Snellville Truck Accident Attorneys
If you have been hurt in a truck accident, you may have legal options to recover damages for your medical expenses, lost income, and other losses. Unfortunately, obtaining the compensation that is rightfully yours after a truck accident is not easy without an experienced truck accident lawyer in your corner. You will have to go up against the big trucking companies and the insurance companies that represent them. This is always challenging, particularly when you are trying to recover from the serious injuries that truck accidents cause. Our Snellville truck accident lawyer from our personal injury law firm can negotiate with these entities so you obtain the full and fair settlement you deserve.
What Causes Truck Accidents in Snellville?
There are many common causes of truck accidents in Snellville. Some of the most common of these are as follows:
- Fatigued driving: Truck drivers are on the roads for long periods of time. This can result in fatigued driving, which many studies have shown to be just as dangerous as impaired driving. While the federal hours of service rule has been implemented to prevent fatigued driving, not all truck drivers comply with it and this can lead to very serious accidents.
- Speeding: Even when traveling at the posted speed limit, transport-trucks take much longer to slow down and come to a full stop. When a truck driver speeds, it takes even longer and a trucker may not have enough time to slow down or stop before they crash into another vehicle.
- Impaired driving: Unfortunately, many truck drivers believe that using drugs or alcohol will help them stay awake behind the wheel. This is not true. Impaired driving is always dangerous but when an impaired driver is operating a vehicle that can weigh up to 80,000 pounds, it is even more dangerous.
- Distracted driving: Truck drivers have many distractions while they are on the road. They often eat and drink while they are driving, they have to operate many systems in the truck, and they may also use a cell phone or CB radio to communicate with other truckers. All of these distractions take a driver’s focus away from the road in front of them, which can result in a crash.
- Improper loading: Trucks are very important to the economy, as they carry the products consumers use every day. However, if that cargo is not loaded onto the truck properly, it can shift during transit and throw the entire truck off balance. This makes it difficult for the trucker to control the truck and can result in a crash.
The above are just a few of the most common causes of truck accidents. Improper road design, defective parts, and other dangerous factors also contribute to truck accidents. Our Snellville truck accident lawyer can determine what caused your crash so you obtain the fair settlement you deserve.
Determining Liability After a Truck Accident in Snellville, GA
Liability is a legal term for fault, and it is not easy to determine after a truck accident. Unlike car accidents, after which the liable party is usually at the scene, this is not always true after a truck accident. There are many potentially liable parties after a truck accident.
Of course, truck drivers can be at fault for a crash if they act negligently. Speeding, impaired driving, and distracted driving are just a few common ways truck drivers act negligently and cause serious accidents. In these cases, truck drivers can be held liable. When truck drivers act negligently and cause a crash, the trucking company they work for may also be liable if the driver is classified as an employee.
Trucking companies can be held vicariously liable for the negligent actions of their employees. Trucking companies are also at fault when they engage in negligent hiring or training practices that allow inexperienced and incompetent drivers behind the wheel.
Manufacturers of trucks and truck parts can also be held liable if the parts they manufacture are defective. Manufacturers have a legal obligation to ensure the products they create are free of defects and flaws. When they fail to fulfill this legal obligation, they can also be held liable.
Lastly, government entities can also be held liable for a truck accident in some cases. If a defective road design, improperly maintained road, or improper traffic signs and signals caused an accident, the government entity responsible for that roadway can be held liable.
It is never easy to determine who is liable after a truck accident. For example, while truck collision victims are suffering from serious injuries, you may not be able to tell that the truck driver was not properly trained. Our Snellville truck accident attorney will conduct a full investigation to determine how your crash occurred and who is at fault.
Compensation for Truck Accident Victims is Available After a Truck Accident in Snellville, GA
Truck accident claims are intended to compensate you for all of the losses you sustained during a crash. Due to this, there are many common types of compensation available after an accident for these types of personal injury claims. These include:
- Current and future medical expenses for surgeries, hospitalizations, medications, emergency room visits, and more
- Lost income and lost wages, if you cannot return to work for some time after the crash
- Loss of earning capacity if you cannot return to the same line of work and must accept a lower-paying job
- Pain and suffering, which includes the physical pain you will experience as well as the mental anguish
- Loss of companionship, if you cannot maintain the same type of relationship with your spouse, children, and loved ones after the crash
- Loss of enjoyment of life, if you cannot participate in the activities you loved before the accident due to your injuries
- Permanent disfigurement or disability, such as scarring, traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, and more.
- Property damage for the cost of repairing or replacing your vehicle and personal items
Our Truck Accident Lawyer in Snellville Can Help You Claim Full Damages from Your Truck Accident Injuries
Obtaining the full damages you deserve after a truck accident is never easy. At Ponton Law, our Snellville truck accident lawyer will review the facts of your case, determine who is liable, and hold them accountable for paying the full and maximum compensation you are entitled to. Call our Snellville truck accident lawyers today at 404-418-8507 or fill out our online form to schedule a consultation and to learn more about how we can help after your truck accident occurs.