Augusta, GA Truck Accident Lawyer

A truck driver’s negligence could forever change a victim’s life in an instant. When serious injuries happen during truck accidents, victims can file lawsuits to recover compensatory damages.

To build the foundation of your case, our attorneys will discuss the accident with you and start collecting evidence that supports your recovery. This often includes interviewing eyewitnesses, who can give especially useful testimony should your case proceed to a trial. We can also determine how many parties share liability for your injuries, as the driver’s employer could be vicariously liable. As you build medical evidence by getting the right care, we will organize it and present it to show the jury how serious your injuries truly are. We can also make sure you document your emotional damages so that you make a full recovery.

Call Rice, Murtha & Psoras for a free case assessment from our Augusta, GA truck accident lawyers at (410) 694-7291.

Building the Foundation of Your Augusta, GA Truck Accident Case

Building a solid foundation is crucial to any compensation claim in Augusta, especially if truck accident victims need to recover substantial damages. To prepare a strong claim, you should start immediately after a crash.

During your case assessment, our lawyers may ask detailed questions about what happened before, during, and after the collision. How the truck driver was negligent will factor heavily into their liability, so be as accurate as possible. If you cannot remember some details right away because of trauma or stress, we could get certain details from the police report.

Interviewing eyewitnesses is important for several reasons. First and foremost, eyewitnesses may corroborate your version of events and testify at a trial. Eyewitness testimony might compel a jury to decide a defendant’s liability, especially if other evidence supports eyewitnesses’ statements.

Eyewitnesses might know some details you do not, as they see things from different angles and perspectives than victims, another reason why interviewing them is important.

Also, when building your case’s foundation, our truck accident lawyers may get crash reconstruction experts to carefully review photos of property damage and debris. Such images can give us a wealth of information, such as the direction in which both vehicles were traveling, the point of impact between vehicles, how fast both vehicles were traveling, and the true cause of the accident.

Naming a Defendant in Your Augusta, GA Truck Accident Complaint

After reviewing all the available evidence from the accident, our lawyers can determine who the defendant in your case should be. Sometimes, victims might have claims against multiple defendants following truck accidents in Augusta.

Truck accidents typically happen during the scope of a driver’s employment when delivering or transporting goods. Because of this, the driver’s employer might be vicariously liable. We can explore this further by confirming the driver’s status as a regular employee rather than an independent contractor in Augusta.

Other reasons why a trucking company might be financially responsible for a victim’s injuries include poor hiring practices or failure to maintain trucks so that they are in good working condition.

Even if an employer is vicariously liable, a victim might have reason to sue the negligent driver as well. If both parties are negligent, our lawyers will divvy liability accordingly and present evidence demonstrating the defendants’ fault.

We will file your lawsuit before the deadline after identifying who the defendant or defendants in your case should be. Under O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33, the filing deadline is generally two from the crash date, so victims should not wait to sue for compensatory damages in Augusta.

Using Your Medical Records in an Augusta, GA Truck Accident Case

Your medical records will be of vital importance to your financial recovery. Because of that, you should prioritize your physical health after a crash.

Victims should get medical attention for all auto accident injuries in Augusta. Failing to do this could result in a lack of medical evidence, making proving certain aspects of your claim more difficult.

For example, suppose the accident happened on a Monday, and you waited until Friday to go to the hospital. In that case, the defendant might question whether your injuries were caused by another accident entirely. To eliminate this risk altogether, victims should go straight to the closest emergency room for medical assessment, even if they feel physically fine.

At the emergency room, doctors might refer you to specialists or suggest emergency surgery. Carefully following the treatment plan doctors set for you is vital. Missing visits with specialists or neglecting your physical recovery could ultimately hurt your chances of making a full financial recovery.

Our lawyers can achieve various goals by introducing your medical records as evidence. First, we can establish that you were injured because of the defendant’s actions. Second, your medical records can clearly show all steps of your physical recovery, shedding light on your likely pain and suffering as well. For your physical well-being and your case’s success, go to the hospital.

Documenting Your Emotional Damages from an Augusta, GA Truck Crash

Victims often struggle with anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and depression because of devastating truck accidents. Just as financial damages are compensable in lawsuits, so are victims’ emotional damages.

To document your pain and suffering, consider seeing a mental health professional. By doing this, victims can start working through the emotional distress caused by a crash and validate their struggles. Mental health professionals can also testify at trials to further explain a victim’s pain and suffering. Victims can also testify or give statements explaining what they have gone through emotionally while dealing with devastating injuries.

While speaking openly about your mental and emotional difficulties might feel extremely vulnerable, it can help you get compensation for damages outside of your financial losses.