East Point, GA Truck Accident Lawyers

Nothing compares to the panic and damage caused by a truck accident. Even a truck accident that occurs at 25 miles per hour is likely to be far more catastrophic than most passenger vehicle accidents. That’s why it’s important to connect with an attorney immediately if you are injured in a truck crash. You may be entitled to compensation, especially if the truck driver is proven to have been fatigued, impaired, over their hours of service, or otherwise unsafe.

You’ll need the assistance of an attorney with plenty of experience in East Point, GA truck driving accidents. We’re here to help. Call Bailey Javins & Carter at 800-497-0234 and set up a time to talk to our team now.

What Causes Truck Accidents?

At the root of a personal injury claim is what went wrong. In a truck accident claim, that could be any number of things. In some claims, there’s a mechanical issue at the heart of it. The truck was ill-maintained or poorly constructed, or perhaps the road had suffered so much wear and tear that a crash was inevitable. But in most cases, human error is the root cause.

Some of the common causes of Georgia truck accidents include:

• Impaired driving
• Driving while fatigued
• Driving while distracted
• Changing lanes or turning without checking blind spots
• Unsafe turning
• Failing to yield right of way
• Speeding above the speed limit or too fast for weather conditions
• Failure to check out warning codes in the vehicle

Determining the cause of a truck accident is a big part of figuring out liability. Once you figure out who is liable for your injuries, you’re on the path to pursuing the compensation you’re owed.

Common Types of Truck Collisions

Trucks are prone to certain types of accidents that other vehicles are simply unlikely to experience. This is due in large part to a tractor-trailer’s length, weight, and top-heavy design. Unfortunately, these crashes are also capable of causing very serious damage. Some of the common types of collisions you may see on Georgia roads include:

• Jackknife: The trailer of a truck is far heavier than the tractor, so when a driver jolts around on the road, the trailer may swing out from the tractor. When this happens, the driver can lose control of the vehicle entirely. A jackknife accident can block off lanes of traffic and cause pileups.
• Rollover: The top-heavy nature of a truck puts it at risk for a rollover. While a rollover is dangerous for anyone, it’s especially risky for tractor-trailers carrying tons and tons of potentially hazardous cargo. When a truck rolls over, it may crush other vehicles on the road or leak hazardous materials on the road.
• Sideswipe: Sideswipe accidents are often minor when they involve passenger vehicles, but it’s a completely different story when a tractor-trailer is involved. A car may get stuck underneath the bottom of a tractor-trailer and get pulled along indefinitely.
• Underride: Underride accidents are extremely dangerous for those in passenger vehicles. They happen when a car gets stuck underneath the back end of a truck and often result in the front end of a car getting ripped off. Many underride crashes end up being fatal.
• Right turn: When a truck driver is preparing to turn right, they often swing left in order to avoid hitting the curb or guardrail. When they go too far left or a car sneaks in on the right, collisions often follow.

Important Evidence in a Truck Accident Claim

Truck accidents have an enormous amount of evidence, which can be helpful for your attorney as they pursue compensation on your behalf. Valuable evidence includes:

• Electronic logging devices: Electronic logging devices are required on the vast majority of commercial trucks, thanks to a decision made by the FMCSA. These devices have lots of valuable information, including hours of service data, driving speed, sudden braking, and unsafe driving behaviors. This can show whether or not the driver was out of their hours of service, had signs of driving unsafely or otherwise was a risky driver.
• Physical evidence: Physical evidence, including skid marks on the road, damage to vehicles, and damage to stationary structures can all be useful when it comes to interpreting what happened during a crash.
• Truck driver’s history: A driver’s history is helpful when it comes to determining employer fault. If an employer hires a driver with a history of unsafe or reckless driving, they could be liable for subsequent accidents.
• Maintenance history: Trucking companies are expected to follow a strict maintenance schedule. When they fail to do so, either for lack of money or time, they may be to blame for any accidents that follow.

How the Team at Bailey Javins & Carter Can Help

When a truck accident occurs, the truck driver has a huge amount of resources on their side. They have their own insurance company, their employer, their employer’s legal team, and the people for whom they were delivering the load.

On the other hand, you have minimal resources on your side. You need someone whose only goal is to do what is right for you. With the team at Bailey Javins & Carter, you can focus on recovering from your injuries while your attorney investigates your claim and advocates for you. Companies fight hard to avoid paying victims what they are owed, and you need an aggressive attorney who will push back against their underhanded tactics.

We will handle everything for you. From the investigation to negotiating with the insurance company to taking your case to court if necessary, we have your back. In Georgia, you only have two years from the date of the accident to

Reach Out to Us Today—We’re Here for You

The sooner you contact our team to talk about your accident, the sooner we can start fighting for you. Call Bailey Javins & Carter at 800-497-0234 or contact us online to schedule your free consultation now. You don’t have to face the insurance companies alone; let us take care of your legal needs while you focus on your health.