Atlanta Injury Attorney Blog

Traffic lights sometimes go into a “flash” mode - often due to power outages during thunderstorms. Some municipalities will make a new traffic signal blink for a few days to allow drivers to become familiar with the new light.

Many drivers interpret the orange and red flashing signals differently.

Here are the proper actions to take at flashing lights:

Drivers who have a flashing yellow light do not have to stop. (proceed cautiously!)

Drivers who have the red flashing light must stop.
Drivers should cross the intersection only when it is safe to do so.

Ford has issued a voluntary recall to address continued customer concerns about the possibility of fires in their vehicles. This safety recall involves the speed control deactivation switch system in 3.6 million vehicles.

If it is determined that your vehicle is affected, the company will most likely notify you if you are the original owner. The service to remedy this potential hazard will be provided at no charge to the customer.

We encourage our readers to take particular note if you purchased a 1993-1995 Taurus SHO A/T assembled in Atlanta.

Listed below are other vehicles that are affected:

Which vehicles are involved in this recall, what model years, and where built?

If you have additional questions you should feel to call Bruce Millar at Millar and Mixon: (770) 477-6360.

Here are some things to keep in mind about strange or potentially dangerous dogs:

1. If you are not familiar with the dog, keep a safe distance. Dogs commonly are protective of their space. If you walk into his territory, you could be bitten.

2. Do not touch a new dog before it has warmed up to you. A dog may want to smell you or slowly look you over. Allow a dog some time to do this before you try to touch it. A nervous or territorial dog may bite you out of self-defense.

3. Children should be gentle. We see many dog bite cases involving young children because they want to jump-in and play rough with the dog. Rough play can cause a dog to become very excited and confused. The dog may bite you or your child during its excitement and confusion.

4. Do not approach or play with a strange dog that is sleeping, eating, chewing on a bone or taking care of puppies. The dog may become frightened, territorial, or protective, and you or your child could be bitten.

5. Never leave children alone with a strange dog.

Sometimes motorcycle riders ask us questions like “Does the legal system discriminate against motorcycle riders?”. Its a good question, but hard to answer. What we do know is what the numbers say. Rest assured that your local police are aware of the stats and as a rider you should be as well.

First of all, motorcyclists are over 25 times more likely to be killed in an accident. Some suggest that this is purely a result of those perks that make riding so much fun - the freedom from the constraints of the cage of a automobile. Sure, the lack of airbags and roll cages makes it more dangerous, but all motorcycle enthusiasts know that most other motorists are looking in their mirrors for cars and trucks while overlooking the possibility of running over a motorcycle and its cautious riders. Motorcyclists also have a moderately higher percentage of DUI related to accidents (37%) than cars and SUVs (27%).

George Washington [1st President of the United States]
“There was not a member of the Constitutional Convention who had the least objection to what is contended for by the advocates for a Bill of Rights and trial by jury.” (1788)

John Adams [2nd President of the United States]
“Representative government and trial by jury are the heart and lungs of liberty. Without them we have no other fortification against being ridden like horses, fleeced like sheep, worked like cattle and fed and clothed like swine and hounds.” (1774)

Thomas Jefferson [3rd President of the United States]
“I consider trial by jury as the only anchor ever yet imagined by man, by which a government can be held to the principles of its constitution.” (1788)

“Trial by jury is part of that bright constellation which has gone before us and guided our steps through an age of revolution and reformation.” (1801)

“The wisdom of our sages and the blood of our heroes has been devoted to the attainment of trial by jury. It should be the creed of our political faith.” (1801)

James Madison [4th President of the United States]
“Trial by jury in civil cases is as essential to secure the liberty of the people as any one of the pre-existent rights of nature.” (1789)

John Quincy Adams [5th President of the United States]
“The struggle for American independence was for chartered rights, for English liberties, for trial by jury, habeas corpus and Magna Carta.” (1839)

Joshua Shapiro has an good article for anyone wondering about the tax implications of cash settlements.  He also links to another article that discusses the pros and cons of cash settlements.

You may have heard a million times that you should keep good records of your regular oil changes and routine maintenance on your car. Some might think this is only for the eventual re-sell and you plan to run your car into the ground, or pass it down to a future teenaged driver. So why bother, right? As mentioned in an article on insurance.com, “Insurers say they use three mechanisms to determine the value of a totaled vehicle: computerized vendor quotes, value books such as Kelley Blue Book, and a market search of the local area. ” Because any of these factors can effect your car’s value according to the insurance company, records of regular maintenance, upgrades, and check-ups will help you get that “good condition” valuation. Maybe this seems obvious, but how many of us maintain a perfect record just in case we ever need it?

After record-breaking fund-raising and a series of fierce television ads, Georgia Supreme Court Justice Carol Hunstein defeated Mike Wiggins to hold on to her seat on the court. Wiggins, a former DHS lawyer, was backed by the Georgia GOP and the Prosperity Coalition. According to the AJC, the coalition “exists largely to guard Georgia’s 2005 changes in tort law, limiting liability for businesses when they are sued.” They poured $1.67 million into the race to try to unseat Hunstein, who was appointed in 1992 by Zell Miller and was facing an opponent for the first time on Tuesday.

Georgia truck drive James Crozier of Byromville, Ga has been charged with causing the deaths of 3 people by driving over the median and into their vehicle. The victims were traveling to a funeral in Arkansas. According to the Sequoyah County Times article , the truck driver was in possession of alcohol, fatigued, and had filed a false driver’s duty log.

Coming soon: posts dealing with Atlanta law issues, accident and injury issues, and more!  Stay Tuned!