Georgia Has a High Rate of Apartment and Hotel Gun Violence Deaths
If you’re worried about gun violence, your natural instinct may be to retreat to your home or another private space, to reclaim a sense of safety and control of your surroundings. Unfortunately, the numbers tell us this strategy won’t make you safer. Gun violence was the cause of 1,571 deaths in Georgia in 2016, a figure that’s risen 47% since 2005. While mass shootings receive most of the media attention, they only made up a little more than 1% of these deaths — a fairly typical share nationwide in any given year. The rest are made up of one-on-one homicide, suicide, and accidents, many of them occurring in the home. Property Owner Responsibility The issue of landlord responsibility in cases of gun violence has been…
Top Causes of Injuries at Big Box Stores
In spring of 2018, a two-year-old girl was crushed to death by an unsecured mirror in a Payless shoe store in Riverdale, Georgia. This might sound like a freak occurrence, but the truth is that incidents like this one have been a serious and underreported public hazard for decades now. Nobody wants or expects to put themselves in danger every time they go shopping. We go about our days, running our errands, rarely worrying about whether public places are designed to be safe. In reality, serious danger lies in many core elements of how modern “big box” stores do business. High, Unsecured Shelving The profitability of big box stores depends on volume, selection, and efficient use of space. In many cases, this means shelving in…
Workplace Fatalities Are on the Rise, Even as the Economy Improves
For the millions of people left unemployed or underemployed during the Great Recession, the opportunity to return to work is something to be celebrated. Unfortunately, the recent drop in unemployment has been accompanied by a rise in workplace injuries and fatalities. While this might sound like the inevitable cost of returning to normal, these deaths are needless, avoidable, and alarmingly frequent. In Georgia specifically, the workplace death rate rose by as much as 70% between 2012 and 2016, with a particular spike in 2015, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Why Now? As noted in the International Journal of Epidemiology, economic growth does eventually decrease mortality rates in a general population. First, however, a rash of occupational fatalities is tragically common. These deaths…
Atlanta Has Some of the Country’s Most Dangerous Roads
There are many reasons to love Atlanta, from the nightlife to the low cost of living to the thriving music scene. As any local will attest, however, the traffic is not one of them. Unfortunately, the trouble with our roads goes far beyond congestion into the realm of a serious public health hazard. As of 2015, Georgia had the fourth highest incidence of fatal car accidents nationwide, as reported by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). That puts Georgia behind only by the three most populous states: California, Texas, and Florida. The Atlanta area itself bears the worst of this state-wide problem, a problem which has only been worsening in recent years. According to a 2012-2016 report by the Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway…
Pedestrian Roadway Deaths Continue to Climb in Georgia
Walking is a healthy and convenient way to get around many parts of Georgia. Even if you usually drive or take public transportation, a significant stretch at the beginning or end of your journey is likely to take place on foot. The popularity and necessity of walking makes it all the more upsetting to watch the reports of pedestrian deaths become ever more frequent. According to the Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, pedestrian fatalities climbed 9.5% nationally and 18.4% in Georgia from 2014-2015, reaching levels not seen since before 2008. Worse still, hit-and-run has been on the rise both locally and nationally, with Georgia becoming the 4th most dangerous state for hit-and-run, according to a study by AAA. How to Protect Yourself The National…
Your Car’s Interior Temperature Can Rise 20 Degrees in 10 Minutes
You read that right. Your vehicle’s internal temperature can rise by nearly 20 degrees in 10 minutes. This is a serious safety hazard for any children who are inside the vehicle. Every parent has worried about whether they might leave their child in the car in a moment of forgetfulness. It’s such an easy mistake to make that a parent could easily let it happen before they realize what they did. Fortunately, however, a handful of technologies are on the way that have the potential to end this problem forever. If you or a loved one has suffered any injury because of another person’s negligence, contact the attorneys of The Stoddard Firm. With our years of experience, we’ll be able to guide you through this…
Over 40% of Water Temperatures in Homes Are Unsafe
When people think of scalding injuries around the home, they likely think of burns from boiling water. However, in many housing units, the water from a faucet can be hot enough to cause serious injuries, particularly to vulnerable age groups, such as children and the elderly. In other words, the water in your shower may be too hot. One study found that years after water heater manufacturers agreed to limit temperature settings, more than 40 percent of homes still have water hot enough to be dangerous. Water with a temperature over 120 degrees Fahrenheit is hot enough to cause severe burns. In Georgia, the law requires that every shower be equipped with a valve that lowers the water temperature to a maximum of 120 degrees…
Motorcycle Safety and Why It Matters
The road is a potentially dangerous place for everyone. It can be especially dangerous for motorcyclists. In the event of an accident, motorcyclists are exposed. Unlike other drivers, motorcyclists have no external shielding or metal framework holding back the force of an accident. There’s no airbag ready to deploy and save them from harm. There’s no seatbelt to keep them from flying out of place. That’s why motorcyclists are 27 times more likely to die in an accident than other motorists. That’s why motorcyclists are 6 times more likely than other motorists to get injured in an accident. Motorcycle safety matters, because motorcyclists are in the most danger when accidents occur. We’ll give you some tips to stay safe when you ride. If you or…
May Is National Electrical Safety Month
This May is the Electrical Safety Foundation International’s (ESFI) National Electrical Safety Month. ESFI is a non-profit dedicated to improving electrical safety at home, in schools, and in the workplace. The annual National Electrical Safety Month campaign is an attempt to educate children and adults about electrical hazards and the best practices to ensure safety. Some of the ESFI’s activities include gathering data about safety and possible threats. The campaign for the month also includes media promotional materials for anyone who wants to share their commitment to electrical safety on social media or through other means. The theme for Electrical Safety Month 2018 is “Understanding the Code that Keeps Us Safe,” focusing on the National Electrical Code and how to apply it. If you or…
A New App to Help Atlanta Drivers
Atlanta is known for many things. From sightseeing (the Georgia Aquarium, the Center for Civil and Human Rights) to business (headquarters of Coca-Cola, the Home Depot), sports (the Atlanta Braves, the Atlanta Falcons) to education (Emory University, GSU) and everything in between, there are a plethora of reasons people live, work, and visit here. An unfortunate byproduct of this popularity is traffic. The area’s heavily traveled roads are frequently clogged with people trying to get somewhere. While the Major Mobility Investment Program (MMIP) promises citywide relief from traffic congestion over the next few years, there is a new tool available to those journeying along the North Avenue Smart Corridor between Ponce City Market and Georgia Tech. The TravelSafely smartphone app lets drivers keep their eyes…