Sandy Springs, GA Truck Accident Lawyer

Truck accidents can be incredibly destructive and dangerous. The fact of the matter is that big trucks designed to haul tons of cargo over long distances are immensely heavier than ordinary cars and SUVs, and that mass greatly stacks the odds against an occupant of one of those vehicles coming out of a truck crash unharmed. The injuries truck crashes cause are often extremely severe, requiring immediate emergency medical attention. Looking into the near future, after the accident, the victim will have to deal with the cost of medical treatment – both short and long-term – as well as potentially life-altering injuries that they will be dealing with as long as they live.

All of these things can make the situation feel hopeless, but we are here to help. You can go to court and hold accountable those who wronged you. Our attorneys know how to deal with truck accident cases, and have the skills, dedication, and professionalism to see your case through all the way to the finish line.

To get help from our dedicated team of truck accident attorneys, contact Rice, Murtha & Psoras by dialing (470) 287-3070.

Types of Truck Accidents in Sandy Springs, GA

Truck accidents can happen in many different ways. At first, you may not think that categorizing your truck accident is important. After all, what really matters is that you got hurt, and someone needs to pay up, right?

In reality, getting our truck accident attorneys to look over the facts of your case and determine what kind of truck accident you experienced can bring forth a lot of valuable information.

Head-on Collisions

A head-on collision occurs when two vehicles travel in opposite directions. These accidents are particularly dangerous for car drivers because the driver’s seat is the area most likely to get hit. A common cause of head-on collisions is a truck having defective front lights, resulting in oncoming traffic being unable to see the truck. Head-on collisions can also happen because a trucker is drunk, too tired, or otherwise driving carelessly.

Rear-End Collisions

A rear-end collision refers to when a vehicle impacts the rear of a truck. While this may initially make it seem like such an accident would be the other driver’s fault, that is often not the case. For example, if a truck suddenly comes to a halt or significantly slows down, a driver behind them may not have enough time to react and hit the brakes.

Rear-end collisions may sometimes lead to “underride” accidents, where the car slides under the truck. These accidents are incredibly dangerous and often fatal because the truck’s trailer often enters directly into the vehicle cabin, bypassing safety features and seriously injuring or killing occupants. Modern trucks are meant to have bars on trailers to prevent these kinds of accidents, but this feature is not present on every truck, and they are almost never present on a trailer’s sides, so underride accidents are still a very real danger.

Tipping-Over Accidents

If a truck is improperly loaded, it can become top-heavy and tip over onto another vehicle if the driver tries to turn too sharply. Additionally, if a truck is designed in a way that it is top heavy from the start, that can also lead to the vehicle tipping onto an unfortunate car nearby.

Fishtailing and Jackknifing

“Fishtailing” refers to when the rear tires on a truck do not have enough traction with the road, and the truck trailer starts to sway to the left and right, resembling a fish’s tail going back and forth. Fishtailing is dangerous in and of itself because it is hard for other motorists to predict the truck’s movements, but fishtailing is also dangerous because it can lead to an unexpected crash.

Jackknifing is similar to fishtailing and can be caused by it. In a jackknife accident, a truck trailer violently pivots around the link point with the cab, folding in on itself like a pocket knife. These accidents pose a somewhat unique danger in that the truck careening forward can swipe multiple vehicles in another lane. Additionally, the link between the trailer and cab may break altogether, resulting in the trailer going further down the road and hitting yet more vehicles.

What Compensation Can I Get in a Sandy Springs, GA Truck Accident Lawsuit

When you go to court after an accident, your ultimate objective is to get financial compensation in the form of damages from the defendant. In law, damages are the legal system’s attempt to undo the effects of the accident and return the plaintiff to the condition they were in prior to getting injured. However, the reality of nasty truck accidents is that literally doing that is often impossible, so damages are virtually always financial payouts from the defendant. Each case is different, and so too will be the basis for your damages and the amount you seek.

Compensatory Damages

Compensatory damages will likely make up the bulk of a damages award you receive in a truck accident lawsuit. This includes damages to offset medical expenses, damage to your vehicle, lost wages, and lost opportunity to earn income. Additionally, it also encompasses things that are less immediately tangible, like physical pain, emotional distress, or mental anguish.

Punitive Damages

Punitive damages are different from compensatory damages in that they are meant to punish the defendant instead of getting you back to square one. Under O.G.C.A. § 51-12-5.1(b), you can only be awarded punitive damages if the defendant was “malicious” or otherwise more than simply negligent. Additionally, you need to request punitive damages in your initial filings.

Contact Our Sandy Springs, GA Truck Accident Attorneys Right Away

Rice, Murtha & Psoras’s truck accident attorneys can be reached at (470) 287-3070 for free case reviews.