Truck Accident Lawyer, Atlanta, GA

Metro Atlanta is a large, densely populated area and the interstates here and throughout Georgia are particularly busy; moreover, every day, commercially owned and operated vehicles, tractor trailers and big rig drivers use the same highway system that regular daily drivers also use. Unfortunately, conditions like these result in a lot of bad accidents and thousands of injuries and deaths every year.

Motor vehicle collisions involving semi-trucks, tractor trailers, eighteen wheelers, or “big rigs” are complex events, and with the large network of interstates in the metro Atlanta area, there is no shortage of trucking accidents.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (“FMCSA”) has conducted studies (Hyperlink “Studies” to the source page at FMCSA) concerning the causes of these accidents and found that many are due to one or more of the following factors:

Regardless of how and why tractor trailer accidents occur, they, unfortunately, commonly result in life-changing catastrophic injuries or death.

Finch McCranie’s truck accident lawyers have decades of experience in holding tractor trailer drivers and their employers responsible for these horrific outcomes and securing large settlements or verdicts.

Tractor Trailers are authorized under the FMCSA to carry loads of up to 80,000 pounds. This means that there is a high likelihood that victims of a truck accident in Georgia will suffer serious injuries, or possibly death, as a result of a collision.

The list of catastrophic trucking accident injuries we have seen over the years run the gamut, and often include:

• Brain injuries
• Spinal cord injuries
• Burn Injuries
• Amputations
• Broken bones and fractures
• Scarring and disfigurement

In Georgia, the following categories of damages are available in a trucking accident case:

Economic Damages: This includes all past and future lost wages, medical bills incurred as a result of the trucking accident, loss of future earning capacity, property damage, and funeral and/or burial expenses.

Non-Economic Damages: This includes money for a person’s past, present, and future pain and suffering, emotional distress, and loss of companionship as a result of injuries sustained in the trucking accident.

Punitive Damages: This is designed to punish the wrongdoer. They are available when the responsible party intentionally caused the harm or acted with a reckless disregard for the consequences of their actions. For example, if the evidence shows the Georgia tractor trailer driver was under the influence of alcohol or drugs, this would be grounds for an award of punitive damages. Punitive damages recoveries are rare, though our firm has successfully obtained punitive damages for many clients over the years.

Wrongful Death Damages: Wrongful death claims in Georgia are typically divided into two separate claims: (1) the wrongful death per se as measured by the “full value of the life of the decedent” without deducting for any of the necessary or personal expenses of the decedent had he or she lived; and (2) the estate claims, or the claims that would have accrued to the decedent had they lived and include medical expenses incurred prior to death, funeral and burial expenses, conscious pain and suffering prior to death, and punitive damages. The estate claims are filed by the estate’s Administrator or Administratix. See generally O.C.G.A. § 51-4-1 et seq.

The owner and operator of any commercial vehicle and trailer which weighs more than 10,001 lbs. is a commercial vehicle and must follow federal regulations under the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations. Straight trucks, work vans, large pickup trucks with trailers, landscaping vehicles, plumbing trucks and utility trucks may fall within this definition of a commercial vehicle.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSR) are a comprehensive list of guidelines and specifications governing the operation and maintenance of commercial vehicles. Every company operating a commercial motor vehicle is required to be knowledgeable of and comply with all the provisions of the FMCSR applicable to that company’s operations. 49 C.F.R. § 390.3(e). The State of Georgia has adopted the FMCSR, which applies to all “commercial vehicles” operating in intrastate commerce.

The FMCSR, which applies to any trucking accident in Georgia, has a long list of regulations that motor carriers must follow. These include regulations applicable to pre-trip inspections, warning devices for stopped vehicles, background checks on drivers, hours of service regulations, and minimum insurance requirements.

If you or a loved one have been seriously injured or killed in a trucking accident in Georgia, it is critical to hire a truck accident lawyer who understands the various rules and regulations that apply to these trucking companies.

The short answer is yes.

It almost always is in your best interest to hire a lawyer if you have been injured or lost a loved one in a trucking accident. The insurance carriers for trucking companies are primarily interested in two things following a trucking accident where someone has been seriously injured or killed: 1) settling the claim as quickly as possible, and 2) paying as little as possible to resolve the victims’ claims. This is directly contrary to the interests of the persons who were injured as a result of the tractor trailer driver’s negligence.

As discussed above, tractor trailer companies and their drivers are subject to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Act (“FMCSA”). The FMCSA has strict rules in place for driver qualifications, required background checks, maintaining driver logs which show how long a driver has been on the road, drug and alcohol testing, vehicle maintenance and inspections, and a host of other rules these companies must follow. If a violation of an FMCSA regulation is discovered, it has the potential to substantially increase the value of the case.

If you or a loved one is involved in a trucking accident in Atlanta or anywhere in Georgia, you should hire a lawyer who knows how to locate relevant evidence to determine whether an FMCSA violation played a role in causing the tractor trailer wreck.

From the moment you walk into our office, you’re greeted by a friendly and courteous team of staff and lawyers whose main priority is protecting your rights and obtaining the best possible recovery. We charge no legal fee unless we successfully recover compensation for you.

In addition, we return phone calls, communicate regularly and effectively with our clients and we genuinely care about the individuals and families that we represent.

Finally, our firm has been handling serious trucking accident matters for over 50 years. We have the experience, skills, track record and compassion that a trucking accident matter requires and deserves.

In Atlanta, Georgia truck accident attorneys don’t always treat your case with the care and consideration that you deserve. In fact, many law firms treat truck accidents the same as car accidents, even though they are subject to different laws. If the lawyer or law firm that you hire does not understand or acknowledge the difference between truck accidents and car accidents, your chances of winning in court or reaching a settlement are drastically decreased.

In addition, unlike a lot of other firms, we do not have a high-volume practice, and we do not advertise. We are very selective in the cases that we take because the matters that we take on require care, time and attention to detail.