Locust Grove
Truck Accident Lawyer

Whether driving through, to, or away from the Locust Grove area, you are likely to encounter trucks on the roads or in parking lots. While any motor vehicle accident is damaging, accidents involving trucks are usually more serious. After experiencing a truck-involved accident, be sure to get the financial compensation you need and deserve. 

Contact a Locust Grove truck accident lawyer from John Foy & Associates to handle your case and negotiate a substantial settlement.

There Are More Trucks on the Roads

For the most recent full year of data collection, reports show trucks moved 10.93 billion tons of freight, an amount equaling 72.2% of total tonnage shipped domestically. For the same year, data shows 3.49 million employed truck drivers, a number representing a 3.7% increase in drivers over a single year. 

Unfortunately, as the number of trucks on the roads increases, so do opportunities for truck-involved accidents.

Factors Contributing to Truck Accidents in Locust Grove

The rise of e-commerce and demand for fast shipping is one factor contributing to truck accidents. 

Drowsy Driving

Though the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has strict regulations for the number of hours drivers can operate consecutively and mandates 10-hour breaks between shifts, some companies “encourage” their operators to drive longer shifts illegally to fulfill consumer demands.

Driving while drowsy is just as bad, if not worse, than driving while drunk. Fatigue reduces reaction time, making drivers less aware of hazards and unable to pay attention to their driving environments. Drivers increase the chances of being in accidents by three times when driving drowsy. 

Overloaded Trailers

With more product to deliver and less time to deliver it, retail and shipping companies may again “encourage” drivers to overload their trailers illegally. Too-heavy trucks are harder to control, especially at high speeds, and can cause tire blowouts or other mechanical problems leading to accidents.

Unsecured Loads

The FMCSA has specific regulations for securing truckloads. These regulations specify what types of tie-downs should be used for different types of loads, how many tie-downs are needed, and how cargo should be placed and distributed on the trailer.

Your Locust Grove truck accident attorney knows the regulations truckers and trucking companies must adhere to. If your accident occurred because of a driver or truck company’s failure to comply, your lawyer will hold the at-fault party accountable for the damage their illegal practices have caused. 

Parties Responsible for Truck Accidents

Determining fault in a motor vehicle accident can be tricky, even when the vehicles involved are privately owned. At-fault parties and their insurance companies do not want to admit fault and pay compensation. With truck accidents, this determination is even more complicated as there may be multiple insurance companies involved and multiple causes for the accident.

Fortunately, your truck accident lawyer in Locust Grove knows how to conduct a thorough investigation to identify the cause of your accident and those responsible for it. 

Driver Error

Sometimes, driver error is the reason for an accident. For example, a driver may:

• Speed
• Fail to obey traffic laws
• Engage in reckless driving actions
• Operate the vehicle while fatigued or under the influence

Inexperience can also lead to driver errors. As retail and shipping companies seek employees to meet customer demands, some drivers are put on the road without undergoing the full training experience.

Inadequate Truck Maintenance

The FMCSA has standards for motor carrier maintenance, establishing how and when drivers need to inspect their vehicles, how often trucks must undergo more formal inspection, and how these inspections and maintenance criteria need to be documented.

If a mechanical failure that could have been identified with proper inspection caused your accident, those responsible for those failed or inadequate inspections may hold legal fault for the incident.

Vehicle Part Failure

Semi-trucks have cabs where the drivers sit, trailers, and cargo held in place with restraints. These parts, among the many others in the truck, need to be in working order. Defective or improperly installed parts are other causes of truck accidents.

Damage Caused by Locust Grove Truck Accidents

“Minor” truck accident damage is rare. Even a tap from a truck moving at low speeds through a parking lot can cause serious damage to your car or to you if you are in it at the moment of impact. Accidents at higher speeds are even more devastating, typically causing severe or catastrophic injuries and fatalities. 

Survivors of truck accidents often experience

• Debilitating spinal cord injuries
• Head and brain trauma
• Amputations and disfigurements
• Burns caused by ruptured fuel tanks
• Broken bones and lacerations
• Damage to internal organs

Because of the size imbalance, smaller vehicles hit by trucks traveling at moderate or high rates of speed are often destroyed. 

You Need Substantial Compensation Following a Truck Accident

Sustaining extensive injuries and property damage leaves you in physical and emotional pain, and financial distress. Your capacity to work will likely be reduced if you can return to work at all, and your medical care will be lengthy and expensive. Your emotional pain and suffering, and reduced quality of life bring additional losses.

You deserve and need significant financial compensation to recover your losses and provide future financial stability for you and your household. Your experienced truck accident attorney in Locust Grove will fight for every dollar you deserve. 

Taking an injury claim through the legal process can be intimidating for those without a legal background. It is also easy to make filing or procedural errors that can cost you some or all of a settlement. You can trust your expert Locust Grove truck accident lawyer to attend to every detail of your case, bringing the best possible outcome.

The Strong Arm of Georgia Gets Results

The damage you suffer from a truck accident demands significant compensation. With a Locust Grove truck accident lawyer from John Foy & Associates fighting for you, you will not risk settling for an amount less than you deserve. Visit our contact page and schedule your free consultation today. 

Your lawyer will manage your case with compassion and expertise, allowing you to focus on recovery and experience financial relief.