Drivers Still Liable for Self-Driving Car Accidents

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Self-Driving Car Collides with Truck Trailer

Federal investigators found on Tuesday, July 26 that a Tesla Motors car that crashed in Florida was in self-driving mode and speeding at the time of the car accident, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Officials from the National Transit Safety Board are investigating the crash. The car collided with a tractor trailer in Williston, Florida, near Gainesville, on May 7. The tractor-trailer turned in front of the Tesla, which continued driving straight, so that the bottom edge of the 53-foot trailer sheared the roof from the Tesla as it traveled beneath the trailer and came out the other side. The driver was 40-year-old Joshua Brown from Canton, Ohio. According to The Guardian, the driver of the truck reported that Brown was watching Harry Potter on a DVD player in the vehicle, and that the movie was still playing after Brown’s car struck a telephone pole a quarter of a mile past the location of the tractor trailer collision.

Tesla Confused Tractor Trailer for a Clear Spring Day

The Tesla comes equipped with a self-driving system that automates highway driving. This equipment can control speed and lane changes using computer vision technology.

The automated driving system can negotiate slow traffic without driver input, and even avoid obstacles like highway wrecks. Although some Tesla owners have posted videos to YouTube in which they drive the car with their hands off the wheel, Tesla has discouraged the practice. Tesla founder Elon Musk says that this is the first self-driving accident for the Tesla, which means the technology has a lower accident rate than the average American driver. The company believes that the self-driving system was unable to distinguish between a bright spring sky and the white trailer on the truck, which prevented the system from attempting to stop automatically.

Law on Self-Driving Cars is Unsettled

Right now, there are no regulations in place to determine the standard behavior of fully autonomous driving systems. Because the technology is new, there is no specific law about how drivers should use the systems, either. However, drivers in Georgia must exercise reasonable caution when driving to prevent injury to others on the road. In the past, courts have placed the responsibility for turning off features like cruise control and taking direct control of the vehicle on the driver. If those features malfunction, though, the responsibility may be on the manufacturer of the vehicle.

Drivers May Be Liable for Accidents Despite Self-Driving Technology

Now that self-driving cars are on the highway, we’ll likely see more and more accidents that involve their use, and more lawsuits to determine who should bear the financial burden of those accidents. In an accident like the one in Florida, it seems that multiple problems lead to the collision. The company admits that the technology malfunctioned. But if the company warns drivers to remain alert and not to take their hands off the wheel while the self-driving system is active, they may avoid product liability in situations like this one. The driver also seems to have been distracted from the road, and may not have been watching when the truck turned in front of him. If he had injured someone and this kind of distraction had lead to the accident, he would be liable for negligence and have to pay damages.

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Blood on the Tracks: Who Pays for Train Collisions?

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Norfolk Southern Train Kills Man in Apparent Suicide

A train collision killed a pedestrian in Norcross, GA on Wednesday morning, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. A Norfolk Southern train struck a man standing on the railroad tracks near South Peachtree and Stevens Road. The train collision occurred at about 8:47 a.m.  The accident caused traffic problems at all downtown Norcross crossings. The accident occurred during morning rush hour. Police asked drivers to avoid the entire downtown area because of disruptions to traffic.

According to The Gwinnett Daily Post, police are investigating the accident as a possible suicide attempt. As reported by WSB-TV 2 Atlanta, eyewitnesses said the man made no apparent attempt to step off of the train tracks when the train was approaching. It’s this information that makes police believe the death was a suicide. The train attempted to stop, but it continued to travel for 2500 feet past the point where the man was standing, after which point the man was already dead.

Hundreds of Deaths and Injuries from Rail Collisions Annually

Dozens of people die each year in train accidents. According to the Federal Railroad Administration, there have been over 80 deaths from train collisions at railway crossings and 163 deaths at non-crossing points along the railway so far in 2016. There have been almost 400 non-fatal collisions between trains and either cars or pedestrians. Trains hitting cars and pedestrians account for almost 95% of all train accidents.

Train Operators Must Take Care to Avoid Train Collisions

In accidents involving trains, the legal consequences depend on who the train accident injures. Train operators have a very high standard of responsibility toward any passengers, because a passenger train is what is known as a common carrier, like a bus or commercial airline. Train operators also owe a duty of care toward other people who may be on or near a train track, like the railway worker in Wilmington, Delaware who died in a train collision when an Amtrak train traveling over 100 miles per hour struck the backhoe he was operating, as The Insurance Journal reports. If it turns out that the train operator was not following reasonable safety procedures, and that this failure lead to the accident, the train operator may be liable for damages in a negligence lawsuit. If the victim of the accident dies and can’t bring a lawsuit themselves, the victim’s surviving family can file a wrongful death lawsuit to recover the value of the victim’s life.

