Suwanee’s roads host thousands of heavy trucks and other commercial vehicles in addition to regular road traffic. Sharing the road with large commercial vehicles does not always work out, unfortunately, which is why we have a high number of truck accidents in Suwanee every year.
If you have been involved in a truck accident, you may be worried about large hospital bills, lost wages, and other losses you may be experiencing due to your injuries. You deserve to know your legal options for pursuing compensation from all liable parties responsible for your accident’s circumstances.
Andersen, Tate & Carr, P.C. has represented truck accident victims in Suwanee and throughout Georgia. Our Suwanee truck accident lawyers aim to leverage our experience and knowledge of the law to give your injury claim the highest chances of success. We seek out all available damages to the maximum extent that the law allows.
Put a Suwanee truck accident attorney in your corner who is willing to fight against the interests of corporations and insurers to give your case the chance it deserves. Call us at 770-237-9860 or contact us online to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation today.
Damages Available in a Typical Suwanee Truck Accident Case
Your injury claim should seek compensation for every cent of losses you have experienced as a result of your devastating truck accident. These losses may include your economic losses, such as medical bills, as well as non-economic losses, such as the pain and suffering you have experienced.
Economic damages are referred to as “special damages” during a truck accident lawsuit. They include:
- Medical bills past and future
- Out of pocket expenses for medical devices, transport, parking, prescriptions, etc.
- Lost wages from missing work because of your injury
- Vehicle repairs and other property damage
- Diminished earning capacity if your injury causes permanent debilitation
- Lost domestic services the injury victim provided to their household
- Rental car reimbursement
Non-economic damages are referred to as “general damages,” which can include:
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Permanent disfigurement
- Loss of affection or companionship
If the truck accident resulted in the death of a loved one, a wrongful death claim could also include:
- Funeral and burial expenses
- Lost income and benefits
- Losses incurred by the deceased’s estate
Who Might Be Liable for My Truck Accident Injury Costs?
Personal injury lawsuits are typically filed on the basis of negligence.
All negligence-based lawsuits have four main components:
- The defendant had a duty of care to obey laws, regulations, or exercise “ordinary care” in the way that a “reasonable person” might
- The defendant had a breach in their duty of care by acting contrary to stated obligations or neglecting to act in a way that could have prevented unreasonable harm
- The breach directly caused an injury, which is referred to as “proximate cause.”
- The injury led to damages or losses that can be recovered through the legal system
In the case of tractor-trailers and other heavy commercial trucks, the legal principle of “respondeat superior” means that the employer of the truck driver could be at fault for any mistakes or negligence committed by their employees. Additionally, the employing trucking company may have engaged in negligent acts of their own, such as improperly maintaining their vehicles or setting policies that led to unsafe driving.
Other parties that could be liable for a truck accident include: shipment contractors; the owner of the trailer if it was found to be unsafe; truck maintenance companies who failed to maintain safety systems; or the manufacturer of the cab, engine, trailer, or components that failed or otherwise contributed to the accident’s circumstances.
Because of these possibilities, truck accident injury cases are often complex and can involve multiple defending parties. A seasoned truck accident lawyer in Suwanee familiar with trucking regulations and prior case rulings can provide the strategy and guidance such a case needs to stand up against well-funded legal teams hired by corporations and insurers.
How a Suwanee Truck Accident Attorney Can Help Your Case
Appointing a truck accident lawyer from Andersen, Tate & Carr means having a tireless legal advocate and advisor who wants to see your case find success. We work closely with all our clients, ensuring they are informed of all of their legal options and guided towards the ones that have the highest chance of helping them achieve their goals.
After taking your case, your truck accident lawyer will investigate the circumstances of the accident and any relevant events that led up to it. They will assess the total amount of your hospital bills and other costs with the assistance of economic and medical professionals. The total amount of your losses will be requested as compensation from insurers representing all at-fault parties in the form of a demand letter.
Your attorney will continue to negotiate with insurers and others representing the at-fault parties in an attempt to come to a reasonable settlement amount for all of your damages. If no agreement can be reached, your case may proceed to mediation.
If the defending parties decide to fight for an unfair amount or deny liability altogether, your case may proceed to a lawsuit and potential trial litigation. Our Suwanee truck accident lawyers approach every case with this outcome in mind as a possibility, preparing us to fight for the compensation you deserve using the most effective strategies available.
Common Types of Negligence Seen in Truck Accident Cases
Semi-trucks, tankers, tractor-trailers, and other heavy commercial vehicles all have complex safety requirements and a web of regulations regarding their use.
For example, Georgia state law implements limits on vehicle lengths and gross weights. If a truck was found to have been violating these limits at the time of an accident, that could be deemed as negligence, making the driver and their employer likely at-fault.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration also sets its own rules controlling the safe use of heavy trucks. These rules include hours of service regulations, which state that a driver must take mandatory breaks after a certain amount of hours on the road and that they cannot work more than a set amount of hours per week.
Investigating the circumstances of your accident could reveal violations of these rules, among other oversights. Consequences of failing to exercise “ordinary care” include:
- Driving while drowsy
- Driving under the influence of drugs, alcohol, or OTC remedies
- Distracted driving
- Inadequate driver training
- Violations of safety regulations, including weight limits or hazardous materials transportation
- Failure to properly vet drivers
- Failure to maintain vehicle safety systems
- Defective vehicle safety systems
- Dangerous driving behaviors
- Road rage
- Failure to use all available safety systems
Fight for Your Compensation with Experienced Suwanee Truck Accident Attorneys
Andersen, Tate & Carr vigorously pursues all available legal avenues on behalf of its clients, and we are not intimidated by tactics insurers and corporations use to skirt around their liability for the injuries their negligence caused.
Learn more about your available legal options, and speak to an experienced truck accident lawyer in Suwanee for free when you call 770-237-9860 or contact us online to schedule your free, no obligation consultation.