Trucking Accident Lawyer in Atlanta
Injured by an 18-Wheeler? Contact Our Trucking Accident Lawyer in Atlanta for Help
Motor vehicle accidents involving large commercial vehicles such as 18-wheelers, big rigs, tractor trailers, and other types of box trucks are often some of the most serious and fatal types of accidents. According to statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), each year in the United States there are almost 5,800 people killed and roughly 155,000 people injured in traffic accidents involving large trucks. Unfortunately, these injuries and wrongful deaths are trending in the wrong direction, as these figures have increased by almost 20% from the year before and almost 50% over the last decade. Not only do large truck accidents cause serious personal injuries to an innocent person, but our trucking accident lawyer in Atlanta knows that they can also affect the entire family by creating significant financial burdens.
That’s why victims and their families need to call a dedicated personal injury law firm like Prieto Injury Law, PC. Our compassionate and experienced trucking accident lawyer in Atlanta can help victims and their families understand what their legal rights to compensation may be under Georgia law. Whether you were injured in a high-speed collision, rear end crash, or a parking lot accident, any type of 18-wheeler crash can result in serious personal injuries or wrongful death. Learn about your rights after a truck wreck by calling our bodily injury law firm to schedule your FREE consultation and case evaluation with our legal team.
Why Trucking Accidents Are Different Than Other Car Accidents
Every type of motor vehicle accident could cause serious personal injuries or wrongful death. However, trucking accidents in Georgia are more likely to result in wrongful death than other vehicles. For instance, even though large trucks account for only 5% of all registered vehicles in the US, they account for 9% of all fatal crashes throughout the country and over 13.5% of fatal crashes in Georgia. Part of the reason for this is their heavy weight, which generates considerable momentum even at low speeds. This translates into more force upon an impact, meaning a higher likelihood for personal injury to an occupant of whatever that truck has just hit.
As a result of this, trucking accidents also cause more serious personal injuries. Although all types of motor vehicle accidents can cause serious harm, truck accidents are more likely to result in personal injuries such as broken bones, brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, and other types of catastrophic of permanent harm. This often means more complicated cases that require a more experienced truck accident lawyer in Atlanta.
Common Trucking Accident Injuries We Handle
There are many different types of serious or catastrophic trucking accident injuries that may be caused by a negligent truck driver in Georgia. All types of personal injuries are serious, but those which are life-changing, catastrophic, disabling, permanent, or fatal are always the worst types. Some of the most common types of serious or fatal trucking accidents that we handle include the following:
- Brain Injuries – also known as traumatic brain injuries or TBIs, any type of injury to the brain is a very serious and catastrophic one, including concussions, coup-contrecoup, diffuse axonal, penetrating, brain bleeds, hematomas, and other damages to the brain
- Head Injuries – any injury to the head can be disabling and disfiguring, including to the brain, eyes, face, cranial nerves, and other structures on the face or head
- Spinal Cord Injuries – also known as SCIs, this type of injury can result in paralysis such as paraplegia, quadriplegia, or monoplegia when one large set of nerves is damaged in an accident
- Broken Bones or Fractures – as one of the most common injury, broken bones can result in extreme pain, permanent disability, and result in surgery installing painful hardware
- Shoulder Injuries – including SLAP tears, tendon tears, crushing injuries, separations, rotator cuff injuries, impingement, dislocations, biceps tears, A/C joint damage, and other injuries
- Neck Injuries and Back Injuries – damage to the spine including disc injuries, herniations, slipped discs, compression fractures, tissue damage, and other damage
- Nerve Injuries – including to the cranial nerves, brachial plexus nerves, or any other nerve structures in the body which could be injured in an accident
- Knee Injuries – including damage to the meniscus, patella, or ligaments (LCL, PCL, MCL, or ACL)
- Emotional Damage – injuries such as anxiety, depression, PTSD, post-concussive syndrome, and other injuries that affect one’s state of being or mental health
- Burn Injuries – including from fire (thermal) or chemical
- Significant Disfigurement
- Internal Injuries and Organ Damage
- Joint Replacements
- Amputations or loss of a limb
- Crushing or Compression Injuries
- Blindness
- Wrongful Death, and
- Any other types of serious personal injuries from a trucking accident in Georgia that our trucking accident lawyer in Atlanta could handle for you and your family.
Common Causes of Truck Accidents in Georgia
Unfortunately, there are many common causes of 18-wheeler wrecks in Georgia. Part of this is because Georgia is an important state on trucking routes traveling north-to-south, with interstates such as I-75, I-95, and I-85 going through our state. There’s also I-20 and I-16 which help connect to these major interstates laterally, creating several large interstate exchanges in major areas of our state. As a result, there is a lot of large trucking traffic going throughout Georgia, which often increases our risks of serious trucking accidents.
Some of the most common causes of these trucking accidents include the following:
- Fatigued driving or falling asleep at the wheel
- Drugged driving (including illegal drug use such as speed, cocaine, or other stimulants)
- Drunk driving
- Driving to meet unrealistic driving schedules set by carriers
- Distracted driving (especially cell phone use)
- Equipment and mechanical failures such as tire blowouts or steering column failures
- Traffic violations (red light, yield, speeding, etc.)
