Road design is a big factor in preventing auto and truck accidents, personal injury and wrongful deaths in Georgia and around the world. In my practice as a personal injury trial attorney in Atlanta, it is clear to me that prevention is the best approach.

According to an article by Ariel Hart in today's Atlanta Journal Constitution, the Georgia Department of Transportation is considering three new intersection designs to relieve traffic congestion for minimal cost. The ideas are intriguing but I wonder how Georgia drivers will adjust to these unfamiliar designs.

• Diverging Diamond design, planned initially for the Ashford-Dunwoody Road exit on I-285, will will make traffic in both directions cross over to the left side of the road as it approaches the bridge over the interstate. After the bridge, it crosses back to the right, so that drivers who want to turn left will  be in the far left lane. Originating in France, it has been implemented once in the U.S., in Missouri. Here are an aerial view and a driver's view of a diverging diamond intersection in operation. Popular Science sings its praises. But as with any unfamiliar traffic design feature, crystal clear signage to inform drivers of what's coming is absolutely critical.
• Continuous flow intersection  design (CFI), planned for intersections in Gwinnett and Dawson counties, is also called a crossover displaced left-turn (XDL). This innovation is an at-grade intersection that moves the turning vehicles, conflicting with the through-movements (to the left where traffic drives on the right, and vice-versa), out of the main intersection. Here is an animation of how a continuous flow intersection works.
• Roundabouts are old news in Europe but have just been catching on in the US. Also known as a "traffic circle", it is a type of circular junction in which road traffic must travel in one direction around a central island. Signs usually direct traffic entering the circle to slow down and give the right of way to drivers already in the circle. The benefit, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, is a 40% reduction in crashes, since roundabouts make traffic slow down and eliminate left turns entirely by sending all intersection traffic in a counter-clockwise circle. Roundabouts take some getting used to.

With good lights and signage adequate to overcome the problems of unfamiliar and counter-intuitive design, perhaps these innovations can help reduce accidents and congestion. I just hope GDOT doesn't skimp on signage!

Ken Shigley, author of Georgia Law of Torts: Trial Preparation & Practice, is  a Certified Civil Trial Advocate of the National Board of Trial Advocacy, and has been listed as a "Super Lawyer" (Atlanta Magazine), among the "Legal Elite" (Georgia Trend Magazine), and in the Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers. He practices law at the Atlanta law firm of Chambers, Aholt & Rickard, and has broad experience in catastrophic personal injury, spinal cord injury, wrongful death, products liability,  brain injury and burn injury cases. He is also president-elect of the State Bar of Georgia. Ken and  This post is subject to our ethical disclaimer.

Originally posted at Atlanta Injury Law Blog . Please visit http://www.atlantainjurylawblog.com/ .

As an Atlanta trucking accident and wrongful death attorney living in Sandy Springs, I was saddened a couple of weeks ago to hear that a woman had been killed when she was struck by a tractor trailer a couple of exits up from my home, near the high school from which my son graduated.

Rosario Velez, 44, was making a phone call from her minivan stopped in the I-285 emergency lane  at Riverside Drive when she was struck by an 18-wheeler. Police reported that the trucker crossed over into the emergency lane to strike her vehicle.

Today, Sandy Springs police arrested the truck driver, Joseph Leon Golden, 43, of El Paso, Texas. He has been charged with  second-degree vehicular homicide and a lane violation, and is being held at the Fulton County Jail on $5,500 bond.

Ken Shigley , author of Georgia Law of Torts: Trial Preparation & Practice , is president-elect of the State Bar of Georgia.   A Certified Civil Trial Advocate of the National Board of Trial Advocacy, he has been listed as a "Super Lawyer" (Atlanta Magazine), among the "Legal Elite" (Georgia Trend Magazine), and in the Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers . He practices law at the Atlanta law firm of Chambers, Aholt & Rickard, and has broad experience in catastrophic personal injury, wrongful death, products liability,  spinal cord injury, brain injury and burn injury cases. This post is subject to our ethical disclaimer.

Originally posted at Atlanta Injury Law Blog . Please visit http://www.atlantainjurylawblog.com/ .

In my home Douglas County  today, a motorcyclist was killed when a trailer carrying aluminum cans that had separated from the pickup truck that was pulling it.  According to the Georgia State Patrol, the crash happened around 1 p.m. near the intersection of Lee Road and Park Avenue in Douglas County. The pickup truck was going around a curve when the trailer behind separated, colliding with the motorcyclist. The driver of the pickup, Don Harold Yarbrough, 53, of Douglasville, was charged  with vehicular homicide, DUI, failing to maintain lane and failing to secure load. Police had not yet released the name of the victim.

This tragedy brings back to mind the death of my uncle, Abe Hartley in Douglasville, who was killed when someone pulled out in front of his Harley motorcycle as he crested a small hill near his home.

Ken Shigley is treasurer of the State Bar of Georgia, of which he has been elected to become president-elect on 6/19/10 and president on 6/4/11.  His law practice focuses on representing people who are catastrophically injured, and families of those killed, primarily in spinal cord injury , brain injury,  burn injury , products liability, trucking and bus accidents, catastrophic personal injury, wrongful death, and cases. Much of his practice is focused on tractor trailer, big rig, 18 wheeler, truck and bus crashes.  He is a Certified Civil Trial Advocate of the National Board of Trial Advocacy,  has been listed as a "Super Lawyer" (Atlanta Magazine), among the "Legal Elite" (Georgia Trend Magazine), and in the Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers (Martindale). 

