Three individuals died in two separate vehicle accidents recently in Georgia. In addition, one person was injured in one of the crashes. Both fatal automobile accidents happened on New Year’s Day before daylight.
One vehicle accident occurred on Interstate 20 West early in the morning. Police said one car struck another car. The driver of the second car was killed, while the first driver allegedly kept going. The second accident happened at about 5 a.m. that same day and led to the deaths of two individuals; one other person suffered critical injuries on Interstate 985’s southbound lanes in this accident.
Police said the state’s transportation department last summer launched a campaign aimed at curbing the trend of a rise in fatal accidents in Georgia. In 2014, more than 1,140 people lost their lives in traffic accidents in the state from Jan. 1 to Dec. 23. A higher number of deaths occurred during this same period in 2015: more than 1,330. Authorities blame failure to use safety belts as well as distracted driving for the increasing number of deaths.
When people suffer injuries in a car accident caused by the negligence of another driver, the injured victims have the right to file personal injury claims against the allegedly at-fault party, pursuing damages. The surviving loved ones of those who have died in Georgia automobile accidents caused by another party’s carelessness also have the right to file wrongful death claims. A successful outcome of an accident-related liability claim might help to ease the financial aspects of a devastating accident, as well as help to bring closure to the plaintiff.
Source: 11alive.com, “Three traffic deaths on New Years after increase in 2015”, Jennifer Bellamy, Jan. 1, 2016
