Articles Posted in Trucking Accidents

A semi-truck crash can create catastrophic injuries and death. The complexity of these cases frequently can lead to life-altering injuries for the individuals involved.

If you have been involved in a semi-truck accident, there are key legal concepts to be aware of. The legal issues are complex, and only the most experienced lawyers are equipped to handle a semi-truck claim. To fully understand the scope of issues, you may want to talk to a Marietta Personal Injury lawyer to evaluate your legal rights. 

Georgia Traffic Fatalities are Increasing 

Trucks are heavy and big. The greater weight and size of a truck can create greater damage in an accident. Typically, trucking companies carry large insurance policies that can cover damages. 

Trucking Accidents Can Be Dangerous and Deadly

A report from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) confirmed that in 2017, nearly 450,000 truck collisions were reported. Of these accidents, 23% resulted in injuries, and almost 1% resulted in death or multiple deaths. 

According to statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, traffic crashes are an ongoing public safety issue in Cobb County. Accidents involving cars, trucks, motorcycles, bicycles, and pedestrians are frequent and all too common occurrences.

If you have been involved in a truck accident, talking with an experienced Marietta personal injury lawyer may help in evaluating the legal options.

Understanding The Impact of Large Truck Crashes in Cobb County

Personal injury attorneys have experience representing clients injured due to negligent operators of commercial trucks. While it may seem just like a car accident, accidents with semi-trucks, tractor-trailers, and big rigs involve more force and can result in serious injuries. 

Talking with a personal injury lawyer in Marietta may help to ease your mind and evaluate your options.

Truck Accidents Increasingly Common in Marietta

What are the first steps to take if you or someone you love is involved in a trucking accident in Georgia?

Immediately after an accident, call 9-1-1. 

If you are a truck driver, contact your trucking company, call an attorney, contact the police at the scene, and get medical attention. 

Almost every consumer product, from a thumb tack to a party van, spent some time on a large truck. So, a fully-loaded large truck weighs over 80,000 pounds. As a result, the force in a semi-truck collision is so immense that no safety restraint system, however sophisticated, could possibly absorb it. Catastrophic burns are often the worst injuries in these collisions. Diesel fuel burns at a different temperature from ordinary gasoline, making the resulting burns extensive, painful, and difficult to treat.

These injury claims are complex, not just because the injuries are so severe. Generally, an out-of-state shipping or transportation company owned the truck involved in the crash. These companies often immediately hire high-priced lawyers to defend them in court. Because of these complexities, only the most experienced Marietta personal injury lawyer should handle such claims. Inexperienced lawyers have little or no chance of obtaining maximum compensation in these cases.

Basic Building Blocks

Truck crash claims in Georgia are almost overwhelmingly complex. The respondeat superior rule is a good example. The shipping or transportation firm that owned the cargo or employed the driver, usually an out-of-state holding company, is often financially responsible for truck crash damages. When a problem seems complex, it’s best to break things down into small steps.

These small steps begin almost immediately after the wreck. If victims say and do the right things at this critical time, it’s much easier for a Marietta personal injury lawyer to obtain maximum compensation later. This compensation usually includes money for economic losses, such as medical bills, and noneconomic losses, such as pain and suffering.

Wait for Emergency Responders

The number of large truck crashes is on the rise, in part because of the number of inexperienced drivers who are behind the wheel. According to the American Truck Driver Association, the current 80,000-driver shortage could reach 160,000 by 2029. These large vehicles are difficult for even experienced operators to handle. An inexperienced driver could cause a high-speed crash that leaves little but charred wreckage behind. 

The lack of eyewitness and physical evidence could be a problem when such cases go to court. But an experienced Marietta personal injury attorney knows how to overcome such problems and turn lost opportunities into new opportunities. Frequently, electronic evidence survives even the worst and most destructive wrecks. Furthermore, most tech-savvy Cobb County jurors embrace electronic evidence and give it even more weight than some other kinds of proof.

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