- Improperly secured cargo or improperly loaded cargo
- Failing to inspect cargo or negligently inspecting cargo
- Using a cell phone while driving
- Prescription drug use when it is not safe
- Driver with no CDL or proper license
- Failure to use flashers or safety devices when the truck is stopped or disabled
- Eating or drinking while driving
- Using the wrong straps or securement devices in a truck
- Aggressive driving or road rage
- Inexperienced drivers or untrained drivers, and
- Many other common causes of truck accidents in Georgia that were caused by the negligence, reckless, and careless conduct of a defendant that our trucking accident lawyer in Atlanta could handle for you.
Understanding Special Rules For Truck Drivers and Trucking Companies
What makes semi-tractor trailer accident cases more complicated is the fact that truck drivers and trucking companies are also governed by special regulations. These regulations are promulgated by an agency known as the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). Unlike specific state laws which only apply in that state, the FMCSA regulations apply to all truck drivers and trucking companies in the United States no matter what state they are in, going to, coming from, or otherwise associated with.
These FMCSA rules set the minimum requirements that all truck drivers most comply with, while state laws can create stronger requirements too. Most of the FMCSA regulations pertain to safety, which means that they are largely intended to prevent serious harm to individuals on the roads while also setting up an orderly process of driving trucks. Some of the most important and commonly violated FMCSA regulations that could result in a trucking accident in Georgia include the following:
- Hours of Service Rules – this is one of the most important rules which is meant to protect everyone on the roads. Also known as HOS, Hours of Service rules are aimed to prevent truck driver fatigue by establishing minimum rest and maximum driving time for truckers. This includes mandatory breaks after a certain amount of time driving and a maximum amount of driving time in a 7- or 8-day period. Unfortunately, many trucking accidents are still caused by trucker fatigue and HOS violations – where some truckers will even lie about their hours to keep driving, despite the safety risks.
- Alcohol Use – unexpectedly, alcohol use is a problem with truck drivers who are supposed to be working in a field that is alcohol-free for obvious reasons. The FMCSA regulations have created some of the strongest prohibitions against alcohol use while operating a commercial vehicle, prohibiting a driver from even having a BAC over 0.0. In addition, the FMCSA regulations actually prohibit a driver from having alcohol within 4 hours of starting a shift, making it much stronger than other DWI/DUI laws in Georgia and anywhere else in the United States.
- Cell Phone Use – although most states have created prohibitions for cell phone use while driving a vehicle, the FMCSA was one of the leaders of this movement and prohibited all cell phone use for truck drivers unless it was an emergency situation. Even though, the FMCSA guidance recommends truckers use hand-held radios to call a station/operator for help first, or to pull-off of the road to use the cell phone. Therefore, it is a violation of FMCSA regulations to use a cell phone to text, watch a video, make a call, read email, check a map, or engage in any other functions while operating a commercial vehicle.
- Drug Use – another surprise, but truckers have historically and still use certain drugs while operating a large commercial vehicle. Unfortunately, one of the most common drugs are stimulants, with cocaine being one of the most common drugs used by truckers to help stay awake and drive longer hours. This is obviously dangerous, particularly because cocaine can inhibit reaction time and judgment, while also affecting a user’s perception. In addition, truck drivers have increasingly been found to use marijuana during rest breaks to help sleep, a drug which has the opposite effect as cocaine, which can have after-effects and impaired judgment for drivers. All of these drugs and any other drugs that could impair a driver are prohibited by the FMCSA regulations.
- Hazardous Weather Conditions – the FMCSA regulations require a truck driver to slow down during hazardous and inclement weather, even if below the speed limit. Where the weather conditions are particularly strong, a driver must slow down and stop until it is safe to resume driving again. Unfortunately, truckers will continue to drive in dangerous weather because time is money for their deliveries. Anytime a truck driver causes a crash in inclement weather, it is likely that this regulation has been violated along with Georgia state law.
- Other FMCSA Regulations – there are many FMCSA regulations that could apply, including following traffic laws, disabled vehicles, securement devices, inspections, and other conduct or equipment requirements. Victims who are injured in any type of crash caused by FMCSA regulations could result in serious personal injuries and should speak with an experienced trucking accident lawyer in Atlanta.
Were You Injured in Any Type of Semi Tractor Trailer Accident in Georgia? Call Our Experienced Trucking Accident Lawyer in Atlanta for Help
Trucking accidents are not like normal motor vehicle accidents. They often require an attorney to know the state law along with the complicated matrix of federal regulations and rules. In addition, because trucking accidents often result in catastrophic and devastating injuries, attorneys must also have a strong knowledge of the medicine to go along with the complexities of the law and regulations. Although many personal injury lawyers will accept a trucking accident case, victims and their families deserve a strong bodily injury law firm and lawyer that handles these types of cases.
That’s why victims and their families should call Prieto Injury Law, PC. Our experienced trucking accident lawyer in Atlanta is dedicated to protecting the rights of families throughout Florida and Georgia, fighting to maximize the potential compensation that a victim and their family may be entitled to under the law. Each case receives personalized attention and care, and is not just another file number. In addition, there are no fees to have a case evaluation, ask questions, and to begin working with our bodily injury law firm. In fact, our legal fees are only paid after we recover compensation for you and your family.
To learn more about your rights after a trucking accident in Florida or Georgia, especially in Peachtree City, Fayetteville, Newnan, the surrounding Atlanta area or anywhere else in either state, call our trucking accident lawyer today to schedule a FREE consultation by dialing 678-961-0253 or using our contact us box here.
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