Truck accidents cause some of the most horrendous injuries drivers can suffer. Victims facing a difficult road to recovery might also feel overwhelmed by how they will cover the cost of their damages.
Fortunately, a Georgia truck accident attorney can help you determine what options are available in your case. There are numerous types of trucks operating on Georgia’s roads today, and there is no shortage of ways that drivers can cause accidents. Depending on a case’s circumstances, multiple parties could be liable for your injuries. There will also likely be significantly more evidence that can be obtained to help prove your truck accident injury claims.
If you were hurt in a truck accident, our experienced Georgia truck accident attorneys can help you hold the parties responsible for your injuries accountable. For a free evaluation of your case, call Howe Law at (844) 876-4357.
Common Causes of Truck Accidents in Georgia
There are, unfortunately, many ways truck accidents can occur. Even a minor truck accident can cause serious injuries. The following are some common causes of truck accidents in Georgia:
- Driver fatigue
- Driver error
- Distracted driving
- Speeding
- Tailgating
- Hours-of-service regulation violations
- Inexperienced truck drivers
- Improperly loaded cargo
- Inappropriate use of tie-downs
- Poor vehicle maintenance
- Reckless driving
- Driving in a truck’s blind spots
- DUI
- Defective truck parts
- Defective cargo securement equipment
Our Georgia truck accident attorneys can help you recover the compensation you deserve no matter how your truck accident was caused.
Who is Liable for Causing a Truck Accident in Georgia
Several parties could be liable for causing a truck accident in Georgia. The truck driver will most likely be the party responsible for causing an accident. Truck drivers must inspect and maintain the safety equipment in their vehicles and ensure the truck is safe to operate on the road. However, another driver could have caused the truck accident in which you were injured. In many truck accident cases involving another driver, the trucker and the other driver contributed to causing an accident. They also have a duty to drive reasonably safely while obeying traffic laws.
A truck driver’s employer can also be held liable for the negligence of their drivers in many cases. Under the legal theory of vicarious liability, trucking companies can be held responsible for their employee’s negligence if they caused an accident while performing their typical job functions.
In rare cases, a designer or manufacturer of a truck part or system might be responsible for a truck accident. Suppose a truck part is defective in its design or manufactured in some way that causes an accident. In that case, those responsible for its production can be held liable for the injuries caused by its failure. Our Georgia truck accident attorneys can help you determine who is at fault for your accident and if others share the blame.
Types of Commercial Trucks Involved in Georgia Truck Accidents
With the great number of products and services available today, it is no surprise that a wide variety of commercial trucks can cause accidents. Commercial trucks vary in size a great deal, but even a small truck can cause serious injuries. The following are some common types of trucks that cause accidents in Georgia:
- Tractor-trailers, also known as 18-wheelers
- Garbage trucks
- Tow trucks
- Dump trucks
- Amazon Trucks
- Rental moving trucks
- Cargo trucks
- Refrigerator trucks
- Flatbed trucks
- Oil tanker trucks
- Concrete mixers
- Amazon Trucks
- Rental moving trucks
- Mail delivery trucks
- Fire engines
Each truck accident case requires legal strategies suited for the type of truck involved. Our Georgia truck accident attorneys can help recover compensation no matter what kind of truck caused your injuries.
Evidence that Can Be Obtained in a Georgia Truck Accident Lawsuit
Truck accidents are more complex than typical car accidents, requiring additional investigations to recover evidence particular to truck accident cases. Today’s commercial trucks are equipped with several systems that could provide important information regarding events just before an accident and what followed.
Truck Driver Logs
Truck drivers are required to keep detailed logbooks that accurately track a variety of important information Driver logs should include the times a driver travels, rest breaks, meals, cargo information, and much more. If a driver failed to take a mandatory break, overloaded the trailer, or violated other federal regulations, evidence of their negligence might be contained in their logbooks.
GPS Tracking Systems
Most trucks are equipped with GPS devices to track the movement of the goods they are carrying and provide current shipping information. GPS records can also help indicate the events leading up to and during an accident. Besides location, most GPS systems also record the speed at which a truck travels during its trip. This can provide vital evidence to show that a truck driver was speeding when the accident occurred.
Inspection and Maintenance Records
Federal and state regulations require truck drivers and trucking companies to regularly inspect and maintain their trucks while keeping detailed records of every inspection and repair work done on a particular truck. If proper records are not kept, inspections could be left undone, leading to devasting accidents later. The absence of inspections and maintenance records can also indicate that a driver or trucking company failed to perform its duties.
Event Data Recorder Logs
Most modern trucks have a vast array of sensors that monitors the truck. These electronic data recorders are popularly known as black boxes. Throughout a truck’s trip, the event data recorder collects critical information, including engine and brake systems. A black box’s records can be essential evidence of an accident as they can provide information regarding a truck’s speed at the time of an accident, the driver’s steering decisions, when the brakes were applied, and other key information.
Truck Cameras
In many truck accident cases, camera footage from a truck’s camera systems will have captured certain aspects of the event. Camera footage can seriously impact a truck accident case as it could clearly show how the truck driver’s negligence caused the accident. For instance, truck cameras would show if an accident occurred because the truck driver was tailgating the other car and could not stop in time. Our Georgia truck accident attorneys can help you collect the many forms of evidence you will need to recover compensation for your injuries.
Our Georgia Truck Accident Attorneys Can Help
If you have been injured in a truck accident, our Georgia truck accident attorneys are ready to provide you with a free case review today. Contact Howe Law at (844) 876-4357.
