Trucks are much larger than standard vehicles, and they may be extremely dangerous in crashes or collisions. Many people involved in these accidents are very badly hurt, and others do not survive. If you or someone you know was hurt in a truck accident in or around Chamblee, contact an attorney for legal help right away.
Truck accidents can vary based on the size of the truck and what cause of the accident. Trucks with long trailers may cause jackknife accidents, where the trailer swerves out to the side and into traffic. Head-on crashes or rollover accidents may also be possible. In many cases, negligent truckers are responsible for accidents, but they might not be the only ones legally implicated. Their employers might also bear responsibility, and other drivers on the road might have done something to contribute to the accident. To hold these people and possibly others responsible, we need to find evidence to support your claims.
Get a free, private case assessment by calling Rice Law at (470) 287-3070 and talking to our truck accident attorneys.
How Truck Accidents Can Occur
How, when, and where your truck accident occurred may inform us about who may be responsible and what kind of evidence our truck accident lawyers need to prove your claims.
Jackknife Accidents
A jackknife accident occurs when a truck and trailer move out of sync on the highway. The trailer might swerve out to the side and into traffic, striking other vehicles and causing the entire rig to lose control. These accidents can be very dangerous and often affect multiple drivers.
Many jackknife accidents are related to speed. A negligent truck driver might be driving too fast when they must hit the brakes suddenly. The truck might slow down faster than the trailer, causing them to move out of sync.
Head-On Collisions
Some of the most dangerous truck accidents involve head-on collisions. These accidents may happen when a trucker loses control of their vehicle and crashes head-first into oncoming traffic. In many cases, trucks cross multiple lanes of traffic or grassy medians before striking unsuspecting drivers.
Not only are these accidents incredibly dangerous and sometimes fatal, but they can also be heard to avoid. Head-on collisions tend to happen fast, and drivers might not have enough time to react and try to avoid the crash.
Rollover Accidents
Large trucks often carry heavy cargo, and the cargo must be loaded in a way that keeps the trailer balanced. If a trailer becomes unbalanced, it could shift and possibly topple over in transit. Drivers along the truck and trailer might be crushed, and their injuries might be severe.
Rollover accidents tend to be large accidents, and numerous drivers might be hurt. You should speak to a lawyer about your case quickly, as other drivers might also be taking legal action, and your cases might remain separate or be merged.
Who is At Fault for a Truck Accident in Chamblee?
Determining fault for a truck accident is not always simple. While the truck driver is often the first person to be investigated, others might be involved. Each case is unique, and we should review all the evidence to figure out who should be included in your case.
Negligent Truckers
As mentioned, negligent truckers are often at the heart of truck accident cases and may be held responsible for your various injuries and damages. Trucking can be incredibly dangerous, and truckers can cause severe collisions because of minor mistakes on the road.
Common examples of trucker negligence include distractions. The truck driver might be texting or scrolling on their phone when they should be focusing on the road. Another possibility is that the trucker is trying to communicate with their employer about the best route to take or whether they should be rerouted. Either way, they may be too distracted to drive.
Trucking Companies or Businesses
If a negligent trucker caused the accident, we may also include their employer in your lawsuit. Under the legal doctrine of respondeat superior, an employer may be held vicariously liable for injuries caused by a negligent employee if that employee was acting in the normal course of their typical job duties.
It is often a good idea to include employers because they often have greater financial resources and insurance to pay for your damages.
Manufacturers of Truck Parts
Not all accidents happen because of negligent truck drivers. In some cases, the truck contains parts that are unsafe to use, unbeknownst to the trucker or their employer. If your accident happened because of a defective truck part, we can sue the manufacturer of the faulty part.
This situation is somewhat less common among truck accidents, but it is still possible. Often, when accidents like this happen, manufacturers issue recalls of certain vehicle parts. If you were injured in a crash and a truck part was recalled shortly after, be sure to bring this to your attorney’s attention.
How Much Time Do You Have to File a Truck Accident Case in Chamblee?
Lawsuits must be filed within a specified time frame. Otherwise, plaintiffs might be time-barred from filing their claims altogether, and they may never receive fair compensation.
We must file your case within the period set by the statute of limitations. According to O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33, plaintiffs filing injury claims, like those in truck accidents, have only 2 years from when they are injured to file their claims. However, under special circumstances, you can have your time to file extended.
Having the statute of limitations tolled may give us more time. One tolling option is for the removal of the defendant from the state. Under § 9-3-94, if the defendant leaves the state and cannot be reached by long-arm statutes, the time they are outside Georgia’s jurisdiction is not counted toward the limitation period.
Call Our Chamblee Truck Accident Attorneys For Legal Help
Get a free, private case assessment by calling Rice Law at (470) 287-3070 and talking to our truck accident attorneys.