Norfolk Southern Could Be Liable for Wrongful Death

In a collision like the one that occurred in Norcross, it seems unclear whether any negligence occurred. If eyewitness accounts are correct, and the man waited on the tracks intentionally with the goal of committing suicide, then the question becomes whether the train operator did everything they reasonably could to prevent the collision. For example, if the train was traveling at a higher rate of speed than is standard, this may have prevented the train from stopping before it hit the man. However, if the train was traveling at a reasonable speed, or if slowing down would not have prevented the accident, the train operator may not be liable for damages. Any negligence lawsuit would be a wrongful death suit with the surviving family as the plaintiffs.

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If someone you love has died in an accident, you need legal help. Contact an experienced accident attorney at Williams Elleby Howard & Easter in Cobb County to get the justice you deserve.

Shared Liability in Multiple Car Accidents

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Out-of-control Car Nearly Smashes into Cop

A drunk driving accident nearly injured a police officer in Buckhead on Sunday, July 24, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. NBC 11 Alive Atlanta reports that the car accident occurred shortly before dawn Sunday morning. Police responding to a previous accident were blocking traffic on the southbound side of Ga. 400. A police officer had parked his car perpendicular to traffic and illuminated the cruiser’s emergency vehicle lighting. He was waiting for a HERO unit to respond to the original crash.

The driver, Abraham Martinez, drove his blue Audi at high speed into the rear end of a black Ford near the parked police cruiser. The collision was so powerful that it sent the black Ford careening across two lanes of traffic toward the police cruiser. The police officer was able to run toward the shoulder to avoid the black Ford. Police arrested Martinez for driving under the influence and took him to the city jail. Emergency responders transported the driver of the black Ford to a nearby hospital after he returned to consciousness. All of the vehicles at the scene sustained serious damage and required towing.

Drivers May Share Responsibility for Multiple Car Accidents

In some car accidents, multiple factors might contribute to injuries and property damage. In Georgia, drivers must exercise reasonable care in avoiding injury to other drivers or pedestrians. This includes following the rules of the road. If more than one driver shares fault in the accident, then each driver can be responsible for part of the damages in the accident. This is known as comparative negligence. In general, police officers are not responsible for accidents that occur because of normal police procedures. This is called sovereign immunity. However, if police fail to follow normal procedures, the officer and the government agency they represent may be liable for damages in an accident.

Drunk Drivers are Liable for Car Accident Damages

In an accident like the one in Buckhead, it’s clear that someone failed to exercise reasonable care in driving, leading to the accident. First of all, if a driver is speeding at the time of the accident, and the speeding causes the accident or makes the results of the accident worse, this can make that driver liable for damages. In the Buckhead accident, it appears that Abraham Martinez was traveling above the legal speed limit. If so, this probably contributed to the severity of the accident. Secondly, it appears that Martinez failed to keep a safe following distance from the vehicle in front of him. This is another violation of the rules of the road that indicates negligence on the part of the driver. But perhaps most obviously, a driver under the influence of alcohol or other mind-altering substances that hinder the individual’s ability to drive will be a strong indicator of negligence. If the driver’s blood alcohol content (BAC) was over the legal limit (.08), this is evidence of negligence on the part of that driver.

Traffic Cops May Be Partially Liable for Car Accident

However, it’s also possible that the other parties may have contributed to the accident. It’s possible, for example, that the driver of the black Ford was also exceeding the speed limit, which caused him to stop suddenly when he noticed the police cruiser. In this case, that driver may also be partly liable for the damages in the accident. Although the fact that the police cruiser was stopping traffic likely contributed to the accident, this will only make the officer and the law enforcement agency liable for damages if the officer was not following standard police procedure at the time.

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Car Hits Stab Victim on Freeway: Who’s at Fault?

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Car Runs Over Stab Victim on Marietta Freeway

A car struck a pedestrian on Marietta Highway Wednesday, July 27 who had already suffered several stab wounds before the collision, according to Patch.com. The car accident occurred in Roswell, Georgia, east of Coleman Road. The man was lying in the middle of the roadway when the driver of a black Acura struck him. First responders transported the man, 35-year-old Lawrence Cornelius Range, to a nearby hospital, where doctors discovered that he had suffered multiple stab wounds before the car hit him.

