Georgia Accident Victims Lack Adequate Trauma Care Facilities

Posted on February 19, 2009 by Jason Schultz

A person seriously injured in a car accident in Georgia needs emergency trauma care within one hour to limit the impact of injuries and prevent death. Georgia has more than 150 acute-care hospitals, but only a paltry 15 of them are designated trauma centers.  Most of these trauma centers are located in and around Georgia’s major cities. Unfortunately, a person injured in a serious accident in the south and rural parts of the state actually has a risk of succumbing to his injuries that is approximately 4 times higher than those seriously injured in large cities.

 

Citizen advocacy groups, the media and Georgia personal injury lawyers, who  constantly see the detrimental delays in trauma care, have been pushing hard for change.  At the source of the problem is a severe lack of funding.  Currently, the state needs to spend approximately $80 million annually just to run the trauma network.  Increasing the number of trauma centers and spreading them across the state so people in rural areas can access them will, unfortunately, cost several million dollars more.

 

Trauma is a major cause of death among Americans aged between 1 to 44.  In Georgia, that rate is 20 times higher than for the rest of the country.  Estimates say that close to 700 lives could be saved every year if Georgia had more and better equipped trauma centers to deal with severe injuries resulting from automobile and truck accidents, falls, fires and explosions.

 

Finding reliable sources of funds for any trauma center expansion plan is proving to be tricky. Several bills have been introduced that aim to hike current taxes for other services and channel those funds to trauma center expansion efforts. As I mentioned on this blog earlier, the state has lost several millions of dollars over the years because of its refusal to extend seatbelt laws to all, including pick up drivers who are currently exempt from buckling up. A bill mandating seatbelts for all Georgia residents, including pickup drivers has been sent to the House. If it does become a law, Georgia is available to receive a federal grant of just over $4 million. These funds can then be used for other essential road safety programs, including trauma center programs, which will reduce the number of serious injuries resulting in preventable deaths.

 

February 23rd has been designated as Trauma Day, and Georgia accident lawyers and citizens' groups will be using that day to raise awareness for the need for more trauma care systems in Georgia.

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