Truck accidents can cause devasting injuries but are unfortunately not uncommon in Macon. Recovering compensation for your injuries after a truck accident is often more challenging than a common car accident.
Fortunately, an experienced Macon truck accident lawyer can help determine your rights moving forward. Figuring out who to sue for your truck accident injuries is a complex process that requires investigating the type of truck that injured you and the driver’s relationship to their employer. In many cases, a trucking company can be held liable for its employee’s negligence. However, it is possible that other parties could share the blame that can be named in your lawsuit.
If you suffered injuries in a truck accident caused by a negligent driver, our Macon truck accident lawyers can help you get compensation from the parties responsible. Call Howe Law at (844) 876-4357 for a free case evaluation.
Common Types of Trucks Involved in Macon Truck Accidents
Macon sits at the heart of Georgia, with countless trucks traveling on Interstate 75 and 16, which cut directly through the city. There are numerous types of trucks in operation today, fulfilling various services. The legal strategies used for your case will largely depend on the type of truck that injured you. The following are the most common types of trucks that cause injuries in Macon:
- Tractor-trailers, also known as 18-wheelers
- Flatbed trucks
- Garbage trucks
- Tow trucks
- Mail delivery trucks
- Amazon Trucks
- Rental moving trucks
- Cargo trucks
- Oil tanker trucks
- Refrigerator trucks
- Dump trucks
- Concrete mixers
- Fire engines
Several parties could be responsible for your injuries, depending on the type of truck involved in your accident. Our Macon truck accident lawyers can help you determine the best path to compensation no matter what kind of truck injured you.
Who to Sue for a Truck Accident in Macon
Truck accident cases tend to be complex because of the number of parties potentially implicated in causing your injuries. While the truck driver will almost always be a party to a truck accident lawsuit, their employers and other parties could also be named defendants.
Truck Driver
Truck drivers have a duty of care to other people using the roads in Macon. This includes observing all traffic laws and state and federal trucking regulations. If a truck driver acts negligently and breaches this duty, they can be held liable for the injuries that result.
In many cases, a trucker’s negligence can be shown if they received a citation from the police for violating a traffic law. However, further investigation will be necessary if the driver is not ticketed. Suppose a truck driver violated a trucking regulation sometime before your accident, like failing to inspect the truck before taking it out or driving for too long. In that case, records can be obtained to show how the violation led to your accident.
Trucking Company
Many scenarios exist in which a truck driver’s employer can be liable for their employee’s negligence. Trucking companies are vicariously liable for certain acts of their employees under the legal theory of respondeat superior. If a truck driver caused an accident while performing their normal duties, the trucking company would also be liable for the damages they caused under this doctrine.
If the accident was not caused by a trucker carrying out their normal job functions, a trucking company could have been responsible in other ways. For instance, a trucking company can be sued for negligent hiring if they did not do a background check on the driver, which would have shown a history of dangerous driving. If the trucking company knew or should have known their driver was a safety risk, they can be sued.
Trucking companies can also be liable for negligence if they violate the strict federal regulations governing how companies must operate. For instance, accidents can happen if trucks exceed their weight limits or the company pushes employees to drive for hours exceeding the limit provided by law. Our Macon truck accident lawyers can review your case to determine how the trucking company contributed to causing your injuries.
Other At-Fault Parties
In some cases, other parties could share the blame for causing your accident. For instance, many cars might be involved in an accident with a truck, and each one might share some responsibility for bringing the accident about.
Some truck accidents result from faulty truck parts or systems, like malfunctioning airbrakes or defective tires. When this happens, the designers and manufacturers of the defective part can be sued for negligence. Cases involving multiple parties and manufacturers can be extremely complex, but our Macon truck accident lawyers are ready to fight for the compensation you are entitled to.
Time Limit to File a Macon Truck Accident Lawsuit
Like every state, Georgia has a time limit to file a lawsuit to recover damages for injuries, known as the statute of limitations. According to O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33, truck accident victims typically have two years to file a lawsuit in Macon. The clock starts on the date that your injuries were caused. In most cases, this will be the day your truck accident occurred.
The deadline is very strict, however. If a lawsuit is not filed within the two-year period, the court will usually not hear the case, and you will be barred from recovering compensation. There are few exceptions to this rule, so starting your truck accident lawsuit as quickly as possible is best.
However, if your spouse is bringing a separate claim for loss of consortium, they will have four years to bring a lawsuit for damages. Loss of consortium is a legal claim for damages that a spouse suffers because of their loved one’s injuries and their impact on their relationship. Our Macon truck accident lawyers can review your case to determine the important dates that must be met so that you do not miss out on the compensation you deserve.
Our Macon Truck Accident Lawyers Can Help
If you were injured in a truck accident, seek assistance from our experienced Macon truck accident lawyers today. For a free case review, contact Howe Law at (844) 876-4357.