Auto-pedestrian Accidents Kill Thousands

Dozens of pedestrians die in car accidents in Georgia every year, according to a report by the Governors Highway Safety Association. In the first six months of 2014 alone, 50 pedestrians died after a car hit them; in the first six months of 2013, this number was even higher, at 75 pedestrians dead. The states with the highest overall totals of pedestrian deaths from car collisions are New York, California, Texas and Florida. But if you look at the number of pedestrian deaths each year per 100,000 population, Georgia is 1.7—higher than New York, and almost as high as Texas. Nationwide pedestrian fatalities fell during the first decade of the millennium, but in the last few years have risen to about the same levels as 15 years ago.

Drivers are Liable for Careless Injuries to Pedestrians

In Georgia, drivers are responsible for taking reasonable care not to injure other motorists or pedestrians while they are operating a motor vehicle. If a driver fails to follow the rules of the road and their violation of the traffic laws leads to an accident or injury, the driver can be liable for money damages in a negligence lawsuit. Even if the driver is only partly at fault, or if the pedestrian or other motorist they injure has violated the rules of the road, the driver can still be partly liable for the injuries that result. However, if the driver took reasonable care in driving and the accident still occurred, they are not liable for damages since they were not negligent.

Pedestrians Must Keep Off the Freeway

According to Section 40-6-96 of the Georgia Code, pedestrians should never walk or lie in the center of a lane of a freeway. Where sidewalks are available, pedestrians must use the sidewalks, and where sidewalks are not available but there is a shoulder, pedestrians must keep to the shoulder. When there is no shoulder or sidewalk, pedestrians may walk on the furthest right part of the furthest right lane. Therefore, a pedestrian walking in the middle of a lane of traffic would be negligent in a resulting car accident.

However, here the pedestrian had suffered injuries and was lying in the middle of the lane, perhaps unconscious or incapable of movement. If the driver who struck them was in violation of the rules of the road (for example, if she had failed to illuminate her headlamps, which caused her to strike the pedestrian), she could still be liable for negligence. But if she took all available precautions and still hit the pedestrian, she would not be liable. In that case, the person who injured the pedestrian and left him lying in the street may also be liable for any damages that occurred as a result of the collision.

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Landlord May Pay Out for Injuries from Arson

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Cobb County House Fire Kills Teenage Girl

A house fire killed a teenage girl and destroyed a house in Marietta on Monday, July 25, according to NBC 11 Alive Atlanta. Investigators are treating the death as a homicide. Investigators have not ruled out the possibility that the fire was a result of arson. The family who lived in the home rented it from a man who lives in Texas, who was not familiar with the family of the deceased girl.

Brother and Firefighter Require Treatment for Burns

The girl’s brother also suffered burns from the house fire and required treatment at a local hospital, but doctors expect he will survive his burn injuries, according to ABC WTVM Live Columbus. The step-father did not sustain any injuries during the fire. Police took him into custody, but released him by Sunday afternoon without filing charges. The house fire was extremely powerful, with flames shooting through the roof and visible from blocks away, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. One firefighter required precautionary medical treatment for heat exposure.

Georgia Law Holds Landlords Accountable for Conditions on Property

When accidents happen and injure a person while they are on someone else’s property, the property owner may sometimes be liable for damages in a negligence lawsuit. In general, property owners in Georgia have a responsibility to take reasonable steps to make their property safe for their guests, customers, and people they expect to be on the property (like mail delivery personnel). However, landlords have a more limited responsibility. In most circumstances, Georgia does not require landlords to ensure that their tenants keep the property safe, since the tenants have control over the property while they are renting. But landlords do still have some responsibility to keep the property safe. If the landlord knows or should have known about a dangerous condition, they need to take reasonable steps to ensure that the condition does not injure their tenants. This includes criminal acts that have occurred in the past.  If the landlord has knowledge of prior criminal activity, they can take reasonable steps to prevent similar acts from occurring in the future.

