Georgia Big-Rig Trucking Accident Personal Injury Claims

Of all the accidents that happen every day on Georgia roadways, those involving big trucks and commercial vehicles are the most devastating. They are nearly twice as likely to result in fatalities, and serious injuries are tragically common. Fortunately, those injured in such accidents can claim personal injury compensation for their losses, as this article explains. We’ll discuss:

• The most common causes of trucking accidents in Georgia, and the injuries they cause.
• Why trucking companies carry higher insurance policies and how that affects injury victims.
• How truck accidents differ from most car crashes, including why they tend to be “worth” more.

What Are The Most Common Causes Of Commercial Vehicle Or Truck Accidents Across Georgia?

While no two accidents are identical, one trait comes up again and again in trucking accidents: fatigued drivers. Drivers are pushed into long hours, and exhaustion and sleep deprivation lead to accidents every day.

Other causes can and do certainly come up, unfortunately:

• Unqualified or untrained drivers
• Poor truck maintenance
• Road conditions
• Driver negligence
• Inattention
• Inebriation or substance abuse
• And more…

Many accidents are caused by improper merging or failing to signal when changing lanes. Unfortunately, due to the size and weight of trucks and commercial vehicles, it doesn’t really matter who hits who; the car will be severely damaged and everyone in it will get hurt.

What Severe Injuries Occur In Accidents Involving Semi-Trucks Or Other Large Commercial Vehicles?

The sheer weight of large vehicles like semi-trucks inevitably leads to deadlier and more dangerous injuries in accidents. These include:

• Broken bones,
• Fractured spines,
• Neck injuries,
• Traumatic Brain Injuries,
• Cuts, blood loss, and amputations,
• Disfigurement,
• Burns,
• Paralysis,
• And more…

The list goes on and on, and trucking accident survivors will often experience more than one. The severity of these injuries leads to much larger personal injury claim amounts. Fortunately, trucking companies are equipped to handle them.

Do Trucking Companies Carry Larger Insurance Policies To Cover Accidents Involving Serious Injuries?

Trucking companies absolutely can and do have to get insurance with far higher policy limits. These companies have much deeper pockets, so they have a lot more on the line. And when a bigger truck is involved, the damage they can do is far greater, too.

As a result, trucking companies are required to have a higher value of coverage on their policy and, therefore, a much larger policy to draw from. For your personal injury claim, this means that even if your injuries are quite severe, you are more likely to be able to claim the full value of the compensation you need and deserve.

In fact, Georgia requires a minimum of $750,000 in insurance coverage for larger commercial vehicles, whereas on a personal level, you are only required to carry $25,000 in insurance coverage, which is often not enough to cover the harms involved.

Nevertheless, sometimes every cent of that $750,000 dollar policy will be required as the damages and harms add up fast in trucking accident cases.

How Much Compensation Can I Get For My Serious Injuries From A Georgia Truck Accident?

There is no easy-to-use formula for calculating personal injury damages. Instead, the total value of your claim will depend on a variety of factors, including:

• The severity of the injury or injuries,
• The medical expenses required to treat it,
• The amount of time you are unable to work, or any impact on your ability to do so in the future,
• How your life has and will be impacted by the injury,
• And more…

Those are just some of the elements that a personal injury attorney will help you consider and calculate when evaluating what your case is worth and how much you will be able to claim from the trucking company’s insurance.

Then, the amount you actually receive will be impacted by more aspects of the case. Were we able to reach a settlement with the insurance company? Will the case have to go to court? Will a judge or jury be responsible for deciding the final amount?

These are all factors that need to be considered in any personal injury case, including truck accident cases. However, not all aspects of trucking are comparable.

How Do Trucking Accident Personal Injury Cases Differ From Passenger Vehicle-Only Accidents?

The difference in how these cases are handled is huge. In no small part because most of the big trucks use electronic logs now and are equipped with cameras. There is also documentation like driver qualification files that trucking companies have to maintain.

Given the importance of such evidence, it is essential that you get an experienced attorney to put that company on notice immediately to preserve evidence related to the collision. If you do not, there is a strong chance it will be lost forever.

In addition, there are a myriad of federal and state rules and regulations that trucking companies must follow when hiring and firing drivers or maintaining equipment safety and controlling driving time. There are all kinds of rules about whether you can sue the insurance company or the trucking companies directly, which an ordinary person is unlikely to be aware of, much less know the answer to.

As a result, anyone hit by a commercial truck would be ill-advised to try to handle their claim on their own, and when choosing an attorney, you should be sure to pick one with specific experience handling truck or commercial vehicle accidents in Georgia.

For more information on Filing A Trucking Accident Injury Claim In Georgia, an initial consultation is your next best step. Get the information and legal answers you are seeking by calling (770) 474-9335 today.