 For criteria to be considered in selecting an attorney, see The Smart Consumer's Guide to Hiring a Great Lawyer.

Originally posted at Atlanta Injury Law Blog . Please visit http://www.atlantainjurylawblog.com/ .

In my home Douglas County  today, a motorcyclist was killed when a trailer carrying aluminum cans that had separated from the pickup truck that was pulling it.  According to the Georgia State Patrol, the crash happened around 1 p.m. near the intersection of Lee Road and Park Avenue in Douglas County. The pickup truck was going around a curve when the trailer behind separated, colliding with the motorcyclist. The driver of the pickup, Don Harold Yarbrough, 53, of Douglasville, was charged  with vehicular homicide, DUI, failing to maintain lane and failing to secure load. Police had not yet released the name of the victim.

This tragedy brings back to mind the death of my uncle, Abe Hartley in Douglasville, who was killed when someone pulled out in front of his Harley motorcycle as he crested a small hill near his home.

Ken Shigley is president-elect designee of the 41,000 member State Bar of Georgia. His law practice focuses on representing people who are catastrophically injured, and families of those killed, primarily in spinal cord injury , brain injury,  burn injury , products liability, trucking and bus accidents, catastrophic personal injury, wrongful death, and cases. Much of his practice is focused on tractor trailer, big rig, 18 wheeler, truck and bus crashes.  He is a Certified Civil Trial Advocate of the National Board of Trial Advocacy,  has been listed as a "Super Lawyer" (Atlanta Magazine), among the "Legal Elite" (Georgia Trend Magazine), and in the Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers (Martindale). 

 For criteria to be considered in selecting an attorney, see The Smart Consumer's Guide to Hiring a Great Lawyer.

Originally posted at Atlanta Injury Law Blog . Please visit http://www.atlantainjurylawblog.com/ .

On April 22nd, a Henry County police officer was killed in a traffic accident in Butts County on his way to work.   Officer  James "Jimmy' Franklin Carter Jr., was an 11-year veteran of the Henry County Police Department, worked in Uniform Patrol, as a detective in the Criminal Investigations Division, as a K-9 officer, and as a Field Training Officer.The incident is being investigated by the Georgia State Patrol.

Ken Shigley is treasurer of the State Bar of Georgia, of which he has been elected to become president-elect on 6/19/10 and president on 6/4/11.  His law practice focuses on representing people who are catastrophically injured, and families of those killed, primarily in spinal cord injury , brain injury,  burn injury , products liability, trucking and bus accidents, catastrophic personal injury, wrongful death, and cases. Much of his practice is focused on tractor trailer, big rig, 18 wheeler, truck and bus crashes.  He is a Certified Civil Trial Advocate of the National Board of Trial Advocacy,  has been listed as a "Super Lawyer" (Atlanta Magazine), among the "Legal Elite" (Georgia Trend Magazine), and in the Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers (Martindale). 

 For criteria to be considered in selecting an attorney, see The Smart Consumer's Guide to Hiring a Great Lawyer.

Originally posted at Atlanta Injury Law Blog . Please visit http://www.atlantainjurylawblog.com/ .

This week a carpet mill worker at the Beaulieu plant in Murray County, Georgia, was injured falling into a tufting machine. He was airlifted to Erlanger Hospital in Chattanooga.

Workers compensation provides the exclusive remedy of an injured worker against the employer in work accidents.

However, sometimes an injured worker can recover additional compensation for an injury from a third party, such as an equipment manufacturer. Since Georgia law was changed in 2005 to require apportionment of damages among both parties and non-parties to a lawsuit, that has been made more difficult as an equipment manufacturer can try to shift more blame to an employer's negligent maintenance, training and supervision.

However, every case is different.  Over the years we have successfully represented workers injured by carpet mill machinery, poultry processing equipment, commercial bakery equipment, plastic extrusion machines, wood chippers,  forklift trucks, and a wide variety of other industrial and commercial equipment.

Manufacturers of industrial equipment may be liable to injured workers under legal doctrines including negligent design; failure to adequately test and inspect;failure to provide adequate instructions, warnings and labels; and failure to issue an adequate recall notice.

In one carpet mill case we handled, the manufacturer of a laminating machine had installed an emergency stop cord switch backwards -- contrary to instructions from the switch manufacturer -- and failed to install any safety stop cord on the side of the machine where a worker was most likely to fall in.

Ken Shigley is president-elect designee of the 41,000 member State Bar of Georgia. He has long litigated cases throughout his native northwest Georgia and holds the record for the largest jury verdict in Gordon County. Mr. Shigley's law practice focuses on representing people who are catastrophically injured, and families of those killed, primarily in products liability, trucking and bus accidents, catastrophic personal injury, wrongful death, brain injury, spinal cord injury and burn injury cases. He is a Certified Civil Trial Advocate of the National Board of Trial Advocacy,  has been listed as a "Super Lawyer" (Atlanta Magazine), among the "Legal Elite" (Georgia Trend Magazine), and in the Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers (Martindale). 

 For criteria to be considered in selecting an attorney, see The Smart Consumer's Guide to Hiring a Great Lawyer.

Originally posted at Atlanta Injury Law Blog . Please visit http://www.atlantainjurylawblog.com/ .