Stonecrest, GA Truck Accident Lawyers
On major roads throughout Stonecrest, truck accidents are among the most devastating you’ll ever see. Although any accident has the potential to cause severe or fatal injuries, the risk is significantly higher in truck collisions. Victims of truck accidents often struggle to recover the compensation they deserve, thanks to pressure from insurance and trucking companies.
That’s where we step in. At Bailey, Javins & Carter, we know how much loss you can experience after a truck accident. We’re here to help you fight for justice. Call us at 678-210-3292 to set up a consultation with our team of Stonecrest, GA truck accident lawyers.
What Separates Truck Accidents from Car Crashes
If you’ve never experienced a truck accident, you may wonder what makes them so different from car crashes. Some key factors include:
- Size and weight: Trucks are substantially larger than passenger vehicles. In fact, a fully loaded tractor-trailer could easily weigh dozens of times more than a passenger car. Additionally, commercial trucks are several times longer than cars. This gives them massive blind spots that ramp up the risk of collision and put other drivers in danger.
- Regulations: The trucking industry must follow dozens of FMCSA regulations that personal drivers do not have to worry about. These regulations dictate how long truck drivers can go without a break, how much of a break they need after a set amount of work, and how often they must inspect their vehicles.
- Variety of parties involved: In most truck accident claims, there are many more parties involved than you’ll see in a regular car accident claim. Beyond the drivers themselves, other involved parties include the trucking company, the trucking company’s insurance party, and their legal team. You may even have to negotiate with cargo handlers, cargo owners, and manufacturers.
- Severity of injuries: While truck accidents are less common than car accidents, they are more likely to result in severe or fatal injuries.
Injuries Commonly Caused by Truck Collisions
Thanks to the weight and power of commercial trucks, collisions can cause a wide range of injuries. Victims have reported:
- Traumatic brain injuries: The force of a crash can cause major trauma to the brain. Depending on the severity of the injury, a TBI can heal without any residual effects or leave a victim with permanent cognitive and physical effects.
- Broken bones: These accidents can cause multiple fractures, including complex fractures that require surgical intervention.
- Spinal cord injuries: Spinal cord injuries are among the worst outcomes of a traffic accident. Every part of the spinal cord allows the brain to communicate with parts of the body. When the spinal cord is damaged, communication at and below that point is damaged or severed completely.
- Burns: When a truck is carrying hazardous materials, there’s a risk of explosions or fires when it crashes. This can result in burns to victims.
- Whiplash: Whiplash is a common outcome in traffic accidents, often causing pain and mobility issues in the neck.
- Soft tissue injuries: Soft tissue injuries affect the tendons, ligaments, and muscles. Victims often report pain, limited mobility, and tightness in the affected area.
- Internal injuries: Ruptured organs and other types of injuries can lead to internal bleeding, which is fatal without treatment.
Types of Truck Accidents
Several types of collisions make up the majority of truck accidents on Georgia roads. They include:
- Jackknife: Jackknife accidents occur when the back end of a truck forms a 90-degree angle with the front part of the truck. The trailer is far heavier than the tractor, so the driver loses control of the vehicle.
- Rollover: Rollover collisions are always a possibility with commercial trucks, thanks to their higher center of gravity. When they occur, they may destroy hundreds of thousands of dollars of merchandise, crush cars in neighboring lanes, and cause serious injuries.
- Underride: Underride accidents happen when a smaller vehicle gets stuck under the side or back of a commercial truck. While some trucks are now manufactured with underside protection, it is far from universal.
- Blind spot: Blind spot accidents are a risk for those driving around trucks, thanks to the massive blind spots in front of, behind, and next to trucks.
- Wide turn: Trucks swing left before turning right. In the process, they may hit vehicles in their side blind spots.
The property damage and physical injuries caused by these collisions can be catastrophic. For that reason, trucks have much larger insurance policies than smaller personal vehicles. Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean that it’s any easier for the average victim to recover the compensation they’re owed after a collision. If anything, the insurance company fights even harder to keep their money in their pockets.
How Bailey, Javins & Carter Can Help You Fight for Compensation
When you’ve been left injured by a truck accident, you might feel alone and unsure of what to do next. The insurance company may reach out to you to get your side of the story and push you to accept a settlement to wrap up their investigation. They often put a lot of pressure on victims to accept immediately, even claiming that they won’t offer that much ever again.
Don’t make the mistake of accepting the first offer the insurance company gives you. Truck accident injuries may leave you out of work for months or even for the rest of your life. When you add in pain and suffering, medical bills, and other expenses, it’s easy to see how the costs add up. Without the help of an attorney, you could accept a settlement that doesn’t even cover your medical expenses.
We know what it takes to win a truck accident claim, and we have gone up against companies throughout Georgia. You don’t deserve to bear the expenses of the accident alone—let us hold the negligent party accountable.
Start Your Truck Accident Claim with Bailey, Javins & Carter
Are you ready to start pursuing the compensation you deserve? We’re here to explain your options and help you demand what you’re owed. Schedule your consultation now by calling us at 678-210-3292 or reaching out online.