If you have been involved in an accident with a semi-truck or other commercial vehicle, you may be confused and have questions regarding how and why your accident occurred and whether you will be able to recover.
According to data published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were approximately 104,000 people injured in accidents with large trucks in 2012. In many cases, the victims of accidents that involve semi-trucks and other commercial vehicles are left with extremely serious injuries and significant medical bills. Georgia tort law allows people who are injured by the negligence of drivers, trucking companies, truck manufacturers, and others involved in the commercial trucking industry to recover for these and other losses that may be sustained in a truck accident. Due to the highly contested nature of truck accident litigation, it is highly advisable for victims to reta
in an Atlanta truck accident lawyer as soon as they can after an accident.
Below are some answers to some of the questions often asked by truck accident victims.
What should I do after a truck accident?
After a truck accident, the first thing that victims should do is make sure that they and others are physically okay. Provide first aid to anyone with a serious injury and contact emergency medical personnel immediately. If you are able, record information about the accident, including the license plate and USDOT numbers of any vehicles involved, the weather conditions at the time of the accident, and any other information that may seem important. If possible, take pictures of the aftermath and obtain contact information from anyone who may have witnessed the accident.
What injuries do people commonly sustain in a truck accident?
Truck accidents can cause accidents similar to those sustained in any motor vehicle accident. Due to their significant mass, however, semi-trucks and other large trucks can cause more damage than smaller passenger vehicles when they are involved in collisions. As a result, the injuries sustained in truck accidents can often be catastrophic. They may include:
Spinal cord injuries;
Traumatic brain injuries;
Burns;
Accidental amputations; and
Crush injuries.
Because of the serious injuries that can result, anyone injured in a truck accident should seek medical attention as soon as possible. This is true even in cases where no injuries are readily apparent, as some injuries, such as whiplash, may not become symptomatic for days or even weeks after an accident occurs.
What causes truck accidents?
Truck accidents can have a variety of causes, ranging from driver error to poor weather conditions. As with other types of motor vehicle accidents, victims must be able to demonstrate that their accident was caused by some sort of negligence in order to be able to recover for their injuries. Common examples of the kinds of negligence that may cause a truck accident include:
Speeding;
Defective truck manufacture;
Distracted driving; and
Failure to observe federal and state safety regulations.
Commercial truck accidents are often much more complicated than those only involving passenger vehicles, so it is important for anyone affected by one to discuss their options with an experienced truck accident attorney as soon as possible.
