Truck drivers drive many miles throughout their workdays, traveling from state to state and between different cities. But even the most seasoned truck driver can act negligently and cause a crash.
A truck accident is exponentially more dangerous than a usual car accident. Trucks are many times bigger and heavier than a typical passenger vehicle, increasing the risk of a collision with devastating results.
A collision of this magnitude generates higher recovery costs than your typical car accident. Traffic accidents involving trucks are more violent and have a higher chance of causing severe injury, totaled vehicles, and fatalities.
If you were a victim of a truck accident, know that the team at the CEO Lawyer Personal Injury Law Firm is ready to help you recover money for your medical bills and other damages. Schedule a free case review with one of our experienced truck accident attorneys in Lawrenceville today when you call (770) 525-9098 or contact us online today.
Get Assistance From an Experienced Lawrenceville Truck Accident Attorney
Imagine driving to work, and as you are passing a huge semi, they start to swerve into your lane. The movement happens so quickly that you do not have time to brake or dodge them, and your much smaller car collides with a large 18-wheeler.
By the time the truck driver realizes what happened and stops, it’s too late to prevent injury and significant damage to your car. Fortunately, you do not need to handle your claim on your own.
A truck accident lawyer will assist you in identifying all liable parties for your damages. Especially with multiple companies and owners involved, it might be difficult to determine who is at fault and why.
Liable parties in a truck accident may be:
- The owner of the truck
- The manufacturing company that built the truck
- The contract mechanic that maintains the truck
- The shipper or loader of cargo, or both
- The truck driver
- The trucking company that employs the driver
Sometimes, it may be challenging to identify who is responsible for truck accident cases, but with the help of a lawyer, you can get to the bottom of determining fault.
A Truck Accident Attorney is Ready to Make Things Right
In a country where much of our commerce depends on the travel of large commercial vehicles, truck accidents are all too common. In fact, there were 244 truck-related accidents in Georgia in 2021, with 42 incidents ending in fatalities.
Trucking accidents have serious consequences, and sadly, liable parties are not always forthcoming to compensate victims for their losses.
Negligent parties may not want to accept their responsibility to make things right, but the attorneys at the CEO Personal Injury Law Firm are ready to fight for you. If that means standing in as your legal representative during negotiations or in court, you can expect legal guidance and strategies based on our experience of successfully handling similar cases in the past.
We are prepared to do whatever it takes to stand up to big trucking companies and seek the maximum compensation available for your injuries.
Common Injuries Caused by Truck Accidents
A much larger and heavier vehicle crashing into a much smaller one easily creates the ideal environment for injuries like head trauma, broken bones, burns, and lacerations. In the best scenario, the driver of the smaller car copes with muscle strains and soreness for a few weeks, but in the worst circumstances, victims face surgeries involving metal plates and screws, disfiguring scars from burns and lacerations, potential loss of limbs, and more.
While one will recover from many of these injuries in a few weeks or months, some injuries are life-altering. These damages translate to specific claim items for medical care, lost wages, and pain and suffering — especially regarding the toll injuries take on one’s ability to work and earn promotions, play with their children, and even attend social events and entertainment.
What Kind of Compensation Can You Recover?
Your Lawrenceville truck accident lawyer will walk you through the event, the evidence, what you can claim, and what kind of compensation your claim deserves. Although these do not apply to all cases, claimants may see a combination of these types of compensation:
Lost Wages and Earning Capacity
An accident may lead to injuries that take many weeks or months to recover. Apart from the visit to the ER, patients need to visit their doctors and specialists, schedule and attend physical therapy sessions, and, in more serious cases, undergo multiple surgeries to make things right.
As it is, these treatment plans take time out of one’s day, serving as a wrench to one’s usual schedule.
In Georgia, workers have limited time off from work and flexibility to accommodate appointments during working hours. The impact of taking so much time off leaves many victims with little options outside of unpaid time off.
Although workers have the protection of the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), it caps at 12 weeks, and often, is not enough to attend all treatments without taking unpaid time off or risk losing employment.
Your unpaid working hours have value and should be included in your case, as well as the promotions or professions you may no longer be able to accomplish after facing a serious injury that compromised your ability to do your job.
Present and Future Medical Expenses
Medical expenses may add up quickly. From using an ambulance to the ER, surgery, hospitalization days, medication, and treatments, they all add up. It won’t be long before a collection agency comes knocking on your door looking for payment.
Unfortunately, medical bills do not stop there. Depending on the severity of the accident, you might need more appointments and long-term medication to treat your injuries.
For example, a broken bone will not heal right away. It will take weeks, if not months, before your injury heals properly.
During the following weeks after initial surgery, to set the bone, you will need to wear a cast, take pain medication, learn exercises, and receive therapy from a physical therapist. These appointments, medical equipment, and materials all cost money and should be in your claim.
In addition, you might be able to request compensation for your medical bills and future expenses through your claim. Many injuries require extensive physical rehabilitation and follow-up care.
Speak to your truck accident attorney to discuss all the medical expenses related to the accident and to add them to your claim.
