Lawrenceville Truck Accident Lawyer
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- As an award-winning law firm, we are known in the legal community for providing personal attention to all of our clients.
- Taking an honest and aggressive approach to personal injury law has helped our top lawyers recover millions in compensation and we work to get clients as big of a settlement as possible.
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Semi-trucks are the largest vehicles that you will encounter while driving in the state of Georgia. Because of their size and weight, they can cause a significant amount of damage if they crash into other vehicles on the road.
Passengers inside the other vehicles will likely suffer serious injuries from the impact of the collision, including traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, fractured bones, and internal injuries. Luckily, these victims may be able to take legal action against the parties that have caused them harm.
Have you been injured in a collision with a truck? Don’t wait any longer to get the legal help you need. You may be able to recover compensation for any medical expenses you have incurred and losses you have suffered as a result of the accident. Schedule a free consultation with our team of Lawrenceville GA truck accident lawyers by calling 678-541-8841 or filling out the contact form on our website today.
Below are some truck crash questions our lawyers have answered for previous clients:
- Multiple Parties Can Be Liable For Truck Crashes
- How truck drivers cause truck accidents
- How trucking companies cause truck accidents
- How can you file a truck accident claim?
- Why Kinds Of Truck Accidents Has Our Law Firm Handled?
- Can You Settle A Truck Accident Claim Without A Lawyer?
- How Can I Avoid Another Truck Accident In The Future?
Multiple Parties Can be Liable for Truck Crashes
When it comes to a truck accident, several parties can be responsible. Most commonly, it is the actions of the truck driver that lead to an accident. While the truck driver can get hurt, no one will absorb the impact more than the car driver. The driver of the smaller vehicle and their passengers can suffer serious injuries and even instant death.
You might be able to file a truck accident claim if a truck driver’s negligence caused your accident. Speak with a Lawrenceville truck accident lawyer about your potential claim.
How Truck Drivers Cause Truck Accidents
Truck drivers can cause truck accidents in several ways, including reckless driving, fatigue, driving while under the influence, improper cargo loading, lack of training, and more.
Reckless driving
Truck drivers will engage in reckless driving by speeding, cutting other drivers off, and failing to check their blind spots. This is even more dangerous because trucks need additional time to maneuver their vehicles safely. Speeding, in particular, cuts down the additional time that they need.
Truck driver fatigue
Truck drivers are motorists that are prone to fatigue on the road. They can spend a minimum of 10 hours on the road. If you factor in traffic congestion, that is additional time for the driver to fall asleep at any moment. Driving while tired can lead to several dangerous truck accidents.
Driving while under the influence
Ironically, truck drivers can experience the same side effects of drowsy driving when they drive under the influence. To help them stay awake, truck drivers will take illegal substances and alcohol before hitting the road.
Improper cargo loading
The way that truck drivers speed on the road can cause the cargo to spill over into the road. Sometimes the truck driver is responsible for the way the cargo is secured, and other times the trucking company is responsible.
Lack of training
Unfortunately, some trucking companies don’t do their due diligence and train the drivers. It is up to the trucking company to make sure that the driver is properly trained before driving. When a driver is not properly trained, they can worsen an accident.
How Trucking Companies Cause Truck Accidents
Next to the truck drivers, trucking companies are another liable party for truck accidents. Trucking companies can cause truck accidents with poor truck maintenance, failure to conduct drug testing, negligent hiring, overloaded cargo, failing to uphold federal regulations, and more.
Poor truck maintenance
Trucking companies must ensure that each truck is safe before it is back on the road. Truck parts are worn down, which increases the chances of a truck accident. Worn-down tires, in particular, can blow out and cause a truck to crash.
Failure to conduct drug testing
Truck drivers are required to participate in drug tests before hitting the road. Trucking companies will fail to test drivers and allow them to enter the road while high or drunk. Trucking companies can suffer serious legal consequences for failing to test their drivers.
Negligent hiring
Drug testing is not the only federal requirement that trucking companies may overlook. Some trucking companies may overlook blatant red flags because the industry is experiencing a shortage of drivers. If truck drivers who should not have been hired in the first place cause a truck accident, the trucking company can be held liable for negligent hiring.
Overloaded cargo
Like the truck driver, the trucking company may also be liable for overloading cargo on a truck. The trucking company is responsible for ensuring that the cargo is safely secured. That means putting the right amount of weight on the truck that the driver can handle.
Failing to uphold federal regulations
Trucking companies can also fail to keep truck drivers off the road. Truck drivers have hours-of-service rules that they must abide by. After a certain amount of hours, drivers need to take a break. When trucking companies allow drivers to return to the road after just getting off a shift, that is a form of negligence.
The truck driver, trucking company, cargo loaders, and shippers are potential parties that can share liability. Trucking companies are automatically held liable for the truck driver’s actions. When a trucking company hires a truck driver, the trucking company has vicarious liability for the driver’s actions.
The trucking company is held liable for the actions of its employee, the truck driver. Depending on certain factors, the trucking company can be liable for the cargo loaders and the shippers. The trucking company must investigate whether the cargo loaders or shippers have a history of negligence.
How can you file a truck accident claim?
When a truck driver has put your life in danger, you may be able to file a truck accident claim. A truck driver owes you a specific duty of care. This duty of care involves safely driving their truck.
When a truck driver speeds up or drives under the influence, they are breaching the duty of care they owe you.
The truck accident caused by their reckless actions can cause you to suffer brain injuries, paralysis, amputations, hearing loss, or nerve damage.
