Back to School Time: Driving Safety Tips

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As schools recently started opening their doors to kids this year in Georgia,  it is critically important for drivers to remember these important safe driving tips to avoid an accident and keep the school kids safe.

Know where the school zones are along the route you use to commute.

It is critically important to understand exactly where the school zones are located in your area as a driver. With children walking and biking to school, it is much more likely that an accident can happen within the school zone. Therefore, when you approach the school zone, it is important to slow down and make sure you are paying attention to kids who may cross the street without looking.

It is also critically important to limit your distractions while driving through a school zone. For example, avoid talking on your phone while driving. In addition, it is imperative not to text and drive at any time, but especially when going through the school zone.

Most areas have increased fines if you violate laws within the school zone, so slow down, and you will not only protect the kids but will reduce the likelihood of having to pay a hefty fine.

Listen to the crossing guards.

Crossing guards help the kids cross the street, and drivers need to listen to the crossing guards’ directions. If you see a crossing guard enter the street, be prepared to stop even before putting up the stop sign. It would be best if you waited until they give you the all-clear to drive on as they may see kids coming that you cannot see from your perspective.

Do not pass a stopped school bus.

While it may or may not be illegal in your area to pass a school bus, it is best to do so anyway. For example, if you are behind a bus or driving towards a stopped bus on the other side of the road, you need to stop and wait until all the kids have disembarked and have safely crossed the road.

Do not pass a vehicle stopped for pedestrians.

It is important to remember that you do not have the same perspective as the driver in front of you when you are behind a car. The car may be stopped for no reason, but there is an excellent chance they can see something you do not. Therefore, be patient and do not go around them as there could be a child crossing.

If a driver injured you or a family member, you might be entitled to compensation. Contact the attorneys at Amanda Hall Injury Law to discuss your case today.

What is Georgia’s Wrongful Death Statute?

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Wrongful death is defined as any premature death that has resulted from another party’s negligence. Common causes can include traffic accidents, workplace accidents, or deaths from injuries sustained through the use of defective products. In the state of Georgia, if the family members of someone who died believe that the deceased died due to some form of negligence, a wrongful death lawsuit may be filed to recover monetary compensation.

Who May File a Wrongful Death Claim?

In most cases, it is the spouse of the deceased that will file the claim. If the deceased did not have a spouse, there can be some confusion over who has the legal right to pursue a lawsuit. Most of the time, it is a parent or child of the deceased that will take legal action to recover damages from the person or company that is believed to be at fault.

Determining who has the right to file the claim is an important step. It will help avoid conflicts within your family and the possibility of multiple claims being filed. When more than one legal team is involved in a wrongful death case, it can create problems, especially if the legal teams are not working together.

How Long do I Have to Act?

Unless there are special circumstances to the deceased’s death, the statute of limitations on wrongful death lawsuits is two years. This means that if you attempt to bring a claim past this time, your case will be thrown out of court. Since it can take a considerable amount of time for an attorney to investigate your claim and build a case on your behalf, it is advised that you begin the process sooner rather than later so that you do not lose your rights due to the expiration of your statute of limitations.

What is the Value of My Claim?

There are a number of ways that damages can be calculated when pursuing a wrongful death claim. Things that are considered include the deceased’s assets, potential earnings, relationships with family members and others in the community, and pain and suffering due to the injuries that caused his or her death. Pain and suffering is filed under a different kind of claim referred to as an estate claim. This claim encompasses the cost of medical bills, funeral arrangements, and the loss of the victim’s quality of life before passing.

Learn More During a Risk-Free Consultation

Amanda Hall Injury Law has been serving the Marietta, Woodstock, and Acworth area for over 25 years. If you have suffered the premature loss of a loved one, we understand that it can be difficult to deal with a loss while fighting a legal battle. Give us a call at 678-445-7423 to learn exactly what we can do for you and whether we feel you have a claim to monetary compensation.

