Atlanta Injury Attorneys Blog

Gwinnett County Man Hit-and-Run, Discovered by Co-Worker

Tue, 17 Aug 2010 23:10:53 -0500

Today I read a Gwinnett County hit-and-run accident story with some bad news and some good. The bad news was that on Tuesday morning, Aubrey Turner of Pine Mountain in Gwinnett County was hit by a motorist while walking to work--and as if that weren't bad enough, the motorist kept on going rather than pulling over to help. According to the victim's brother, who spoke to the press, "They just left him ... you know, for dead."

The good news is that Mr.Turner was discovered shortly thereafter on the side of the road by a coworker, also on the way to work, in time to get the help he needed at Gwinnett County Medical center. At the time of this writing he is in serious condition, having already undergone treatment for a shattered left arm and a ruptured spleen.

The good news, of course, doesn't even come close to making up for the bad. "Serious condition" is just that, and Turner could have any number of terminal conditions as a result of this tragic incident. Georgia hit-and-run accidents can cause severe burns, catastrophic brain injuries and, of course, death.

Gwinnett Gladiator Loses Control of Truck, Is Cited With DUI

Thu, 12 Aug 2010 00:07:24 -0500

On Monday night, Phil Youngclaus from the Gwinnett Gladiators was hospitalized due to an accident in which he lost control of his truck. The truck had overturned, rolled across the highway several times, ejected Youngclaus, and hit a mailbox and fence.

The hockey player also was cited for driving under the influence (DUI), possession of an open container in a vehicle, failure to maintain lane and not wearing his seatbelt. The arrest reportedly occurred after Youngclaus refused to comply with a blood alcohol test. According to Georgia's Implied Consent Law, law enforcement officers are allowed to ask for breath, blood or urine samples to determine whether a driver is intoxicated. Refusal to submit to such tests can lead to fines, arrests, or suspensions of driving privileges.

It's really a shame when a sports figure, ostensibly a local hero and a role model for youth, decides to drive drunk. And make no mistake. Getting behind the wheel while intoxicated is always a decision--one with definite, often deadly consequences. In this case, Youngclaus sustained head injuries and apparently broke his back in several places. Back injuries from a DUI car accident can result in catastrophic spinal injury, paraplegia, quadriplegia or even death. So really, he got off easy.

Head-On Suwannee Crash Kills Driver, Injures Trucker

Sat, 07 Aug 2010 02:14:10 -0500

Hot on the heels of my last post, which concerned a Georgia initiative to reduce the incidence of crashes between commercial trucks and lighter-weight vehicles, came a grisly Suwannee accident involving a head-on collision between a tractor-trailer and a pickup truck.

On Wednesday afternoon,the pickup reportedly crossed the road's center line and struck the tractor-trailer coming in the other direction. Its driver, a Valdosta, Ga. man who had not been wearing a seat belt, was ejected and died that night. The semi driver, a man from Live Oak, is still in critical condition at Shands at UF.

Often, the commercial vehicle driver gets out of a major auto accident with only minor injuries, but this one caused the trailer to separate from the cab as a result of the head-on impact. Had the semi driver not been wearing his seat belt, his fate might have been the same as that of the pickup driver.

Georgia Commercial Truck Crash Safety Program Makes Debut

Wed, 04 Aug 2010 23:26:46 -0500

Big news in the prevention of Georgia car and truck crashes: a new initiative, the Georgia Targeting Aggressive Cars & Trucks Program, began on Monday. The program specifically focuses on reducing the number of crashes, injuries and deaths related to accidents involving collisions of lightweight vehicles with large commercial trucks.

Tractor-trailers can weigh 50 times more than ordinary consumer vehicles--sometimes up to 40 tons--and this obviously puts the average Joe's car at a distinct disadvantage in a collision. Large commercial trucks have many safety concerns that ordinary vehicles don't have, and this means many different safety checks a driver must perform each and every time he or she hits the road.

But what happens while they're actually on the road? Driving behavior accounts for as much if not more risk for accidents, and commercial truck drivers bear extra responsibility to be careful while driving. To help enforce this, Georgia is having law enforcement officers on I-85 and I-585 specifically look out for aggressive driving behavior such as tailgating, improper lane changes, speeding and failure to signal.

