Many people ask us how a truck accident differs from a normal car accident. After all, it’s still just a car crash right? Below, our truck accident lawyers explain how car and truck accidents are completely different types of accidents, and must be treated differently if the victims’ rights to compensation are to be protected.
Unfortunately, many lawyers without trucking litigation experience tend to treat a trucking case as they would any normal auto accident case and this is a big mistake which often leads to substantially lower settlements for their clients.Truck accidents are very different from normal car accidents, and they have their own uniques set of laws and complex regulations that must be followed in the case.
Your truck accident lawyer needs to be very familiar with all of the trucking rules and regulations, as well as the defense tactics used by trucking companies. A Georgia truck accident attorney who specializes in trucking accidents will be in the best position to help people who have been injured in commercial truck accidents. Truck crashes are becoming more and more common every day in Georgia because of the heavy traffic and large number of trucks on the roads.
Special Laws that Apply Only To Georgia Truck Accidents
The main reason it is important for a victim of a truck accident to contact an experienced trucking lawyer immediately is that there are a lot of specific federal and state laws that apply to truck crash cases but do not apply to normal car accidents or truck collisions with passenger cars.
Federal Regulations
The federal law that applies to trucking cases is called the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FCMSA) regulations. These regulations control all trucks engaged in interstate motor carrier business. There are also Georgia state specific laws and regulations that a Georgia truck accident attorney will have to follow in a truck accident case.
Another area in which truck and car accidents are different relates to notice requirements. There are certain notice requirements that have to be met or you can lose your claim. Most lawyers who are not experienced with Georgia car accident and Georgia truck accidents simply may not know these notice requirements. This is why we recommend finding an experienced Georgia truck accident lawyer, who knows all of the laws that apply, and handles truck accident cases everyday.
Georgia Truck Accidents Have More Potentially Liable Parties
When it comes to truck accidents, liability or “fault” for the accident can depend on actions beyond those of just the truck driver.
Other potentially liable parties include the trucking company, the freight shipper, the freight broker, truck manufacturers, distributors, suppliers, or truck retailers supplying faulty parts.
Unfortunately, inexperienced attorneys often do not consider these additional parties. This is very unfortunate, because these additional “at-fault” parties can often be additional sources of compensation for truck accident victims. When a person is injured in a truck accident, the injuries can often be catastrophic or even death. So, the failure of inexperienced lawyers can mean that the potential victim does not recover near the amount of compensation that he should. Therefore, if you have been injured in a truck accident in Georgia, we highly recommend finding an attorney that specializes in truck accidents to represent you.
Personal Injury Sustained in Truck Accidents Are Often More Severe
We all know how big trucks are.
Even the smallest car and commercial trucks weigh up to 10,000 pounds. Thus, any collision with a large truck or car is much more likely to lead to a serious personal injury or wrongful death than a normal car crash. The reason for this is simple: trucks have more mass and such vehicles are more dangerous on the road than registered vehicles.
It is estimated that 1 in every 6 accident fatalities in Georgia involves injuries from a truck, which requires an attorney to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the truck accidents are different responsible parties in injury crashes. Because large, tractor-trailer trucks can carry so much weight, they carry a lot more momentum when driving. The legal limit for an eighteen-wheeler is 80,000 pounds. Whereas, the average car weighs around 5,000 pounds. This means that large trucks have a much higher probability of being involved in multi-vehicle (or “pile -up”) crashes and the injuries in those crashes are much more severe. Also, many trucking companies illegally exceed the legal weight limits and cause even more dangerous conditions on the road.
When it comes to weight and other safety factors, trucking companies are required by law to maintain records of the equipment and truck drivers’ hours. This is very important to us because poorly maintained equipment and tired drivers are leading causes of truck accidents.
All of these records and logs should be thoroughly inspected by an experienced truck accident lawyer because they can provide proof that the driver or trucking company was acting negligently. However, many attorneys fail to inspect these valuable pieces of evidence either because they do not know they need to or because the records are destroyed.
At Georgia Auto Law, our truck accident attorneys send special letters to trucking companies immediately after the accident that prevents the trucking company from destroying valuable evidence. This allows us to have access to these important records later on, and our team carefully reviews this evidence.
Georgia Auto Law is a Leading Truck Accident Lawfirm in Georgia
In today’s highly specialized legal world, it is necessary to find a lawyer that specializes in the type of case you have. There are many different types of cases, and each can take an entire career to master. The attorney who may provide the best service for a slip and fall at a department store is different than the attorney who will be best for a dog bite case.
This is exactly why a truck accident lawyer from Georgia Auto Law specializes solely in truck accidents. Our truck accident attorneys will exhaust all possible means of recovery for a truck accident claim and claims against other vehicles in fatal truck and car crashes both, and we know the details of federal and state laws applicable to truck accidents. This greatly increases the likelihood of proper compensation for a truck accident victim.
FAQs
Q1: How does a truck accident differ from a car accident?
A1: Truck accidents differ from car accidents in many aspects. They are often more severe injuries due to the large size and weight of trucks. Special federal and state laws apply to truck accidents that don’t apply to car accidents. Also, in truck accidents, parties beyond the truck, vehicle and driver, like the trucking company, freight shipper, other vehicle manufacturers, suppliers, can be held liable.
Q2: Why is it important to hire a lawyer with trucking litigation experience?
A2: Hiring a lawyer with trucking litigation experience is crucial as they’re familiar with the unique set of laws and complex regulations related to truck accidents. They understand the defense tactics used by trucking companies in accident claims, and can identify all potential parties liable for the same accident claims, leading to higher settlements for multiple parties.
Q3: What are some unique laws that apply to truck accidents in Georgia?
A3: In Georgia, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FCMSA) regulations apply to trucking cases. There are also state-specific laws, and certain notice requirements that must be met, which lawyers inexperienced in truck accidents may not be aware of.
Q4: What factors contribute to the severity of truck accidents?
A4: Factors contributing to the severity of truck accidents include the large size and weight of trucks, leading to more catastrophic injuries or fatalities. Additionally, trucks have a higher probability of being the vehicle involved in a crash than passenger vehicles in multi-vehicle crashes. Poorly maintained equipment and driver fatigue are also leading causes of truck accidents.
Q5: How does Georgia Auto Law handle truck accident cases?
A5: Georgia Auto Law specializes exclusively in truck and auto accident cases. They understand federal and state laws applicable to truck accidents, maintain records of the truck and driver’s logs, and send special letters to trucking companies preventing them from destroying evidence in truck accident case. They dedicate their resources to winning the most compensation for their clients.