Motorcycle Accidents in Georgia Account for 12% of Vehicle Crash Deaths

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Motorcycle accidents are no joke in the state of Georgia. In fact, they are a growing problem, as the number of motorcycle accidents have been rising almost nonstop throughout the 2000s and 2010s. If you ride a motorcycle or are often a passenger on one, it’s crucial that you take various safety precautions. However, it’s also important to know that the future cannot be predicted, and accidents can happen even when safety measures are taken.

If you or a loved one is involved in a motorcycle accident in this area, it’s important to get a Marietta accident lawyer as soon as possible. Whether you or someone else was deemed to be at fault, an experienced motorcycle accident attorney will fight for your rights and seek out maximum compensation on your part. In the meantime, here’s what you need to know about the alarming rates of motorcycle accidents in Georgia.

What the Statistics Say

According to the Georgia Office of Highway Safety, the amount of accident fatalities involving motorcycles in the Peach State rose nearly 60 percent between 2004 and 2008 alone. Meanwhile, data from the Governors Highway Safety Association reveals that there are usually between 120 and 150 motorcycle deaths in Georgia each year. What this translates to is Georgia motorcycle accidents accounting for about 12 percent of all vehicle crash deaths in the state each year. And that’s a lot, especially when considering the fact that motorcycles only make up 2 percent of all registered vehicles in the state.

Of course, it’s not just about fatalities. Many people survive motorcycle crashes. While this is a good thing, the accident often results in massive medical bills, loss of income, damage to the bike and other personal property, and often life-changing injuries. Some people suffer permanent cognitive damage in addition to being physically impaired. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), over 30 percent of motorcycle accident injuries affect the legs and / or feet, while a whopping 33 percent affect the head and / or neck. A good Marietta accident lawyer will fight to help you get as much of these losses covered as possible so you don’t have to suffer any further.

Motorcycle Accident Cases in Georgia

There have been so many notable motorcycle accident cases in Georgia over the past few decades. And with each one, it becomes clearer that legal assistance is necessary no matter who is involved. In multiple cases, motorcycle riders were involved in accidents with other vehicles and were deemed to be not at fault, yet the investigations either took years to conclude or are still ongoing. Meanwhile, the motorcycle riders have racked up serious medical bills and incurred other losses. In other cases, motorcycle riders have lost their lives when the vehicles around them made vital driving errors.

As the Atlanta area and its suburbs continues to grow, the roads are becoming more and more congested. Too many drivers are not looking out for the motorcycle riders they should be safely sharing the road with. It’s important that you drive safely, but if you involved in an accident, contact us right away.

When to Get an Attorney

Getting medical attention is undoubtedly the most important thing that should be handled once a motorcycle accident takes place. But what about after that? Before anyone else involved comes to you with bills or claims, it’s important that you seek legal assistance as soon as you are able. The faster you do, the more efficiently the case can be handled.

At Amanda Hall Injury Law, we’ve been handling motorcycle accident cases since 1990, and we too have noticed that they account for a large amount of traffic crashes. Call our experienced Marietta accident lawyer at (678) 212-1395 for a consultation today.

AMERICA’S top 100 PERSONAL INJURY ATTORNEYS®

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October 9, 2018 – Announcing the selection of Amanda Hall among America’s Top 100 Personal Injury Attorneys® for 2019.  Selection to America’s Top 100 Personal Injury Attorneys® is by invitation only and is reserved to identify the nation’s most exceptional litigators for high-value personal injury, catastrophic injury, wrongful death, product liability, and medical malpractice matters.

To be considered for selection, an attorney must focus more than 50% of their active legal practice on personal injury, catastrophic injury, wrongful death, product liability, and/or medical malpractice matters.  These minimum qualifications are required for initial consideration.  Thereafter, candidates are carefully screened through Advanced Data Analytics evaluating a broad array of criteria, including the candidate’s professional experience, litigation experience, significant personal injury settlements and/or verdicts, peer reputation, and community impact in order to rank the candidates throughout the state.

Only the top 100 qualifying attorneys in each state will receive this honor and be selected for membership among America’s Top 100 Personal Injury Attorneys®.  With these extremely high standards for selection to America’s Top 100 Personal Injury Attorneys®, less than one-half percent (0.5%) of active attorneys in the United States will receive this honor — truly the most exclusive and elite level of attorneys in the community.