The goal is to significantly cut back on the number of crashes between commercial and lightweight vehicles in Gwinnett and Hall Counties. Between 2007 and 2009, approximately 1,160 crashes were reported, with almost 800 injuries and 25 deaths resulting.

Lawrenceville Man Charged with Grabbing Steering Wheel in Deadly Crash

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 20:53:17 -0500

Strange things happen on the road, and a car accident is often not what it seems--especially if it takes place during a downpour. What was thought at first to be a crash caused by a thunderstorm has been called into question by Gwinnett County police, who have filed criminal charges against a Lawrenceville man for causing the Lawrenceville crash that killed his wife and injured her 10-year-old daughter.

The man allegedly grabbed the car's steering wheel from the passenger seat, making the car crash through a mailbox, a utility pole, and finally into a tree. His wife, in the driver's seat, died at the scene. Currently booked at the Gwinnett County Jail on felony involuntary manslaughter and misdemeanor reckless conduct charges, the man intentionally grabbed the steering wheel, according to police investigators. His motive for doing this, however, remains under investigation.

With this limited information it is impossible to know whether the man grabbed the steering wheel in a vain attempt to control the car on slick roads, or whether he acted belligerently in the heat of an argument, or even whether the act was intentional and premeditated. There are too many variables to be completely certain. As a Lawrenceville car accident attorney I have seen many cases, and any of these motives is plausible. It will be interesting to see what this investigation uncovers.

Fires Blister Across Gwinnett County

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 22:48:25 -0500

It's the middle of summer in Georgia--and as we all know, summer in Georgia means fires. In the past week alone, several fires were reported in Gwinnett County, and I'm sorry to say that more than one of them caused enough damage to leave dozens of families temporarily homeless. Here's a rundown:

Yesterday afternoon there were three very different fires in Gwinnett County. The first was in Lawrenceville, where a knocked-down tree had apparently pulled down a power line sparking a fire. The second fire was at a Norcross apartment building. Four units were damaged, 25 residents were forced to seek temporary housing, and one was taken to Gwinnett Medical Center-Duluth for minor symptoms of smoke inhalation. The last call was for a vehicle fire in Suwanee; unfortunately the car was too far gone to be saved. Collateral also damage occurred in the form of damage to the garage it was parked at and blistered paint to a nearby vehicle.

And Thursday was only the beginning.

Three Drivers in Past Two Weeks Crash into Gwinnett County Buildings

Fri, 16 Jul 2010 05:01:25 -0500

This past Sunday in Lawrenceville, a car crashed into a restaurant--the second such incident to occur in Gwinnett County over the past two weeks, according to the Gwinnett Daily Post. And then on Monday, a Snellville man slammed his car into his own home.

Sunday's restaurant crash happened at a Sonic drive-in on Grayson Highway; the driver who caused the accident said that his accelerator got stuck as he was trying to park at the church next door. Instead of going to church, however, the man and his passenger ended up inside the fast-food restaurant, and then the Eastside Medical Center with minor injuries. Luckily, no one in the Sonic was hurt, but the eatery did have to be closed for structural repairs.

The previous restaurant accident happened 10 days prior in Snellville, when a driver slammed into the Hot 'n' Cold Chinese Buffet. This time the people inside the building weren't so lucky; nine were injured.

Texting While Driving Deemed Not "Reckless" by Gwinnett County District Attorney

Fri, 09 Jul 2010 05:12:33 -0500

Texting While Driving Deemed Not "Reckless" by Gwinnett County District Attorney

On Tuesday, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that vehicular homicide charges against Lori Reineke, a Gwinnett County woman who hit and killed a pedestrian last October, had been reduced from a first-degree felony to a second-degree misdemeanor.

Police had originally charged Reineke with first-degree vehicular homicide due to reckless driving because she had been texting behind the wheel when she struck and killed James Eaton III.

There were mitigating factors in Reineke's favor: it had been dark and rainy that night, and Reineke's light had been green at the time, so Eaton was not supposed to have been in the crosswalk. That said, there was clear evidence that Reineke had been exchanging text messages at the time of the incident. Therefore, police maintained that Reineke hit Eaton not because of poor visibility, but because she was distracted.

