Law Blog Atlanta

Two men working on the exterior of apartment homes in Atlanta were killed. The accident occurred when the two workers attempted to reposition the 80-foot lift they were utilizing, which then fell onto a concrete walkway.

Both men were transported to local hospitals, where they later died. The men were reportedly killed by the fall, not crushed by the machine.

The Atlanta law firm of Pope & Howard P.C. is dedicated to getting ample compensation for workers who suffer catastrophic injuries. Construction and industrial sites are extremely dangerous working environments due to heavy machinery.

If you or a loved one has been harmed due to a construction or industrial accident contact the expert attorneys at Pope & Howard, P.C. for a free initial consultation at (404) 994-4486 or via our website, popehoward.com.

According to the Colorado State Patrol, a passenger van carrying 13 people struck the back of a tractor trailer on the highway.  The accident killed the driver and five of his foster children. Seven other individuals were transported to the hospital with serious injuries.

The tractor trailer driver was also taken to the hospital for treatment and released.

Officials are still investigating the cause of the accident, but cell phone usage has been ruled out at this time.

Auto accidents, especially those involving tractor trailers can result in tragedy like the injury or death of innocent individuals. The Atlanta law firm of Pope & Howard P.C. only accepts cases involving catastrophic injuries or death because they believe that by limiting the number of cases they handle, they can maximize compensation for:

• Pain and suffering
• Disability
• Medical Bills
• Wrongful Death
• Loss of income
• Defective roads or vehicles

If you or a loved one has been harmed in any sort of vehicle accident, contact one of our expert attorneys at Pope & Howard P.C. at 404-994-4486 or via our website, popehoward.com.

Last week, a plane crashed into a crowd of spectators during an air racing event in Reno, Nevada. The crash resulted in the death of ten individuals and seventy others were injured. Spectator injuries ranged from minor scrapes to catastrophic injuries, including severed limbs.

The magnitude of the Reno crash calamity has made national news and future air racing events will be closely evaluated by officials. The cause of this aviation accident has yet to be determined, but officials are conducting an investigation.

The investigation of any crash is an extensive process. The law firm of Pope & Howard, P.C. has years of experience regarding aviation accidents and wrongful deaths. The attorneys at Pope & Howards, P.C. will research NTSB reports, reports filed from the team that manufactured the aircraft, witness reports, and expert reports to file suit and attain fair compensation for the families.

No one enjoys reading about fatal plane crashes such as the one that occurred in Reno; however, all of the spectators who suffered catastrophic injuries or a wrongful death have loved ones and deserve justice. The law firm of Pope & Howard, P.C. has experts that handle cases like these with compassion and will work closely with loved ones to fully understand the circumstances involved.

If you or someone you know has suffered a catastrophic injury or wrongful death due to an aviation accident contact one of our expert attorneys at Pope & Howard P.C. for legal representation via popehoward.com or call 404-994-4486.

A terrifying situation occurred on Friday, April 1, 2011, when a hole tore open on top of a plane, carrying 118 people. Passengers used oxygen masks, while pilots quickly maneuvered the plane below 10,000 feet. No serious injuries were reported.

The nearly disastrous accident took place on a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 in Yuma, Arizona. Mechanics have since placed a large green aluminum patch on the plane to repair the hole. As a response, the Federal Aviation Administration issued an emergency order for urgent inspections on similar older-model planes.

Airplanes have a reputation of being safer than other forms of transportation, but aviation accidents do occur, usually due to a mechanical error. The experienced lawyers at Pope & Howard, P.C., represent victims who have lost loved ones due to aviation accidents that take place due to a variety of causes, among them, failed parts, mechanical errors or human errors. The lawyers at Pope & Howard have a full understanding of aviation law, and can recommend the best course of action for you and your family.

If you or someone you know has been injured or killed in an aviation accident, please call Pope & Howard, P.C. at 404-994-4486 or visit the website at www.popehoward.com. Tell us about your experience – the initial consultation is free.

On New Year’s Eve, an explosion at the Federal-Mogul plant in Blacksburg, Virginia seriously injured workers at the plant. Such industrial accidents often trigger an investigation by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and it is likely such an investigation will occur here.

Marc Howard, founding partner of the Pope & Howard, P.C. law firm, is a Blacksburg, Virginia native who routinely handles cases involving industrial accidents resulting in severe injuries.

“Explosion cases are some of the most difficult for the people involved, as they often result in serious burn injuries and post traumatic stress” said Howard. ‘Industrial accidents, including explosions often cause catastrophic and permanent injury.” In fact, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were a total of 5,488 workplace fatalities in the United States in 2007.

Industrial and workplace accident litigation is an extremely complicated, sophisticated area of personal injury law. Usually, thousands of pages of documents, multiple parties, the need for electronic discovery, and large corporate defendants make industrial accident cases difficult for most Plaintiffs’ attorneys.

Contrary to what most personal injury lawyers think, workers’ compensation does not usually bar workplace injury or industrial explosion lawsuits. Contractors working at an industrial facility, for example, can usually recover against the premises owner. Employees of the facility operator may be able to recover against other contractors on the property, inspection services, and product manufacturers. In some states, employees may sue their employer for gross negligence (which often exists in the workplace accident scenario). Third-party lawsuits almost always result in a significantly larger award than the award available in the workers’ compensation system.