If you would like more information about America’s Top 100 Personal Injury Attorneys® or the selection process, please visit our website at www.Top100PersonalInjuryAttorneys.com or contact Kevin Wieser – Membership Director at Membership@AmericasTop100Attorneys.com.

What to Do If You Can’t Pay Your Medical Bills Following a Car Accident

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ACWORTH, Georgia. If you can’t pay your medical bills following a car accident in Acworth, Georgia, you may have several options under the law. For example, you may be entitled to seek damages for your losses from negligent parties that could cover unexpected medical bills. According to USA Today, the average American has less than $4,000 in savings, and 57% of adults have less than $1000 in the bank. According to HealthCare.gov, the out of pocket deductible for a single person insured in a Marketplace plan is $7,900. For a family, the out of pocket deductible is $15,800. Most Americans don’t have this amount of money saved. This means that any unexpected visit to the emergency room can leave most families and individuals in dire straits. If you find yourself unable to pay your medical bills after a car accident, what steps can you take to protect yourself? Read more

Will the Government Shutdown Increase Your Personal Injury Risk?

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KENNESAW, Georgia. The government shutdown continues, with many federal workers out of work, and others being called back to work without pay. While the government will continue to keep essential services in operation, some of these services aren’t running at capacity. Some critics of the shutdown have expressed concerns that it can impact the public’s personal safety and might make the risk of injuries higher in the long-term. Read more

Don’t Let Unexpected Medical Bills Ruin You Financially

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CANTON, Georgia. If you have been hurt in a car accident, bike accident, or pedestrian accident, you might find yourself facing sudden and unexpected medical bills. When patients are rushed to the emergency room after an accident, they often don’t have a say about which hospital they are admitted into. For patients who have insurance, being rushed to the wrong hospital can have immense financial consequences. If a hospital doesn’t take your insurance, you could find yourself facing what is known as a balance bill. A balance bill is a “surprise” bill that comes after your medical insurance pays a hospital what it believes is a fair price for services. When a hospital’s charges exceed what your insurance company deems a fair price, often the hospital will send you the balance. According to Vox, after a bike or car accident, some patients find themselves facing balance bills in the tens of thousands of dollars. Read more

My Car Has Been Totaled. What to Do Next

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ACWORTH, Georgia. If you’ve been in a serious accident, there’s a chance that your insurance adjuster might declare your car a total loss. If your car has been totaled, it is important to understand your rights.

What does it mean when your insurance company declares your vehicle a total loss? Insurance companies are only responsible for the replacement value of your vehicle. They don’t want to pay more than that amount. So, if the cost to repair your vehicle exceeds a certain percentage (it varies from state to state), your car might be declared a total loss. Georgia uses a total loss formula. Insurance adjusters will estimate the replacement value of your vehicle and the value of your crashed vehicle for scrap metal. If the value of the vehicle for scrap plus the cost to repair your vehicle exceeds the cost to replace your vehicle, your car will be declared totaled. Read more

When it Comes to Motorcycle Safety, A Healthy Level of Fear Might Prevent Accidents

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KENNESAW, Georgia. It is well noted that motorcycles are more dangerous than passenger vehicles. According to Ride Apart, your risk of dying while riding a motorcycle is about seven times greater than when riding in a passenger vehicle. Riders are also approximately 27 times more likely to be injured than passenger vehicle drivers. Read more

How to Spot a Drunk Driver this Holiday Season

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CANTON, Georgia. According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving, 28.7 million people admitted to driving while under the influence. Not all of these drivers will be stopped or arrested by the police. There simply are not enough resources to catch them all. Unfortunately, the holiday season is a time when more people might be tempted to drink and drive. There are holiday parties, work parties, and other celebrations where alcohol is consumed. Individuals may not always plan how they will get home. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 300 people have died in drunk driving crashes over the past five years between the Christmas and New Year’s season. Read more