Truck Accident Attorney in Lawrenceville, GA

A mixture of heavy trucks and small passenger vehicles travel the busy streets and roads in and around Lawrenceville every day. When these mismatched vehicles collide, the results are often devastating – particularly for the occupants of a car hit by a truck.

Large commercial trucks like 18-wheelers are often up to 80 feet long and can weigh as much as 80,000 pounds. An average car, on the other hand, is about 15 feet long and weighs only 3,500 pounds. It’s no wonder that collisions between these two types of vehicles are often catastrophic, with drivers and occupants of passenger cars bearing the brunt of the damage.

In a single recent year, there were 151,000 people injured and nearly 5,000 people killed in U.S. accidents involving large trucks. According to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), more than 80 percent of the people killed in large truck crashes were occupants of passenger vehicles or non-occupants like pedestrians or cyclists. In Georgia, large trucks made up almost 10 percent of all vehicles involved in fatal crashes.

One of the Best Truck Accident Lawyers in Lawrenceville

The devastation a truck accident leaves behind can be overwhelming. Insurance forms, accident reports, and soaring medical bills add more stress to an already difficult situation. Here’s some good news: a Lawrenceville truck accident lawyer from Butler Kahn can help by taking on the legal burden and fighting for compensation to set things right.

Contact us if you’re ready to discuss your situation and your legal options. Talking to us is free and without obligations.

What Makes Truck Accident Cases So Complicated?

Several common factors in tractor-trailer accidents create complications that are less common in crashes that involve only passenger cars.

SOME OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT DISTINCTIONS IN BIG TRUCK ACCIDENT CASES INCLUDE:

• More severe injuries – Since large trucks are so much bigger than cars, they usually cause a lot more serious injuries when they collide. More severe injuries mean higher medical bills and related losses, which mean more valuable accident claims. There is also more money on the line because heavy trucks typically carry much more insurance coverage than personal vehicles – usually $750,000 at lease. When an accident claim is as costly as it can be for a large truck accident, you can count on the insurance companies to vigorously fight the victim’s claim.
• More parties involved – A truck driver is almost always on the road in a commercial capacity, which means they may not be the only one liable for the accident. Any parties responsible for the truck driver, truck, or truck cargo can become defendants if the truck is involved in an accident. This could include trucking companies, truck maintenance companies, insurance companies (in what the Georgia law calls a “direct action”) and cargo companies, for example.
• More extensive rules and regulations – As commercial drivers, truck operators are subject to specific rules and regulations that don’t apply to most other drivers. Federal regulations, Class C license restrictions, trucking company policies, and commercial trucking laws can all play a factor in truck accident claims.

Common Causes of Truck Accidents in Lawrenceville

Tractor-trailer drivers are often on the road for up to 11 hours per day, sometimes daily for days or weeks at a time. Truckers near the end of a long haul may feel fatigued or worn down, and their semi-trucks or trailers can sustain wear and tear over time, too.

Often, truck drivers will even drive beyond the hours of service time limits permitted by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, due to pressure to make deliveries on time. The grind of many miles over long hours can make 18-wheeler operators less alert over time, increasing the chances of a catastrophic collision.

IN ADDITION TO FATIGUE, SOME OF THE OTHER MOST COMMON FACTORS THAT CAUSE LARGE TRUCK ACCIDENTS INCLUDE: