free consultation: 678-RESULTS 678-737-8587

The Stoddard Firm Blog

Construction Operations Have a Duty to Keep Underage Workers Out of Danger

For many young people with a passion for power tools, machinery, and the satisfaction of building things, getting to work on a real construction site is an exciting milestone. Unfortunately, construction is one of the most dangerous professions in the U.S, and the dangers that exist for adults are often even greater for minors. Teenagers’ brains and bodies are not yet fully developed. Because of this, they’re more likely to act impulsively, underestimate risk, and have physical difficulty ...

Landlords and Maintenance Companies Share Responsibility for Elevator Accidents

Any time you walk into a building in Georgia and see an elevator, you’re looking at a collaboration between at least two separate organizations, usually more. First, there’s the Office of Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner, which is responsible for performing regular inspections on all licensed elevators in Georgia. Typically, there’s also a private company providing regular maintenance, to make sure the elevator stays in compliance and can pass its inspections. Then, there’s the...

Hidden Defects in Gas Stoves Can Lead to Devastating Home Accidents

Cooking accidents are the single most common cause of residential fires in the U.S. Some of those accidents result from user error — falling asleep with a pot on the stove, trying to extinguish oil with water, etc. However, even with perfect use, gas stoves and the gas lines they’re connected to are delicate systems, designed to burn an invisible, poisonous, and explosive substance in a controlled manner. Subtle damage, or a slight design flaw, can be enough to derail that control and lead...

How much should I settle for with a back injury?

You've suffered a back injury that has caused pain and discomfort and disrupted your daily life. Now you're exploring your options for compensation to help pay for medical bills and make up for lost wages. As a Georgia resident, you have the right to pursue legal action against the party responsible for your injury. However, determining how much your claim is worth and negotiating a fair settlement can be complicated. With the right approach, and by having The Stoddard Firm on your side, y...

Georgia’s Gun Laws Do Not Supersede a Business’s Duty to Protect Its Guests

The last few years of amendments to Georgia’s gun laws have expanded the places where residents can carry firearms, and reduced the documentation and scrutiny directed toward gun ownership. However, there are a lot of misconceptions about exactly what the current legislation allows and requires, notably the verbiage about the right to carry a gun in one’s “place of business.” This provision applies to business owners. It does not guarantee employees the right to carry guns at work. Priv...

Safe Walkways Are Vital Around Dangerous Bodies of Water, Including Lake Lanier

Any space that’s open to the public needs to be equipped with a safe way for people to navigate it. In most cases, this means level, hazard-free walkways, with guardrails lining any sharp drops. Keeping a property ready for safe traversal is one of the most basic services landlords are obligated to provide when welcoming in visitors. Even when spaces cannot be made completely safe without destroying what people value about them, such as natural features like mountains and caves, the organi...

Public Housing Authorities Shouldn’t Need Reminders of the Dangers of CO

Carbon monoxide (CO) is invisible, odorless, toxic, and present whenever carbon fuels are burned. Anything that runs on gasoline, natural gas, propane, charcoal, or even wood is a source of CO. Devices that use these fuels are generally safe, as long as they’re working as intended, but certain mechanical malfunctions can cause the fuel to burn less efficiently, producing much more CO than normal. Ventilation problems can also result in deadly CO buildup in the air, even when carbon-burning ap...

Electricians Servicing Lake Lanier Must Ensure Their Work Is Safe for Waterfront Use

Working with electrical systems requires specialized training and certification, and for very good reason. One wrong move while servicing these systems, or one flaw in their construction, can mean a fatal shock or fire. The danger is greater when the electrical system is close to water, and greater still when it’s close a body of water that may change or move unpredictably, like a lake. This has been a known issue on Lake Lanier for years. During a period of unusually high water levels ...

Maintaining Power Lines Is a Matter of Both Workplace and Public Safety

The power grid is a constant presence in most people’s lives, whether or not they’ve ever studied electrical engineering. Most people, and most companies, know better than to have someone without proper training work directly on electrical systems. Still, even if the only people who ever intentionally touch electrical infrastructure are trained professionals, the rest of us are never far away from it, at home or at work. On top of that, even trained professionals can end up in danger if th...

Every Warehouse Accident Deserves Investigation and Accountability

The word “accident” is not an adequate explanation for a life-altering or life-ending workplace tragedy. Yet far too often, that’s all the information that survivors receive. Differentiating an accident from an assault should be the beginning of the search for truth, not the end. Accidents happen in warehouses because of bad safety policies, poor training, time pressure, faulty equipment, and other quantifiable problems worthy of scrutiny. Leaving accident investigations unfinished prev...