Cobb County Car Wreck Raises Legal Issues

As the recent AJC article detailing the car wreck makes clear, if you cause a car accident and your conduct is serious enough in nature, you will also face criminal charges for the harm that you cause.

Police say they expect charges to be filed in a crash that killed one man and seriously injured another recently when an 85-year-old Cobb County, Georgia driver struck them on the side of the road.

One of the victims (the driver of the other car) steered her black 2006 Dodge Magnum as two men pushed it off Johnson Ferry Road near Hampton Farms Drive in south Marietta, according to Cobb County police.

According to police, the at-fault driver was driving a blue 2007 Mazda 3 north in the left lane of Johnson Ferry Road about 8:45 p.m. when he struck the men pushing the broken-down black car. One casualty of the negligence died at the scene, while another was taken to WellStar Kennestone Hospital in Marietta with serious injuries.

This scenario is common and often tragic. When someone’s car breaks down along he side of the road (or when the simply get a flat tire and pull to the side of the road) and the try to fix it, they are “sitting ducks” for another drive to come along and hit them. Many times this type of accident causes serious injury or death due to the factors of the wreck.

If possible, one should pull as far from the roadway and to the side of the shoulder as possible. Once there, all passengers should exit the car and move off the shoulder and further away from the roadway as quickly and safely as possible. The longer you linger near the roadway, the longer you risk being struck by a car (who most times does not see the broken down car or the stranded motorist) at an extremely high rate of speed.

As an experienced Georgia auto accident lawyer, I know first-hand that this type of accident happens more often than people think and it should be avoided at all costs. The injuries and deaths that result from this situation are often heartbreaking and tragic. Many times, the police will charge the at-fault driver criminally, as well as citing them for negligence in causing the tragedy. But, this provides little comfort for the victims and the victims’ families.

Robert J. Fleming has been handling wrongful death cases, dental malpractice, bus accidents, car accident cases and premises injury cases for individuals and families who have been harmed, injured or died as a result of the carelessness or negligence of another for more than 20 years. He practices in and around the Atlanta, Georgia area including handling lawsuits in Fulton, DeKalb, Clayton, Gwinnett, Cobb and other counties and nearby cities including Alpharetta, Austell, Avondale Estates, Chamblee, College Park, Conyers, Duluth, Decatur, Doraville, Hapeville, Johns Creek, Jonesboro, Lawrenceville, Norcross, Peachtree City, Riverdale, Roswell, Sandy Springs, Stone Mountain, and Smyrna. If you have been seriously injured and would like discuss your case in complete confidence, contact Robert J. Fleming directly on (404) 525-5150 or contact us online.