reasonably.  The term “reasonably” can vary depending on the facts and circumstances of a situation.  Here’s two quick examples: Example 1.  A car runs a ...

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Proving a Brain Injury Claim in Georgia: The Importance of Medical Evidence

Imagine this scenario: While running errands on a weekend, your car was hit in the rear by another vehicle.  You find out that the other driver was distracted by his cell phone and didn’t see your car stopped at a red light. The other driver was going f...