NAVIGATING MULTICAR ACCIDENTS Law in Real Life
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This fall, a Georgia mother and her three children were killed in a chain reaction, a multivehicle accident on Interstate 10 in southeast Texas. The devastating incident involved six regular passenger vehicles, a semi tractor trailer, and a pickup truck, and it escalated into several vehicle fires. Authorities later determined the cause of the large accident was a previous collision involving another pickup truck 45 minutes prior. If an accident like this were to happen four states over in Georgia, the legal responsibility would land on the shoulders of the party who caused the first crash. Despite the time delay, the chain of events following the first collision was tragic, and the subsequent victims deserve justice.
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But why does Georgia follow this statute? The answer is found in Georgia code 51-12-33.
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Who’s to blame?
Georgia’s courts use a comparative fault model to determine liability and payments in multivehicle accidents. Under this model, any victim who is less than 50 percent at fault for causing a collision can be compensated for their injuries, but the court will reduce their damage award by the percentage of which they were responsible. If a plaintiff is partially responsible and there are multiple at-fault parties, a judge will divvy up a percentage of compensation each defendant owes, regardless of at-fault parties not listed in the lawsuit. Defendants are also not jointly accountable should one defendant be unable to pay. So, if a plaintiff sustained $500,000 in damages but was 10 percent at fault, their total compensation would be 10 percent less than $500,000 — or $450,000. If there were two defendants named in this case, and the judge determined they were equally at fault, the defendants would have to pay $225,000 each. In the tragic case above, a Georgia judge would have to determine the percentage at which both the multiple plaintiffs and possible multiple defendants were at fault and award or order compensation based on those numbers. Deciphering laws like Georgia code 51-12-33 is best left to the experts. If you or a loved one has been recently injured in a multivehicle accident, Simon Law Firm can help you get the compensation you deserve. Learn more by calling us at 404-259-7635.
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INGREDIENTS
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2 large or 4 medium chicken thighs 3 pounds bok choy, cut into 3–4-inch ribbons 4 tablespoons vegetable oil 3 tablespoons oyster sauce
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2 tablespoons cornstarch, mixed with 4 tablespoons water 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
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2 teaspoons sugar
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Salt and pepper, to taste
DIRECTIONS 1.
In large pot, boil three cups of water. Add chicken and reduce to simmer, cooking for 30 minutes. Remove chicken and let cool. Once cooled, remove skin and bones, chop, and set aside. Reserve the cooking liquid. 2. In a large skillet over high heat, heat vegetable oil. Once shimmering, add bok choy and cook for 1 minute, stirring throughout. Add half of reserved cooking liquid, cover skillet, and cook for 2 minutes. Remove cover and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Transfer bok choy to a plate. 3. Add remaining cooking liquid and chicken to the pan, maintaining high heat. Heat chicken, then add oyster sauce, sugar, cornstarch- and-water mixture, sesame oil, and bok choy. Season to taste, toss together, and serve over rice.
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