In the Blacksburg Federal Migul explosion case, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office stated that four contract workers sustained multiple injuries while doing maintenance on December 31, 2010. It is likely that OSHA and state investigators will review the case to determine a cause of the explosion.

Pope & Howard, P.C., www.popehoward.com, is a top rated industrial accident law firm specializing in numerous practice areas, including personal injury, construction site accident cases and premises liability cases.

If you or anyone you know has been involved in a car accident, you know that it can be a life changing experience. On July 21, a motorcyclist died in Smyrna, Georgia, after an accident involving a pick-up truck. Smyrna police said the motorcyclist was traveling eastbound on the East-West Connector when he collided with a truck making a left turn onto Highlands Ridge Road. The motorcyclist crashed into the right side of the truck.

The victim was taken to Emory-Adventist Hospital and died shortly after. The name of the victim is not being released, pending notification of family members. The incident is still under investigation.

Statistics for motorcycle accidents have alarmingly been on the rise. At Pope and Howard, we see these kinds of devastating motorcycle accidents all too often. Georgia auto and motorcycle accident lawyers like Pope & Howard know just how dangerous roads can be and the impact these accidents have on our lives.

The lawyers at the Pope & Howard law firm in Atlanta, Georgia, have extensive experience in representing victims of auto and motorcycle accidents suffering from catastrophic injuries. A sense of security on the roads is too important to risk.

In addition to motorcycle accidents, Pope & Howard specialize in the following kinds of auto accident cases in Georgia:
-Rear End Collisions
-Drunk Driving Injuries
-Improper Maintenance
-Pedestrian Accidents
-Violations of the “Rules of Road”

The motorcycle accident that recently occurred here in Smyrna, Georgia, can result in just compensation for the victim’s family. Please call Pope & Howard today if you need help: 404-994-4486.

By Pope and Howard

Are you texting while driving? Do you know others who text when they drive? As Atlanta personal injury attorneys, we’ve seen several cases where clients have lost their loved ones due to texting and reckless driving. After years of increasing automobile accidents due to texting, a texting ban will go into effective July 1, 2010. Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue signed the bill, which goes into effect this week.
The Caleb Sorohan Act, named for a Morgan County teen who died texting behind the wheel, can cost a driver $150 fine and a penalty of one point on his or her license.

In addition to the financial penalties, texting while driving can be the basis for a claim of negligence. “For years, we have argued to juries that texting while driving is negligent. Now we can tell them the law prohibits it too,” says trial lawyer Marc Howard of Pope & Howard.

Though this new law may be bring a great deal of relief to many motor vehicle drivers, there are many stipulations left to face. The bigger question is, how enforceable will this law be? This newly passed law faces an uncertain legal future. Many complain that an officer cannot fairly distinguish if a driver is simply looking at an incoming call or reading a text.

The governor thinks that making the act of looking at a phone screen illegal could lead to an increase in lawsuits as well. Some government officials are worried that trial lawyers might want to subpoena phone records and assign blame for every accident that happens.

Gov. Perdue urged lawmakers to come back and take a tough look at the law in the 2011 legislative session, with an analysis to revising the part about reading texts.

Texting bans, now in effect in various forms in 28 states, have drawn wide support from law enforcement, highway safety advocates and even the cell phone industry. But there are questions about how they work in practice

Many believe that Georgia’s law will travel up the legal ladder as attorneys defend against local cases, with some questions ultimately decided by the Georgia Supreme Court.

With years of experience as trial lawyers, Pope & Howard P.C.’s attorneys have a unique understanding of the legal, factual, and insurance issues behind each case in the auto accident field. Pope & Howard P.C. only accepts cases involving catastrophic injuries or death.

Contact the attorneys at Pope and Howard law firm if you or a loved one has suffered a severe injury or the death of a family member due to another’s negligence.

As trucking attorneys at the Pope and Howard Law Firm in Atlanta, Georgia, we often see the severity of tractor trailer accidents and how they affect normal families in Georgia. Tractor trailer accidents are a leading cause of serious injuries and wrongful death.

That was the case with a recent tractor trailer accident right here in Atlanta.

Over the Memorial Day weekend, 2010, a two- year-old died while sitting in a parked car when a semi trailer truck lost control and crashed into his parents’ vehicle. The truck accident occurred in a parking lot at an Auto Zone just off Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway.

The out-of-control semi trailer truck slammed into three parked cars in the store’s lot. The trucker lost control of the tractor trailer when a car crossed over the center line into his lane in oncoming traffic.

Two-year-old Zion Curney and his 14-year-old cousin were in one of the parked cars. The two children were waiting for one of their parents shopping in the Auto Zone store.

The driver, Kelly Canty, who hit the tractor trailer, was charged on Tuesday. Canty was charged with vehicular homicide, reckless driving, failure to maintain her lane, and driving without a license, insurance or tag.

Investigators have yet to determine why Canty crossed the center line of Hollowell Parkway ultimately leading to the deadly chain reaction collision. The trucking accident still remains under investigation.

Since trucking laws are governed by hundreds of regulations, it is important to consult with a tractor trailer lawyer who knows trucking laws. Contact the Atlanta Lawyers at the Pope and Howard Law Firm for a free consultation today for more information.