Author: Paul Richardson

The idea of driverless cars is popular, but these vehicles do not come without issues. While some hope they will bring about less stress,  others fear the risks outweigh the rewards. The largest concern for these cars? The risk of accidents. We are unsure if these vehicles will be able to drive during traffic in real time. When a crash does happen, who is to blame? Possible defendants could be the manufacturer up to the person who bought the car. There are no laws created for driverless cars, thus, there is no straight answer

Autonomous Vehicles (AVs)

While driverless cars are not completely independent just yet, that is the car industry’s goal. Right now, these cars are created to have little human interaction. Some driverless car features include cruise-control, self-parking, and anti-lock brakes. The United States does not yet allow the production of fully driverless cars. Part of the reason is that vehicles must follow up to about 70 different safety guidlines under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. Large car companies such as Volvo, Mercedes, and Tesla are working on creating fully self-driving cars.

Who is at Fault in an AV Crash?

According to supporters, one of the benefits of driverless cars is the idea of limiting car accidents. For example, problems like speeding and drunk driving, two of the leading causes of car accidents in the nation, could be greatly limited. These cards, however, are still in the testing phase in many states, like Texas and Washington. In fact, there have been cases in which driverless cars have crashed.

Current law has its focus on human drivers. The driver operating the vehicle is responsible for their own safety and the safety of others. Drivers are required to be in their right mind and in good health to legally get behind the wheel. It is not sure if drivers will be able to completely hold thier driver’s responsibility to a driverless vehicle.

Contact an Attorney

If you have any questions about the law regarding driverless cars or any other legal question, contact a knowledgeable Georgia attorney today.

Don’t forget to schedule with Elizabeth Gallo Court Reporting for your next Deposition!

Sometimes working in the field of Law, life can be fast, busy, and very overwhelming. This week’s edition of Amanda’s Legal Apps explores a possible solution to help maintain the hectic schedules of Attorneys, Paralegals and other related professionals.

This week’s app: Clio

Today we will explore the program, Clio. The application Clio helps firms manages every part of their business with easy and fast ways to use it.

Clio allows Attorneys, Paralegals, and other Legal Professionals to track time and billing for their legal services. Thus, the reason why Clio is easy to use because you can access it anywhere! It can be used at home, in the office, or on the road. Clio can be explored on a desktop, tablet, or phone. Also, Clio lets users sync with both Google and Outlook and merges other applications. For example, apps like FastCase, Microsoft Office 365, and Quickbooks can be used through Celio.

Clio prices start at  $39 per a user/month.

The New Year brings new laws that you need to know about, especially if you are living in Georgia. Several new laws went into effect in Georgia on January 1, 2018, according to news reports. Below is a brief summary of the changes:

New Georgia Laws for 2018:

• House Bill 340: Under HB340, Georgia lawmakers ended sales and property taxes on cars. Instead, the taxes are being replaced with a flat-rate fee of 7%. As a result, Georgians who are leasing vehicles will be taxed at the same level as those who own their vehicles.
• House Bill 154: HB154 allows licensed dental hygienists to perform  tasks that they could not be acted on. For example, licensed hygienists can now apply ordinary wash or washes on patients,  remove calcareous deposits, stains, and secretions from the surface of the teeth. A licensed dentist is not necessarily required to be present at the time while these duties are being performed by the licensed hygienist.
• House Bill 146: This law, HB146, allows legally organized fire departments to buy and maintain insurance coverage for firefighters diagnosed with specific types of cancers. The law also lets fire departments to pay claims for injuries suffered by a firefighter en route to, during, and returning from a fire call. This also applies to other emergency disasters and training sessions. This law applies specifically to firefighters who have served 12 consecutive months with the specific fire department. The law also specifies the minimum required insurance the department must have.
• House Bill 155: HB155, also referred to as the Georgia Musical Investment Act, provides a 15% tax cut to music tours or projects in the state. The purpose of the act was to try to expand the local music scene in Georgia.

Legal Help

If you or someone you know has questions about any newly passed law, contact a knowledgeable Georgia attorney today.

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Amanda’s App Pick of the Week continues this week to overcome those challenging days with some apps that help manage your work and social life.

Venmo is an extraordinary app that is incredibly easy to use. With Venmo, you can payback your colleagues, or give them money to get lunch for you if you are too busy to leave the office by adding a payment of your choice within the app.

Best part is that are no fees if you choose to use your bank account or a credit card.

Additionally, it makes planning an office party much easier. You can shop within the app for supplies and split the bill with others.

Venmo is free to sign-up and can be downloaded from the App Store and on Google play.