Landlords May Be Liable for Accidental Fires or Arsons

In a case like the fire that occurred on Shadowridge Drive near Marietta, it’s possible that the landlord may be liable for injuries in a negligence lawsuit. If a defect in the construction or maintenance of the house lead to the fire, and it arose because the landlord or someone the landlord was supervising failed to exercise reasonable care in building or maintaining the house, then the landlord may be liable for negligence. For example, if the electrical system was installed in a way that failed to meet county building code, and the landlord knew or should have known about this, and this failure to properly install the electrical system led to the fire, the landlord may be liable for damages. However, if the accident occurred because of the tenant’s failure to properly maintain the house while they lived in it, the landlord would not be liable.

If, as police in the case seem to suspect, the fire was the result of a crime, the landlord could still be liable. If there had been previous similar criminal activity in the neighborhood, like other arson, this may have been enough to put the landlord on notice that they should secure the house. If a third party then set the house on fire, and reasonable security measures (like fencing) would have prevented the crime, the landlord may be liable for damages in a negligent security lawsuit.

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If you or someone you know has suffered injuries on someone else’s property, you need legal advice. Contact a premises liability attorney at Williams Elleby Howard & Easter in Cobb County today to find out more about your options.

Bad Weather and Narrow Roads Increase Risks of Truck Accidents

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One Dead in Covington Dump Truck Accident

A truck accident in Covington left one dead after two dump trucks drove off a bridge, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. The two trucks were operated by the same company, and the drivers were friends. The second truck driver, who was from New Jersey and unfamiliar with the area, was following the first truck driver to pick up asphalt.

Heavy Rain and Narrow Bridge Send Two Old Friends into Yellow River

The lead driver came to a stop before crossing the narrow bridge to make way for another truck coming the opposite direction, according to NBC 11-Alive Atlanta. The second truck collided with the first from behind, and both trucks went off the side of the bridge into the Yellow River near I-20. Officials believed that heavy rain may have contributed to the accident. The truck accident threw Neil Gayle, the second driver, from his vehicle, which landed on top of him in the river. First responders found his body when they moved the truck. The other driver was hospitalized, but did not suffer any life-threatening injuries.

Adverse Conditions Need Special Care from Truck Drivers

Accidents involving large trucks are more likely to lead to fatalities. Because trucks, especially trucks hauling heavy materials, have many times more mass than a normal passenger vehicle, they require much greater stopping distance to prevent collisions. Adverse conditions like heavy rain require even greater stopping distances in order to avoid accidents. The stopping distance for a large truck driving 60 miles per hour can be longer than a football field. When rain or ice causes slippery conditions, stopping distance doubles. Sudden stops, like those that arise from unexpected road and traffic conditions, can lead to fatal accidents when a large truck is behind you and can’t stop in time.

Careless Truckers Are Liable for Accidents

Georgia law requires drivers to take reasonable care to avoid causing injuries to others on the road. This includes following all of the rules of the road while driving. Because maintaining proper stopping distance is required by law, failing to do so can result in liability for negligence in a lawsuit. This means that drivers in slippery conditions have a duty to reduce their speed to allow time to stop if the need arises. If drivers don’t do so and an accident results, they may be liable for the injuries that result. If a driver is on-duty when the accident occurs, their employer may be liable for the damages. If the victim does not survive the accident, their family members may sue the company who employed the driver for wrongful death.

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If you or someone you know has been in a car accident, you will need legal help as soon as possible. Get in touch with an experienced truck accident attorney at Williams Elleby Howard & Easter in Cobb County and find out more about your options.

Cities May Be Liable for Bad Roads that Cause Accidents

Cities Liable for Damaged Roads and Personal Injury Accidents Georgia

Midtown Neighborhood Gets Improved Pedestrian, Cyclist Safety

Atlanta just approved a plan for a new bike and pedestrian corridor, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. The project to prevent car accidents would widen sidewalks and improve intersections in the Midtown neighborhood. The changes would affect Juniper and Spring streets between Ponce de Leon Avenue and 14th Street. Intersections will get new crosswalk signals, repainted crosswalks and anti-skid surfacing.

Cyclist Deaths on the Rise

Juniper Street will also receive a barrier-separated bike lane, The number of lanes on the street will be reduced from four to two. Many of these improvements are intended to improve safety for cyclists. They need all the help they can get: according to the National Highway Transit Safety Administration, over 700 cyclists died in car accidents in 2013, and over 48,000 were injured. Bicycle fatalities increased every year from 2011-2013.

