I was the first attorney in Georgia to be awarded punitive damages against a motorist who used his cell phone at the time he caused a car wreck. This jury verdict was back in 2002 in DeKalb County, Georgia. The law regarding distracted drivers has changed since that time; mainly,…
The “Textalyzer” is a device that allows law enforcement officials to review an individual’s cell phone usage using a machine that was developed by forensic technology maker Cellebrite. When the Textalyzer is connected to a target’s cell phone, it reveals if and when a phone was active and lists the…
Why did four Langston Hughes high school students die this past Monday? It was noted that the driver of the SUV that contained four other students ran a red light. Under Georgia law, that is referred to as failure to obey a traffic control device that is codified in O.C.G.A.…
Tired at the wheel The holidays are here and I know most of us are excited because we get to travel, and have fun as well as adventure. The excitement and anxiety that comes with holiday travel makes most of us not to sleep well yet we are supposed to…
New applications (“apps”) are being created every day in an attempt to make American lives more productive and entertaining. The problem is such apps are being used by motorists while driving their vehicles and trucks on the highways and roads of Georgia and the nation. Over 10 years ago, we…
You would think with increased technology relating to crash avoidance in cars such as forward collision warning (sensors determine distance and speed between vehicles and warns driver with audible alert of potential collision), auto brake, lane departure warning and lane departure prevention (track vehicle position within lane via camera…
I grew up watching Disney on the television channel at 6 pm in the 1970s. It was always a treat and Walt Disney World seemed like a magical place that was a world away from Wisconsin. And it was. Located in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando, Walt Disney World was…
According to several studies, the number one cause of death among teenagers is driving a motor vehicle. In fact, car wrecks account for 25 percent of teen deaths per year. It is estimated that enough teenagers die each year to fill the halls of one to two large high schools.…
In my 20 years of practice, I have seen motorists cause collisions in numerous ways: allergic sneezes; falling asleep at the wheel; being under the influence of drugs or alcohol; trying to beat a traffic control light or another vehicle at an intersection; speeding and faulty brakes, among others. Over…
A major manufacturer/developer/distributor of smartphones has now developed a free smartphone app to help teens decrease and/or completely stop texting while operating a motor vehicle. On September 19, 2012, AT&T celebrated national “No text on Board Pledge Day” at a local high school in Atlanta that was attended to by…