How Are Truck Accident Cases Different from Car Accident Cases in Georgia?

Although truck accidents and car crashes are common, when a crash involves a truck, there are some big differences. The damages and parties involved can vary across the board, but truck accidents are often much more serious than the average car accident.

Let’s look at the main ways truck accidents are different from car accidents and what this means for your case. You can get more specific information from a truck accident lawyer in Atlanta.

Trucks Are Much Larger than Passenger Vehicles

Georgia Code § 40-9-2 defines an accident as a collision where anyone is injured or killed or where there is $500 or more in property damage. The term “truck accident” can refer to a collision with a semi-truck, tractor-trailer, 18-wheeler, or some other type of commercial truck that results in injuries or vehicle damage.

Commercial trucks are large. When they are fully loaded, they can hold thousands of pounds of weight. That type of load makes them harder to maneuver, including when the truck must slow down and accelerate. Decreased maneuverability can lead to loss of control, which causes serious accidents.

Trucks are also more prone to dangerous situations like rollovers, T-bone collisions, and serious damage, even at low speeds. When a truck accident involves a car or another smaller vehicle, it can be life-changing for the other driver.

More Extensive Damages

Although truck accidents are less common than car accidents, they are much more likely to be deadly or leave victims with catastrophic injuries and expensive property damages. When a passenger vehicle collides with a truck, the damages tend to be more extensive than when it crashes into another passenger car.

Damages experienced by truck accident victims include:

• Expensive medical bills and future medical expenses
• Lost wages and loss of earning potential
• Pain and suffering
• Diminished quality of life
• Expensive property damage

In these situations, the increased amount of damages also means that the case as a whole is more complicated. You are also more likely to need a professional to help predict long-term losses. Your truck accident lawyer can help with all of these complex issues.

Multiple Parties Can Be at Fault

Truck accident cases are complicated because they often involve more parties than a car accident. In fact, it may be difficult to determine who you should include as a defendant without professional legal help. Consult an Atlanta car accident lawyer who represents victims injured by negligent truck drivers.

Potential defendants may involve:

• Truck driver
• Trucking company
• Anyone who owns the truck
• Parties who own the load that was in the vehicle at the time of the accident
• Anyone who does maintenance on the truck

Your Georgia truck accident lawyer will be able to help you determine who should be involved in your case. You want to be sure that you get the right party involved who is legally responsible for your injuries and damages that result from the accident.

Different Safety Standards and Regulations

Since truck drivers are operating their vehicles as employees, their employers (the trucking companies) must follow certain federal regulations and other safety standards. This includes performing background checks on their drivers, regular evaluations, drug testing, and more.

Trucking companies should also carefully control the hours drivers can log per day. Unfortunately, a lot of drivers are also under enormous pressure to meet deadlines, which may encourage them to drive for too long or not be honest about when they are resting.

If the truck accident happens as a result of negligence regarding scheduling or safety standards, the driver or the trucking company may be responsible. An experienced truck attorney will be able to help you navigate these tricky laws.

Multiple Potential Truck Accident Causes

In car accidents, the at-fault party is usually one of the drivers. If one driver was negligent in the accident, the other driver could file a personal injury claim with the at-fault driver’s insurance company for compensation. However, truck accidents are rarely that straightforward.

When it comes to truck accidents, there may be multiple causes for the accident, including:

• The trucking company’s negligence
• Equipment failure
• Poor maintenance
• Cargo that was improperly loaded

A truck accident case requires extensive investigation to determine what caused the accident and which party or parties were responsible. For example, equipment failure could be partially due to poor manufacturing, but the driver might also be partially at fault for not conducting a pre-trip inspection.

Since there can be so many moving parts in a truck accident case compared to a car crash case, you will need to ensure the details are thoroughly investigated and examined. This is why working with a truck accident lawyer is so vital.

Insurance Companies May Be More Aggressive

According to Georgia Code § 33-34-4, every driver in Georgia is required to carry auto insurance. Commercial trucks are often covered under much larger insurance policies than car drivers. In addition, the truck driver, their trucking company, and possibly even the truck itself may be covered.

High insurance coverage means that truck insurance companies will be especially aggressive at defending their claims. They will be looking to protect their money as much as possible, which means trying to reduce what they pay you. This, combined with multiple insurance companies after the accident, can leave any truck accident victim confused and overwhelmed.

Talk to a Georgia Truck Accident Lawyer for Free Today

At John Foy & Associates, we have been helping truck accident victims win the compensation they deserve for over two decades. We are not afraid to do what it takes to protect your rights. Plus, there is no fee unless we win you money.

Call or contact us online today to schedule a FREE consultation with the best truck accident lawyer for your case.