If you have evidence proving how the driver’s negligence caused you serious harm, you may be able to file a truck accident claim.
Truck accident compensation
A truck accident claim can lead to compensation through a settlement or a trial verdict. Your compensation will be rewarded faster through a settlement between a settlement and a trial.
You and the liable party’s insurance company must agree to a fair settlement before moving forward. Once you agree, a settlement agreement will be drafted, and you can receive your compensation after you have signed it.
Your claim may progress to a trial if you and the insurance company can’t agree on a fair settlement. It can be difficult to determine how long the trial will last and whether you will receive the compensation you deserve. You leave those decisions in the hands of the judge and jury.
Why Kinds Of Truck Accidents Has Our Law Firm Handled?
Truck accidents can occur for a number of reasons. Truck drivers can cause accidents if they choose to get behind the wheel while distracted, under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or drowsy. Truck drivers can also get into accidents when they make careless mistakes such as not stopping quickly enough or making an extremely wide turn.
Sometimes, a truck accident occurs because of the negligent acts of the trucking company. For example, if the trucking company does not properly train the driver, this could lead to an accident caused by the driver’s inexperience. Or if the trucking company fails to inspect the truck on a regular basis to identify safety issues, one of these issues could eventually cause a collision.
There are many different parts involved in operating a truck. If one of these parts is defective, the driver may lose control and collide with another vehicle. For example, if the brakes suddenly go out because of a defect, the truck driver won’t be able to stop his truck from colliding into the vehicle in front of him.
A truck driver can also lose control of the truck if the cargo in the back is not loaded properly. The weight needs to be evenly distributed otherwise it will be hard to steer such a large vehicle. If it’s not, the truck driver may not be able to stop his truck from crashing into another vehicle. At Spaulding Injury Law, we have handled all of these situations and more and we offer this experience to every client.
Can You Settle A Truck Accident Claim Without A Lawyer?
One of the first things you should do after a truck accident is to get in touch with a truck accident lawyer to discuss your case. But, many people often wonder why it’s necessary to call a lawyer. It’s not required that you work with an attorney if you have been injured in a truck accident, but it’s beneficial to do so if you plan on recovering compensation.
In general, truck accidents are very different from car accidents. In a car accident, fault is usually assigned to one of the drivers involved in the collision. In a truck accident, various parties can be held liable for your injuries, which makes filing and claim and negotiating the terms of a settlement with the insurance companies much more complicated. It may be difficult for you to communicate with everyone within this group and reach a favorable outcome without the help of an attorney.
Before you can even begin negotiations, you will need to determine who you should hold liable, which is a challenge in itself. If you are represented by a truck accident attorney, he can handle the investigation on his own.
This may include contacting and interviewing witnesses from the scene of the accident, obtaining a copy of the official police report, analyzing the photos taken at the scene, consulting with truck accident reconstruction experts, and issuing subpoenas to recover important documentation from the trucking company.
The last part—issuing subpoenas—may play a crucial role in the investigation. To determine liability, you will need to get a copy of the truck’s black box records to see if the driver was driving recklessly at the time of the accident. You will also need to review the maintenance logs to determine if the trucking company was regularly inspecting the trucks.
Looking at the driver’s record with his employer will also help you figure out if the driver had ever been disciplined for reckless driving in the past. It’s important to collect all of this information, but it can be nearly impossible to do so if you don’t have an attorney at law on your side.
How Can I Avoid Another Truck Accident In The Future?
If you choose to drive, you do so with the understanding that there is a risk you could be involved in an accident. There is no way to completely eliminate the risk of you being involved in a truck accident, but there are several ways you can reduce your risk to protect yourself.
First, always avoid driving in the truck driver’s blind spots. If you are to the side of the truck, you should always be able to spot the truck’s mirrors. If you can’t, this means you’re in the blind spot.
The truck driver is also unable to see cars that are directly in front of and behind him, so avoid these areas as well. You should also give trucks plenty of space whenever you have to drive around them. Don’t drive right behind a truck so you don’t have much space to stop your vehicle if traffic suddenly comes to a screeching halt.
If you have to pass by a truck, make sure there is plenty of room between your vehicle and the truck. Also, it’s important to get out of the way if you see a truck attempting to make a turn. Trucks need a lot of space in order to turn, and they often have to take up multiple lanes in order to get the angle required to complete the turn. If you are near a truck that is preparing to turn, get out of its way so you don’t end up colliding with it.
Of course, even if you closely follow all of these tips, there is still a chance that you may be injured in a truck accident. If it happens to you, get in touch with a truck accident attorney as soon as possible to discuss your legal options.
Contact Our Lawrenceville GA Truck Accident Lawyers To Help You Recover Compensation After A Crash
If you have sustained injuries in a truck accident caused by negligence, get in touch with an experienced personal injury attorney as soon as possible. Some of our many practice areas include truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, auto accidents, and wrongful death.
Our attorneys have over 25 years of combined experience helping clients recover the compensation they deserve from their personal injury claims. Our Lawrenceville GA truck accident lawyers serve clients in Cumming, Alpharetta, and Atlanta, GA.
To schedule a free consultation regarding your case, please call 678-541-8841 or send us an email by filling out the online contact form on our website. If you hire our law firm, you won’t pay any attorneys’ fees until you have recovered compensation. For more information on truck accidents, visit the blog on this website.
Spaulding Injury Law: Lawrenceville Personal Injury Lawyers is located at 223 Scenic Hwy S #202, Lawrenceville, GA 30046, United States.
