Stonecrest, GA Truck Accident Lawyer

Truck accidents in Stonecrest are, unfortunately, more common than people think. If you have been injured in a trucking accident and need compensation, our lawyers can help.

Truck accidents are often complex cases, but our team can explain how your case will proceed and who we will sue. In most cases, we will file a claim against the trucker and the trucking company that employs them. We will also help you collect evidence to prove how your accident occurred. Most trucks are equipped with numerous devices to record data. During litigation, we can get this evidence and determine if the driver was operating too long or speeding. We can also determine if other parties acted negligently to cause the accident.

For a free review of your case with our truck accident attorneys, call Rice, Murtha & Psoras at (470) 287-3070.

Common Causes of Truck Accidents in Stonecrest, GA

Truck accidents tend to be complex because there are so many potential causes. In many cases, there is not just one cause but several causes of the crash. Our truck accident attorneys are here to help you determine exactly how your accident was caused and who caused it. Most truck accidents are caused by the driver, who has control of the vehicle and should have the skills to operate. More often than not, though, other parties contributed to the collision and need to be named in your lawsuit. That is why determining the cause of your accident is so important. The following are common causes of truck accidents in Stonecrest:

Distracted Driving

Even the most focused and experienced truck drivers can lose focus. Truckers often drive long hours and cover vast distances. As such, some drivers might try to pass the time with one of the many distractions found in modern trucks. Some might be using the two-way radio, and truckers have to talk with other truckers when the accident occurs. More often, drivers are distracted by their phones, either sending text messages, talking on the phone, or playing an app game. Some trucks even have T.V.s installed in the cab. These distractions can lead to serious and even deadly accidents.

Fatigued Driving

The issue of long hauling hours and miles also contributes to driver fatigue. Many truckers need to take trailers full of cargo to their destinations as soon as possible. In some cases, this is to get a competitive advantage. In others, truckers are usually off duty once the delivery is made, so there is an incentive to finish the delivery quickly. However, the longer a trucker is on the road, the more fatigue will set in, increasing the chances of a catastrophic accident.

There is very little difference between a trucker driver overcome with fatigue and one who is driving drunk. Like a drunk driver, a fatigued trucker will have decreased decision-making capabilities and slower reaction times. Because this problem has the potential for explosive danger, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulates how long truckers are permitted to operate before resting. For instance, truckers can drive up to 11 hours after being off duty for ten consecutive hours. They must also take a mandatory 30-minute break after driving for eight straight hours.

If the trucker violated these regulations, our team can help you prove it. Most trucks are equipped with a “black box,” which records the trip’s vital details. The black box should show whether the trucker drove longer than the required time.

Improperly Stored Cargo

Other truck accidents occur because cargo is improperly loaded. When cargo is improperly secured, it can slide around inside the trailer, causing the truck to swerve and lose balance. If the trailer is detachable from the cab, improperly stored cargo can cause the trailer to jackknife. Unsecured cargo is also likely to be scattered across the road after an accident, further endangering those injured and approaching drivers.

Who can be held liable will depend on who was responsible for loading the cargo. Many truck drivers must also load the cargo they are hauling, so we would normally sue the driver. However, some truckers only pick up preloaded trailers, which could have been loaded by the company providing the products or a third-party cargo loader. Our team can help determine who was liable for loading the cargo.

Overloading

Like improperly stored cargo, overloading cargo can also cause devastating accidents. Large commercial trucks are already challenging enough to control without overloading the trailer beyond its weight capacity. All truck trailers have a weight threshold that cannot be exceeded without making the truck unmanageable. For instance, steering a truck that is overloaded can be incredibly difficult and make it impossible to avoid a collision. Overloading can also lead to jackknifing accidents.

Truck Defects

Other truck accidents are caused by defects in the vehicle. For instance, the power steering could fail, or the air brakes could be defective. The question will be where the defect occurred in the manufacturing process.

Some defects are caused before the first truck is even manufactured, as they are baked into the vehicle’s base design. Other times, a truck’s manufacturer causes the defect during the assembly process, like when they use subpar materials not called for in the design. Our team will help determine if both parties should be held accountable for the defect.

Trucking Company Negligence

In most cases, we sue both the truck driver and the trucking company, even if the trucking company was not negligent. However, there are times when a trucking company must be held to account for its own mistakes. Perhaps the trucking company allowed a dangerous driver to work for it despite learning of past reckless driving. In other cases, the accident might have occurred because the trucking company disregarded its duty to inspect and repair its vehicles.

Other Drivers

The average driver tends to be less careful than experienced truckers. Thus, we will evaluate the liability of other drivers when our team reviews your claim. A truck accident rarely involves only a few vehicles. If the truck is large, the accident is much more likely to result in a chain collision.

However, the person who started the accident is not solely responsible for the damage that follows. If other drivers were distracted and failed to avoid a further collision, they should be held liable for a share of the damages they contributed to.

For example, a trucker might have been speeding when cut off by another driver, causing your accident. A third driver could then have crashed into your accident scene. In such a scenario, we would sue all three drivers.