Imagine this scene: a large semi-truck collides with a small passenger vehicle while traveling at highway speeds. The car is largely destroyed, with the driver and passengers suffering serious and possibly life-threatening injuries. The truck driver, protected by his huge vehicle, walks away relatively unscathed. The trucking company and insurers immediately dispatch experienced investigators to the scene of the accident to gather evidence and record details regarding the accident. Meanwhile, the motorists in the car are hospitalized, perhaps unconscious or undergoing surgeries, often for days. In this situation, truck companies can get a leg up on the victims of the accident in anticipation of a potential lawsuit. It is highly important that you have a truck accident attorney in Fayette County who knows the importance of immediate action and investigation to preserve evidence and improve your chances of recovering for your injuries.
Many accident victims do not even think about the possibility of a lawsuit for months after the accident occurs. Instead, they are focusing on recovery or may simply feel daunted by the idea of going to court. However, the statute of limitations on personal injury claims in Georgia is two years from the date of the incident that caused the injury. If you wait too long and do not file a claim before the statute of limitations expires, your claim may be dismissed without the opportunity of refilling it at a future date. In this situation, you will lose the chance of recovering for your injuries from the responsible party.
Further complicating truck accident matters is the requirement for trucking companies to only maintain certain records for the six months following an accident. If you delay seeking legal assistance until after the company has discarded these records, you will permanently lose access to likely important evidence in proving the driver or company acted negligently in causing the accident.
For these reasons and more, it is extremely important to start working on a truck accident case as soon as possible. If you have been in an accident, do not delay in contacting a trucking accident lawyer at Shane Smith Law at (980) 246-2656 today.