Collisions between commercial trucks and passenger vehicles are tragic but all-too-frequent sights on Georgia's roads. Even with the best intentions, a commercial truck driver could contribute to a rear-end collision for many reasons. The process of assigning liability and awarding compensation can be lengthy.
Simple mistakes or inadequate reactions to inclement weather can trigger rear-end accidents with a commercial vehicle. Long-haul commercial truck drivers get tired on the road. Some might rely on stimulants to stay awake and suffer lapses of attention.
New truck drivers might not appreciate that large trucks have longer stopping distances than cars. They could rear-end other vehicles or crash into obstacles, leaving nearby drivers with no way to avoid a collision. Other drivers should not have to pay the price for inexperienced commercial drivers.
Rear-end collisions involving a commercial truck are complex, with drivers and other parties sharing responsibility for the accident. The consequences of a rear-end accident on a highway or busy road can be horrific, involving many vehicles and legal claims from multiple parties. This can make it difficult to determine how best to proceed in seeking legal restitution.
Fortunately, you do not have to enter the fray on your own. If you or a loved one suffer an injury in a commercial truck accident, you need an experienced truck accident attorney on your side.
How Can an Attorney Help You After a Truck Accident?
After a truck accident, you might be in a state of shock and faced with the prospect of medical bills, time off work to recover from severe injuries, and vehicle damage. An attorney can help you take critical actions to protect yourself, your family, and your livelihood in the wake of a rear-end truck collision.
Asking Tough Questions
After rear-ending accidents, especially a complex multi-car pile-up involving a semi-truck or other commercial vehicle, many claimants and parties are involved. Don't let your voice get lost. Count on your attorney to ask the right questions.
Determining the Truth
Before you can seek compensation for injuries, suffering, and loss from an accident, you must know what happened at the crash scene on the accident date. Experienced lawyers will scrutinize the police report for the accident and take detailed statements from witnesses.
The culpable parties in a rear-end traffic accident might not even have been directly involved. Mechanics, supervisors, dispatchers, and company executives make decisions that affect road safety. If someone else risks your life to save time or money, you have the right to know the truth and make a legal claim.
Holding the Driver Accountable
Was it the truck driver's fault? Could the truck driver have acted to avoid rear-ending your vehicle? Was the truck driver negligent at any point during the accident?
If the truck is the striking vehicle in the collision, you deserve to know why that truck driver did not stop in time. If another vehicle collided with the truck to precipitate the collision, was the truck driver driving safely and aware of their surroundings at the time of the accident?
Determining Liability for the Trucking Company
What liability does the trucking company have for the truck accident? Tractor-trailers and other big trucks require regular maintenance to remain safe to drive. The rules for commercial trucks are, in many cases, more stringent than those for passenger vehicles.
If the company chooses to put commercial trucks on the road with faulty truck parts, including faulty brakes, they should be at least partially responsible for the catastrophic injuries that you or your loved ones suffer when one of their commercial trucks crashes into your personal vehicle.
An experienced car accident attorney who understands Georgia's personal injury law and litigation in rear-end collisions can help you access and evaluate motor vehicle safety reports in accidents involving commercial trucks.
If the truck did not have proper safety equipment, the company could be on the hook for its negligent operating practices. Documented evidence of violations in accidents involving commercial trucks can force insurance companies with deep pockets to pay out large settlements.
Does the company have a record of performing all necessary maintenance? Did the truck have working brakes and good tires at the moment the driver lost control or the truck rear-ended another vehicle?
Helping You Recover Compensation from Other Parties
Truck drivers aren't the only responsible parties in rear-end trucking accidents. Perhaps a truck rear-ended a vehicle that swerved into the truck's path suddenly. Perhaps another commercial truck rear-ended them when they tried to stop.
Rear-end truck accidents often become hazards for other drivers on the road. In rear-end accidents with a commercial vehicle, it is crucial not to overlook other motorists who might have liability.
- Did someone swerve to avoid the truck and strike your vehicle?
- Were you involved in a rear-end accident with a motorist who let a commercial truck accident distract them?
- Did a rear-end accident with a commercial truck box you in and force you off the road, resulting in a collision?
- Was your vehicle trapped between multiple vehicles caught in the wake of a rear-end truck accident?
Don't let an insurance company representative or attorney convince you that you have no right to compensation simply because you were not in the car that the truck driver struck directly. Consult with an experienced truck accident attorney of your own to make the case that the rear-end truck accident impacted your life.
The state or federal government could bear responsibility for the crash as well. Unclear, blocked, or malfunctioning traffic signals could have misled the truck driver into traveling too quickly, making a wrong turn, or failing to detect an obstacle until it was too late.
The legal professionals at Georgia Auto Law appreciate that rear-end accidents with a commercial vehicle are all unique. We spend time talking with each of our clients so that we fully understand the specifics of your rear-end collision and its legal implications before developing a legal strategy.
Negotiating with Insurance Companies
Your attorney represents you to the insurance companies covering the truck and other vehicles involved in the truck accident. Unlike an ordinary car accident, you might face a large insurance firm that handles personal injury claims for large shipping companies involved in large truck crashes.
If you choose Georgia Auto Law as your advocate, you can count on an experienced law firm to take a stand for you against insurance providers who have an incentive to pay out as little as possible. We have a track record of standing by our clients, even against the powerful insurance companies.
Making the Case that You Deserve Compensation
In accidents that involve large commercial vehicles, the truck drivers and trucking companies often face multiple personal injury claims simultaneously. You depend on your personal injury attorney to prevent the claims of other accident victims from overshadowing your legitimate need for compensation.
Choosing a Law Firm that Understands Rear-End Truck Accidents
For a law firm to handle rear-end collisions with a commercial vehicle in the state of Georgia, they must be able to understand and articulate your legal rights. They must be:
- Unafraid of taking on large corporations
- Determined to talk to all the witnesses and follow the paper trail
- Knowledgeable about federal laws and Georgia state laws that govern liability in truck accidents
- Compassionate when speaking with the victim or their family in a rear-end accident
What to Do If You Are in a Rear-End Truck Accident
Your first responsibility is to be safe and find help for yourself and your passengers. Once you have done so, take pictures of the accident scene. They can be valuable evidence in future legal proceedings. They might also identify witnesses to the accident who could provide crucial testimony that helps the judge or jury establish fault and award compensation in your case.
Remember that you are not helpless when a truck rear-ends your passenger vehicle. The insurance company or trucking company might seem like they hold all the cards, but you can level the playing field by picking up your phone and calling the professional truck personal injury attorneys at Georgia Auto Law.
Commercial Truck Driver Liability Cases
At Georgia Auto Law, we've been through countless personal injury cases, and we know that rear-end accidents with a commercial vehicle can ruin lives. Call (404) 662-4949 or click the "start your case" button in the upper right corner of our website to begin the legal process. You will have the chance to talk to an empathetic legal professional about your case.
Our legal team will not rest until we've done everything possible to seek a fair settlement. We'll work with you to identify any liable parties and fight on your behalf to hold them to account. With Georgia Auto Law beside you, you'll be able to start the recovery process with confidence.