While many people were relaxing and enjoying the long holiday weekend, those who were on the roads across Georgia may have had a much more upsetting Memorial Day. According to recent reports, there were 17 people killed in motor vehicle accidents this past weekend. Sadly, this is a dramatic increase in the number of fatalities that occurred last year during the same time when six people were killed.
Police are still investigating the crashes, but it is likely that they will determine that negligent driving played a role in many of the accidents. Sadly, reckless or unsafe driving is far too common during holiday weekends when people may be more likely to be drunk, distracted, drowsy or otherwise dangerous behind the wheel.
One of the accidents caused this weekend was caused by a driver who ran through a stop sign without stopping. This is just one example of reckless driving. Drivers who fail to obey traffic signals or use caution at intersections are not just in violation of the law, they are also failing to realize that their actions are putting other people and lives in danger.
Another accident over the weekend happened at 3:30 a.m. Many crashes that happen in the middle of the night involve drivers who are out late drinking. Drunk driving is particularly an issue during holiday weekends, as people are attending more social events, drinking alcohol and staying out later than they normally would during the long weekend. In some situations, this can prove to be a deadly combination when a driver gets behind the wheel after drinking too much.
The number of accidents this holiday is truly upsetting. However, it is the victims and their families who will have to cope with the consequences for days, weeks or even years to come as a result of the injuries or fatalities that were suffered. Rather than try to deal with this situation alone or try to ignore it, it can be helpful for people hurt in a car accident to take legal action against the negligent or reckless party that contributed to their injuries. By consulting an attorney, victims and their families can pursue their legal options and the compensation that may be available.
Source: The Telegraph, “17 dead in Georgia Memorial weekend accidents, 4 killed in midstate,” Liz Fabian, May 27, 2014
