Holiday Car Accidents
More than 250 people were injured in motor vehicle accidents across the state of Georgia over the Thanksgiving weekend. Records were tabulated for the period from 6 p.m. on the night before Thanksgiving until midnight on Sunday the weekend. Unfortunately, there were also 19 people who were victims of a fatal accident in that time period as well. With the holiday season now in full swing, readers may benefit from understanding the significance of some of the figures reported.
While the number of deaths is consistent with statistics for the same period in 2011, every fatal accident remains a tragedy. Georgia State Patrol investigated over half of the fatal accidents, while the remaining ones were handled by local authorities. In addition to vehicles colliding and single vehicle crashes, there was also one reported pedestrian fatality.
Authorities note that almost all of the fatal accident cases investigated were the result of driving while impaired by drugs or alcohol, driving too fast or failing to wear safety restraints. More than one third of the fatalities investigated by the Georgia State Patrol involved DUI. Almost two thirds involved a failure to wear seat belts.
While the specific details of each fatal accident were not reported, countless families have obviously been shattered by the tragedies. In those instances where a fatality was caused by the negligence of another driver, a wrongful death lawsuit may be an appropriate remedy under our state laws. That type of claim, which must be based on proof of negligence said to have proximately caused the death, provides an opportunity for surviving family to pursue claims for monetary damages occasioned by the negligent acts of others.
Source: Suwanee, GA Patch, “19 Die in Traffic Accidents in Georgia over Thanksgiving Holiday,” Nov. 26, 2012