However, after reviewing the case, District Attorney Danny Porter said that there were no "reckless driving" factors present at the time of the accident, so there was no way to charge Reineke for more than a misdemeanor.

The question, then--and this is particuarly interesting to me as a Gwinnett County car accident lawyer--seems to have been: Is text messaging while driving reckless?

Dacula Drivers face Homicide, Felony Charges after Highway Racing Accident

Fri, 02 Jul 2010 11:45:08 -0500

According to the Gwinnett Daily Post, two people were arrested as of Wednesday after a fatal Dacula accident this past Saturday that ejected two, killed one, and allegedly involved racing. One of the arrested is 24 years old; the other is only 18.

I don't need to tell you that highway racing is an extremely bad idea. I especially don't need to tell the families of Emmanuel Vasquez-Marrero, who died in the crash, and Carlos Bonilla, who narrowly escaped the same fate.

But I would like to point out something that often doesn't occur to people when they think of automobile accidents. Despite the fact that there were four injuries, two arrests, two cars racing and one death, there was only one vehicle in this crash. Does that mean the driver of other car that was allegedly racing doesn't hold some responsibility? Of course not. But no one in that car died. Only one car crashed, and the person driving, the person who killed Vasquez-Marrero, was none other than a trusted friend.

It's tempting to blame the brashness of youth for tragedies like these. Teenagers in particular are at risk for automobile accidents, especially nighttime fatalities. Higher likelihood of drinking, text messaging or trying to impress friends, plus a lack of experience and true gravity regarding a driver's responsibilities, can all be factors.

Child Drownings and Near-Drownings at Unusual High

Fri, 25 Jun 2010 11:58:05 -0500

The past two weeks have seen two children--one 4-year-old in Lawrenceville and one 7-year-old in Suwanee--drowned in Gwinnett County apartment swimming pools. In addition, 21 more near-drownings, including one in Lilburn on Monday, have already been reported in Gwinnett County in 2010. Compare that to the grand total of 23 calls for the entirety of 2009, and you've got one busy year for the Gwinnett County Fire Department. The strangest part is that the summer's only just begun.

Fire Department spokesman Captain Tommy Rutledge has said that warmer temperatures this year are partly to blame. When it's hot, it's into the pool for the kids, especially if there's a pool right at home.

Which brings us to apartment complex swimming pools, the site of both of these deaths. Unlike county swimming pools, Rutledge said, most apartment community pools don't have lifeguards. Obviously this puts kids who swim at apartment pools, and other swimming pools that might be left unattended, at a greater risk.

The deaths and near-deaths we've already seen this year serve as a sad reminder that children need constant surveillance in pools, regardless of the depth. It's known that a child can drown in just a few inches of water, so even if you've just got a paddling pool, it's crucial to always have someone watching. No excuses.

Gwinnett County Motorcyclist Hit by Truck

Fri, 18 Jun 2010 01:13:04 -0500

This past Thursday saw an unfortunate but all-too-common incident in Gwinnett County: a motorcyclist was hit by a truck, and the victim is in critical condition in Gwinnett Medical Center.

There is the problem of who's at fault. The Journal-Constitution only says that the truck made a left turn into the victim who was proceeding southbound, and that charges have yet to be filed pending an investigation. So one can guess endlessly at the accident's circumstances: was the motorcyclist's visibility compromised by a curve or a hill? Was he or she speeding through a red light, or accelerating to beat a yellow? Were they wearing a helmet and other proper road gear? Or did the truck simply misjudge his or her left turn?

Who knows, but we do know one thing for certain: the road fatality rate for motorcyclists is much higher than that of their car- and truck-driving counterparts. A motorcycle is simply no match for a truck, whether that truck is an eighteen-wheeler or a pickup. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, "per vehicle mile traveled in 2007, motorcyclists were about 37 times more likely than passenger car occupants to die in a motor vehicle traffic crash."