Wrongful Death
The size and weight difference between a typical car and an 18-wheel truck is drastic enough to cause the death of the occupants in the smaller vehicle. Although the victims in this case have since passed away, their families have the right to request compensation from liable parties through a wrongful death claim.
Losing a loved one can have shattering emotional and financial impacts on a family. If you consider dual-income households, losing one person will cut the household income in half or more, creating difficulty in buying food and goods and even keeping a roof over their heads.
While we hope the victim’s income accounts for no more than half of the household’s total income, the situation is much more dire in some cases. Some households still have homemakers or one partner who makes significantly less than the victim, creating a disastrous financial situation that is not easily fixed.
A wrongful death claim stemming from a truck accident can help surviving family members recoup their damages suffered, including:
- Costs of the victim’s care before they passed
- Loss of household income and domestic services
- Funeral and burial costs
- Pain and suffering and loss of companionship of the family
- Pain and suffering of the accident victim
- Estate administration costs and other out-of-pocket costs impacting the estate
- Punitive damages (for select cases that proceed to jury trial)
Common Types of Truck Accidents
Most accidents are related to negligent behavior while on the road, like unsafe lane changes, turns, or tailing the car in front of them. They may back their trucks unsafely, not caring who or what is standing right behind them.
In Lawrenceville, there are four main types of truck accidents to be aware of because they present a particularly high danger on the road:
- Tire blowouts
- Underride Accident
- Jackknife Accident
- Unsecured Load Accident
Tire Blowout Accidents
Old tires, improper installation, or a hazardous object on the road may cause a truck’s tires to blow out while in operation. Tire blowouts lead to losing control of the truck, swerving, and crashing into other cars and objects near the right of way.
Underride Accident
Known as one of the most fatal truck accident scenarios, an underride accident occurs when a smaller vehicle is forced underneath the truck after a collision. Because these accidents can shear off the roof of many vehicles, they have a high rate of incidence of death or severe injury.
Jackknife Accident
Both weight and size are drastically different between a truck and a car. Trucks carry heavy cargo, changing the truck’s center of gravity and complicating the vehicle’s ability to maneuver while driving.
A Jackknife accident occurs when the cab and trailer bend or “fold” to the point of separation. These accidents take up a lot of space on the road, and if other drivers are not aware, they may not be able to stop quickly, causing a pileup accident with multiple cars.
These accidents are often caused by poor weather conditions that include fog, snow, and heavy rain in combination with driving under the influence, speeding, or being distracted while operating the vehicle.
Unsecured Load Accident
You may see signs put in place by the Georgia Department of Transportation to “secure your load.” You may think this is related to pickup trucks, but it also applies to truck trailers.
The FMCSA has different requirements for different types of cargo, and the rules are put in place to prevent hazardous spills, jackknife accidents, rollover accidents, and cargo spills on the right of way.
Sudden load shifts can result in cargo spillouts or even a trailer rollover. These types of accidents can tend to snare up multiple vehicles, sometimes causing life-altering injuries in the process.
What if the Driver Who Hit Me Was a Contractor?
Many carrier companies try to avoid liability by claiming that the person operating the truck whose actions led to the accident was not an employee. Injury victims may be left scrambling when trying to determine how to reclaim damages when the company refuses to provide a liability insurance policy number because they allege they are not technically at fault.
First and foremost, many so-called “independent contractor” truck drivers are actually misclassified employees. Because these drivers cannot set the terms of their hauls, and they end up using carrier-owned equipment, they should qualify as an employee for the purposes of determining liability in most instances.
Secondly, carriers should assume liability for certain types of incidents, in part or in full, even if an independent contractor’s actions contributed to the accident. It may be possible that the company did not fully vet or drug test the employee, or they could have been encouraging the driver to complete an unreasonably fast route, encouraging speeding and sleep deprivation.
Third, in cases where the driver was a genuine owner-operator of a rig and they were hauling cargo under contract, the driver should carry a commercial liability policy anyway, which can be used to file for benefits. In many cases, liability will also be split between the owner-operator, the hauling contractor, the owner of the trailer, and other parties.
Your personal injury attorney will rigorously investigate and research your case — applying their knowledge of relevant state laws, national regulations, and recent case outcomes — in order to determine the most appropriate way to assign liability and pursue damages from all contributing parties.
Work With a Dedicated and Compassionate Lawrenceville Truck Accident Law Firm
Truck accidents are dangerous and catastrophic and can cause severe repercussions to others involved. Drivers who operate trucks must ensure the safety of others while they are on the road and are liable for any injuries they cause.
A truck is much larger than a car, and it only takes a simple mistake to create a world of pain and damage for someone just looking to get to their next destination.
If you were in this situation, you do not need to fight for compensation alone. With the help of professional legal advocates, you can expect top-tier care and representation as we process your claim.
Reach out to the CEO Lawyer Personal Injury Law Firm today. We are ready to review your case and guide you through the claims process.
Get started today by scheduling your free initial case review when you call (770) 525-9098 or contact us online.
