Moultrie Georgia Personal Injury Law Blog

The basic steps of a personal injury trial

On behalf of Howell Law Firm, PC on Tuesday, October 16, 2018.

Your life changed forever at the moment the other vehicle crashed into yours. If you suffered catastrophic injuries, you may have spent weeks or months in the hospital, undergone numerous surgical procedures, and met with multiple doctors and specialists. That may only be the beginning of your recovery if your future quality of life depends on additional surgeries, therapies and medication.

Insurance only covers so much, and even that may be a struggle to obtain. You have the option of seeking damages through a personal injury claim in Georgia civil court. This prospect may be almost as intimidating as what you have already gone through, but it may help to understand the steps of a personal injury trial.

$31 million awarded in Georgia botched circumcision case

On behalf of Howell Law Firm, PC posted in Medical Malpractice on Wednesday, October 10, 2018.

A Georgia mother and her young son were awarded nearly $31 million last month in a medical malpractice case involving a botched circumcision. The jury verdict came after a two-week trial in Clayton County. A certified nurse midwife performed the procedure five years ago at an obstetrics and gynecology clinic in Riverdale when the boy was less than three weeks old.

According to the suit, during the circumcision, the baby's penis was caught in the clamp, and the tip of it was amputated. A supervising physician at the facility was brought in to stop the baby's hemorrhaging. However, the mother says that she was not told what had happened.

4 pedestrians killed, 3 injured in one weekend on Georgia roads

On behalf of Howell Law Firm, PC posted in Car Accidents on Tuesday, October 2, 2018.

One weekend last month was a particularly deadly one for pedestrians on the roads of multiple Georgia counties. Between Friday, Sept. 14 and the following day, four pedestrians were fatally struck. Three more suffered injuries.

A collision in Clayton County involved a truck being driven by a 16-year-old who police say stole the vehicle. Two teenage girls and a woman in her 40s suffered multiple injuries, including broken bones. One of the teens, who are both 17, suffered head trauma. According to police, the teenage boy behind the driver will likely be charged with multiple felonies.

Multivehicle crash kills 4 members of Cobb County family

On behalf of Howell Law Firm, PC posted in Truck Accidents on Tuesday, September 25, 2018.

A Georgia woman and three young children were killed on Sept. 20 in a fiery, multivehicle crash in Texas. The 36-year-old woman, who lived in Marietta, was in the vehicle with her three young children, ages 6, 8 and 10, as well as her husband, mother-in-law and an older daughter. The latter three were hospitalized for their injuries but survived.

The crash, which involved eight vehicles in all, occurred around 6:30 a.m. on Interstate 10. Police in Beaumont, Texas, say they're still not certain what led to the collision. However, the family's car, as well as a pickup truck, caught fire. A tractor-trailer and five other vehicles were also involved in the wreck. Several other people suffered minor injuries.

Watch out for distracted drivers in Georgia!

On behalf of Howell Law Firm, PC on Friday, September 21, 2018.

Like most states, Georgia has both busy city highways and quiet rural roads. No matter which type of roadway you travel, you might be at great risk for injury if a distracted driver is nearby. The problem is that you can't always tell which drivers are dealing with a distraction because some types of distraction are not immediately apparent.

Distracted drivers cause many fatalities and injuries throughout the nation every year. If you survive a distracted driving accident and later learn that the person who hit you was texting at the time or was taking selfie pictures behind the wheel, you might feel a sudden surge of anger and frustration, knowing that your accident was preventable.

Georgia Labor Day fatalities doubled this year

On behalf of Howell Law Firm, PC posted in Car Accidents on Wednesday, September 19, 2018.

Labor Day means the end of summer for many people. That's why Georgia roads and interstates are seemingly teeming over the long weekend with Georgians and visitors from other states on their last summer getaway. It also marks the beginning of the fall and winter holiday season, which includes other potentially dangerous days on the road around Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's.

This year, Labor Day weekend was twice as deadly for Georgia motorists as it was last year when nine people were killed. The Georgia Department of Public Safety (GPS) says that 18 people were killed in car crashes throughout the state. Half of those fatal injuries occurred in the metro Atlanta area.

Is the state medical board too lenient in giving second chances?

On behalf of Howell Law Firm, PC posted in Medical Malpractice on Monday, September 10, 2018.

Georgia patients' rights advocates, including medical malpractice attorneys, have expressed concern over some instances in which Georgia regulators have allowed doctors who have been disciplined by the state medical board to have their licenses and privileges reinstated. It's been argued that the Georgia Composite Board is too deferential to some doctors who have harmed patients or placed them at risk and that state lawmakers may need to require stricter sanctions by the board.

In the words of an advocate, "It does really beg the question of what would a doctor have to do to not be reinstated? And what is the standard for professional conduct?" One malpractice attorney adds, "The board is designed to protect consumers, but in reality they are protecting their own." Of the board's 16 members, 13 are doctors.

Study: Explanations and apologies can reduce malpractice cases

On behalf of Howell Law Firm, PC posted in Medical Malpractice on Thursday, September 6, 2018.

Your doctor (or another medical professional) made a mistake. You're not sure yet what the long-term consequences will be to your health and haven't decided whether or not to take legal action. However, to add insult to injury — literally — no one has fully explained what happened or apologized.

Many who work in the health care field believe that by apologizing for an error, whether it's a misdiagnosis, a sponge left in a surgical patient or incorrect instructions provided with a prescription drug, they increase their liability potential. They may believe it's better to say as little as possible, even if that means leaving patients and families in the dark about what happened. However, research showed that the opposite is true.

Understanding spinal shock

On behalf of Howell Law Firm, PC posted in Spinal Cord Injuries on Monday, August 27, 2018.

Spinal cord injuries can be extremely frightening for the victim and their loved ones as. People who suffer a spinal cord injury (SCI) may not know how much of the damage is permanent and when, if ever, they'll regain the full use of their bodies.

One factor that can add to this uncertainty is something called spinal shock. This is a temporary condition that anyone who suffers an SCI experiences. It can last anywhere from days to years, depending on the location and severity of the injury.

When defective products lead to wrongful death

On behalf of Howell Law Firm, PC posted in Wrongful Death on Saturday, August 25, 2018.

At one time in our nation's history, most people would not even consider taking on a business or manufacturer after a product contributed to someone's wrongful death. Today, improvements in America's justice system have made it possible for victims to seek and acquire a satisfactory remedy for the wrongful death of a loved one regardless of who is ultimately responsible.

Even with the improved legal remedies available now, victims not familiar with the justice system have a poor understanding of how they can find the most beneficial solution. When victims lose a loved one wrongfully, most of them look for a single person to hold responsible. We want all of our neighbors in Moultrie and other Georgia communities to know that more than one person may have led to a loved one's wrongful death.