Commercial Truck Accidents

Posted on October 30, 2018

If you’ve sustained injuries in an accident involving a large commercial truck like a semi or a tanker truck, you probably have a lot of questions. Here are four facts that every commercial truck accident victim should know. For specific information about your case, call us today to schedule a free case evaluation with a Georgia personal injury attorney.

If Negligence Caused Your Accident, You May Recover Compensation

Under Georgia law, people who are injured by the negligence of others are entitled to compensation for their losses. Negligence occurs when a person fails to use the degree of care that would ordinarily be used by a reasonable person in the same or similar circumstances. Common forms of truck driver negligence that can result in accidents include speeding, distracted driving, failing to comply with hours-of-service requirements, and driving while impaired by drugs or alcohol.

Retain an Attorney, Even if Your Case Is Going to Settle

Most truck accident cases settle. This leads some victims to believe that there’s no point in retaining an attorney. After all, if there’s no dispute about fault, why do you need someone to advocate on your behalf? Unfortunately, this kind of thinking can lead you to accept a settlement offer far below the actual value of your case. Insurance companies are invariably trying to minimize their payouts and take advantage of unrepresented victims by making unreasonably low settlement offers, taking more time than necessary to “process” a claim, requesting overbroad medical record authorizations, or engaging in other tactics designed to minimize settlements.

Commercial Truck Accidents Often Leave Victims With Extremely Serious Injuries

Commercial trucks are much larger and heavier than the passenger cars with which they share the road. For this reason, they are capable of causing devastating injuries when they are involved in crashes. Often, victims sustain injuries that can affect them for years or even cause permanent disabilities. This fact means that commercial truck accidents often entitle victims to substantial compensation.

Retain an Attorney as Soon as You Can

While Georgia’s Statute of Limitations on Personal Injury Actions gives you three years to file a claim, it is in your best interest to retain a personal injury lawyer to represent you as soon as possible after an accident. If you wait, it may result in the destruction or loss of evidence that is critical to your case. In addition, while you are unrepresented, you run the risk of saying or doing things that can hurt your chances of recovering the full value of your claim—or recovering compensation at all.

Call Us Today to Schedule a Free Case Evaluation With a Georgia Personal Injury Lawyer

An accident with a commercial truck can turn your life upside down in an instant. In many cases, the law entitles victims to compensation, but insurance companies will do everything they can to minimize the amount they pay out. For this reason, it’s critical to have an experienced personal injury attorney in your corner fighting for your rights. To schedule a free case evaluation with a lawyer, call our office today at (404) 720-8141 or contact us online.