Savannah Cyclist Survivors Sue City over Road Conditions

If dangerous road conditions lead to a bicycle accident, who is responsible? It may be the city. A cyclist’s family sued the city of Savannah last month after dangerous road conditions lead to an accident that killed the cyclist. Her bicycle hit a crack in the road that caused her to fall off of her bicycle onto the road, where she was run over by a dump truck, WSAV Savannah reports. The driver was following the rules of the road, and did not face any criminal charges.

Cities Might Be Liable for Bad Roads

In Georgia, the law requires government entities to exercise reasonable care to prevent injury. However, they are immune from liability as long as they are fulfilling their duties as described by the law. However, Georgia courts have previously held that a government agency may be held liable if they fail to carry out their duties as described by law. Specifically, if a state agency fails to maintain roads to specifications in the Georgia Code, they may be liable for damages in a negligence lawsuit. This means that in some cases, the city or state may have to pay damages for an accident caused by poor road conditions if they failed to maintain the roads as the state law requires.

The Georgia Code provides a specific immunity for state and city governments against lawsuits that seek to hold the government liable for road designs that lead to car accidents. For the government to benefit from this immunity, they need to prove that the road was designed according to generally-accepted engineering principles. If they fail to do so, they might be liable for a road redesign that leads to accidents.

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If you or someone you know has been in a car, bicycle or pedestrian accident, you need legal advice. Get in touch with a car accident attorney at Williams Elleby Howard & Easter today and get the compensation you deserve.

Motels May Be Liable for Injuries from Violent Crimes

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Cobb County Man Shot in Room at Motel

A man was shot in a hotel room in Cobb County on Wednesday, July 13, WSB-TV 2 Atlanta reports. The scene of the crime was the Red Roof Inn near the 2200 block of Corporate Plaza. Eyewitnesses report that the man suffered from three gunshot wounds and experienced heavy bleeding. The shooting victim and the perpetrator appear to have had an argument outside the room before the shooting occurred. The shooter is still at large, and police are looking for any information that might help them locate suspects.

Budget Motels Pose Crime Risk for Guests

According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the dwelling of the victim is the most common location for a violent crime. Eighteen percent of violent crimes occur in the home or lodging of the victim, including motel and hotel rooms. The next most common place is in open public locations, such as streets and public transportation, which account for about 17% of violent crimes. Budget motels can offer poor security, leading to an environment that is ripe for violent crime, according to Police Magazine. These motels usually do not employ a security staff and may not require identification to rent a room, unlike the standard policies at other lodgings.

Standard Security Measures for Motels and Hotels

Most motels and hotels follow standard security measures to ensure the safety of their guests and staff. These measures include performing identity checks on would-be guests before allowing them access to rooms. Also, it is common for hotels to provide parking passes to guests and to check all cars in their parking lot, so they can report cars that are not registered to a guest. They may also prohibit guests from backing into parking spaces so that their license plates will be visible to any police officer on patrol. This allows police to run a check on the license plates and identify any suspected criminals.

Negligent Security Lawsuits Against Hotels

Last year, a couple staying in a Miami hotel sued when another group of guests broke down the door to their hotel room and beat the victims. The assailants had already been reported to hotel security, the Bahamas Weekly reports. If a hotel or motel fails to put in place standard security measures, they may be liable for negligence in the event of a crime. In Georgia, property owners owe a duty to their guests and customers to keep the premises safe and avoid injuries. If the property owner is aware of a possible threat to his customer’s health, he is responsible for taking reasonable actions to prevent any injury. This means that, if a motel owner is aware that crimes have occurred in the area in the past, he is responsible for taking standard measures (like those described above) to prevent injury to his guests.

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Pokemon Go May Lead to Negligence Lawsuits

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Cobb County Cops on Lookout for Pokemon Go Players

Law enforcement agencies in Cobb County are on the lookout for people playing Pokemon Go, the new mobile game sensation, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The game requires players to travel to specific locations in order to collect Pokemon characters, which appear on their mobile device. They are watching for distracted drivers or pedestrians walking in the street. Police in Marietta have increased their patrols in response to safety concerns surrounding the game.

Mobile Game Causes Accidents

The game has already caused some problems in the area. CBS 46 News reports that a local man damaged a light pole while climbing it in pursuit of a virtual Pokemon character. The man did not suffer any personal injuries. The man was in Marietta Square during a Pokemon Go special event, along with several hundred others. In other parts of the country, the game has led to even more dangerous situations. Two men in Encinitas, California nearly died after falling off a cliff in pursuit of the virtual creatures. Last week, a man in Auburn caused an auto accident when he crashed his car into a tree while playing the game, according to USA Today.

