Improper lane changes are a major cause of traffic accidents in Georgia. They may cause sideswipe accidents whereby a car comes into contact with another in an adjacent lane, or an improper lane change can cause a car to brake suddenly or swerve, impacting other drivers.
Usually, in these accidents the driver who makes the lane change is at-fault and he or she will often receive a citation.
If you are involved in a lane change accident, you may face a fight for compensation. Often the insurance companies may claim you were partly to blame or the damage was minimal.
However, lane change accidents can be very serious. Recently in Athens, Georgia, a woman was convicted over the death of a student after an improper lane change.
improper lane changes are a major problem in Atlanta
A report in Red and Black noted Whitney Baker Howard was found guilty of the death of University of Georgia student Ashley Block in November. She was convicted on 11 criminal counts by Athens-Clarke County Superior Court Judge Eric Norris.
Howard was accused of crashing her automobile into cyclists on Athena Drive on Sept. 12, 2016. This crash led to the death of 25-year-old graduate student Ashley Block, while two other cyclists sustained serious injuries.
The media report stated Howard was said to be under the influence of no less than six different illicit drugs namely, diazepam, nordiazepam, alprazolam, amitriptyline, nortriptyline and methadone. She also had her 2-year-old daughter in the car with her.
The woman was found guilty on 11 counts including two felony counts of homicide by vehicle in the first degree. She was convicted of six counts of serious injury by a vehicle which is also a felony, one count of driving under the influence of drugs, a count of improper lane change as well as one count of endangering the life of a child, according to Athens-Clarke County Clerk of Courts.
If you are involved in a sideswipe accident or another accident involving an improper lane change your injuries may be serious and even life-threatening. You should not let the insurance company lowball you.
If you have been involved in an accident caused by another driver making an improper lane change, you should contact the Law Office of Michael West for a free consultation.