Road Rage? Rogue Driver Faces 30+ Felony Counts

Fri, 11 Jun 2010 21:46:18 -0500

It's incredible sometimes what people decide to do while driving. Today, a 52-year-old Dacula man went on a veritable rampage down I-85, for 21 miles from the Hamilton Mill Road exit through Duluth and beyond--almost the entire length of Gwinnett County, according to police. In all, Strawn reportedly hit seven vehicles, amassing 30 felony charges and counting. These include aggravated assault, hit and run, and fleeing law enforcement.

Despite the fact that this man, Mike Strawn, sat in his aptly named Dodge Ram and slammed other vehicles with impunity--three of them as he was pursued by police!--no serious injuries had been reported at press time, although one motorist did say they were in pain. This, of course, is subject to change: when one is injured in an adrenaline-inducing event such as a car crash, it can take hours or even days for symptoms to fully reveal themselves.

It was not reported whether the vehicle-ramming was entirely rear-end collisions or if some cars were side-swiped, but as a Gwinnett County car collision attorney I can tell you that likely injuries from such an event include neck and back injuries like whiplash, head injuries such as concussion, spine injuries, and even brain injuries. All of this risk, and just from one case of road rage.

Gwinnett County Bleach "Prank" Anything But Funny

Sat, 05 Jun 2010 19:31:07 -0500

Have you heard about Miguel Mesa, the Gwinnett County middle-schooler who was hit in the face with a bleach-filled water balloon while walking home on the last day of school? Well, as one might expect, the story of what police say could only have been meant as a "random, silly prank" is far from over.

I am pleased to report that the suspects who performed the drive-by deed have been arrested. According to Lilburn police, the high schoolers have all given matching confessions. The eldest, a 17-year-old, is being charged as an adult and has been booked at the Gwinnett County Jail. The rest are being held at a youth detention center. In some ways it seems the case was open-and-shut.

However, Mesa is still injured and is now struggling to keep his sight. Although police say that the teens only meant to ruin the clothes of some unsuspecting kids, it is well known that bleach doesn't just whiten clothes or keep surfaces clean. It is a strong, dangerous chemical, and chemicals can cause burn injuries. In this case, Mesa's eyes were burnt by the bleach, and his vision has been compromised. Whether the worst of the damage has been done or is still developing is hard to say. Eye injuries can be quite complex. One thing is certain: this so-called prank has indelibly changed Mesa's life.

The Dangers of Tractor-Trailers

Wed, 26 May 2010 21:41:14 -0500

Two Georgia 18-wheeler accidents caught my eye in the news this week. One took place on Georgia Highway 88 and Ramsey Road. In an all too familiar scenario Dennis Neely of Hephzibah, Ga. drifted into the opposite lane and was hit head-on by a Pepsi-Cola delivery truck. By all appearances, he died instantly. By all appearances, the delivery truck was pretty much fine.

Another accident took place right here in Gwinnett County. Here, a tractor-trailer hauling flammables caught fire, and was completely destroyed within a very short period of time. The driver, and other motorists, fortunately got away unharmed, but the fact that such a fire occurred and developed so quickly that the vehicle was a total loss by the time the fire department showed up should give serious pause to any trucker hauling any potentially flammable load.

There was no information on what exactly had caused the fire, but 18 wheels of friction plus high outdoor temperatures plus who knows what conditions inside the trailer or under the hood can definitely spell trouble. Truckers commonly have safety checklists they are required by law to fulfill every time they hit the road, and this is why--to catch just as many potentially deadly situations as possible before they can happen. Tractor-trailers are uniquely dangerous vehicles inside and out.

DUIs: Too Much Risk, Too Little Reward

Wed, 19 May 2010 23:38:20 -0500

This week I read about two tragic DUI -related accidents in the Atlanta area. One critically injured a teenager, another seriously injured a baby. Both caused considerable monetary damage and heartache to families, and both could have been prevented simply by abstaining from drinking before driving.

In the case of the baby injury, the driver's intentions were good. Vehicle crashes are called "accidents" for a reason. Rarely are they borne from evil intentions; instead, they tend to be the work of a simple, honest miscalculation, which all too often is due to slowed thinking and reaction time--which in turn is all too often due to alcohol. In this case, the driver was swerving to avoid a dog. Unfortunately she was unable to account for the vehicle she ended up flipping over, which happened to have a baby inside.