Distracted Driving Leads to 1 in 5 Car Accidents

Any activity that requires you to use your phone can lead to distraction, and distraction leads to accidents. According to the National Safety Council, cell phone use is involved in about 26% of all car accidents in 2014. Research indicates that texting and talking are both equally distracting to drivers. According to the National Safety Council, cell phone use that leads to car accidents is probably underreported. Research from the National Highway Transit Safety Administration shows that common situations leading to auto-pedestrian accidents include distracted pedestrians and ones who enter traffic suddenly or against the light.

Georgia Law Holds Distracted Drivers Liable

The law in Georgia requires drivers to take reasonable care to prevent injury to others. If a driver is texting or using a mobile application on their phone that causes them to be distracted, they may be liable for negligence if an accident results. Even if the other person is partially at fault, the driver may be partly liable for injuries if the driver was distracted and failed to follow the rules of the road. For example, even if a pedestrian crosses against the light, a driver who is not paying attention because of their phone and hits the pedestrian may be liable for negligence.

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If you or someone you love has been injured in a car accident, you will need legal advice immediately. Call an experienced car accident attorney at Williams Elleby Howard & Easter in Cobb County today and find out more about your options.

Marietta Woman Runs Over 2-Year-Old Girl

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Infant Dies From Injuries

A two-year-old girl died in a car accident Tuesday, July 19 when a local woman backed over her, NBC 11 Alive Atlanta reports. The accident occurred at the 2700 block of Greencastle way in Marietta. The driver, a 57-year-old local resident, was exiting her driveway in her SUV when she struck the child, who suffered severe injuries. The child died after she was airlifted to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite hospital. Police are investigating the auto-pedestrian accident, but they do not expect to file charges, according to WTVM Columbus.

Children Are At-Risk in Car Accidents

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says that most accident fatalities occur among children riding in cars without proper restraints. Using a car seat to restrain your child aged 3 or younger reduces the risk of death in a car accident by about 75%. The CDC states that using a booster seat for kids under 8 reduces the risk of death by almost half. About 20% of child passenger fatalities involve drunk driving.

Avoid Accidents with Kids

Kids are also likely victims of auto-pedestrian accidents. Research from the National Highway Transit Safety Administration estimates that of 69,000 pedestrians killed by cars in 2011, about 11,000 of them were age 14 or younger. Common situations leading to auto-pedestrian accidents include:

  • Pedestrian steps off the curb mid-block. Parked cars can block drivers from seeing the pedestrian until they’re already in the road, and it’s too late to stop.
  • Vehicle turns into a cross-walk. The corners of buildings, trees, or parked cars keep drivers from seeing around corners. If they take the turn quickly, they may not have time to avoid pedestrians on the crosswalk.
  • Pedestrian is walking or jogging along the road. Some joggers may take to the street to avoid other pedestrians, or where no sidewalk is available. Drivers may not expect pedestrians on the side of the road.
  • Driver backs out of a parking spot. As in the tragic death in Marietta, drivers reversing out of parking spots or driveways may have limited visibility behind them, and pedestrians may not be aware they are backing out.
  • Distracted motorist or pedestrian. Drivers making phone calls, texting, or having conversations may not pay close attention to the road. Likewise, pedestrians wearing headphones or reading a map may step into traffic unaware.
  • Pedestrian exiting bus. School buses and other passenger buses may let pedestrians off in the middle of the block, and passengers may cross in front of the bus, where vehicles passing the bus can’t see them.
  • Pedestrian crosses against the signal. Cars approaching an intersection may be driving too quickly to slow down for a pedestrian who crosses against the light without warning.

Auto-pedestrian Accidents and Negligence

In Georgia, the law requires drivers to take reasonable care to avoid injuring others while driving. Failing to follow the rules of the road can make a driver liable for negligence. Driving while texting or engaging in other distracting activities can lead to an accident, and the driver may be responsible for damages. Failing to follow the rules of the road, such as obeying school bus stop signs or coming to a complete stop at a red light, can also lead to liability for negligence. Even if the pedestrian also contributed to the accident jaywalking or jogging in the road, the driver may still be liable if they also failed to take reasonable precautions.

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If you or someone you know has been involved in a car accident, you need legal help. Contact an experienced car accident attorney at Williams Elleby Howard & Easter today to get the compensation you deserve.