Gwinnett County Accident Attorney I Understanding Causes & Liability Regarding Truck Accidents
Truck accidents happen all the time. Innocent drivers on Georgia roads are exposed to many different hazards and truck accidents are no exception. While defensive driving and learning how to drive proactively can help avoid accidents, sometimes even the best driver cannot avoid a truck accident.
Based on recent statistics, including from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCAS), over the last 20 years truck accidents have increased by 20%. Other statistics show that almost 4,900 deaths and more than 130,000 injuries were sustained due to large truck accidents. Trucking accidents, on-average, cause more injuries which are generally more severe than those sustained during normal motor vehicle accidents. This is due because the added mass of the truck imparts extra force upon occupants which is what creates great injuries and more deaths.
Causes of Truck Accidents
Truck accidents can be caused by a multitude of factors. Just like any other driver, a truck driver is entrusted with maintaining their duty of care towards other drivers and pedestrians on and surrounding the road. Truck drivers can breach their duty of care to other drivers when they cause a truck accident due to one or more of these factors:
- Distracted Driving
- Speeding
- Disregarding maintenance, causing mechanical failure
These factors are just some of the reasons why a truck driver might lose control and veer into another lane or plow right into the car in front of their own truck. Understanding why the accident happened will be good to know because that will determine if a truck accident personal injury claim may be filed.
Being injured in a truck accident or being the family member of a deceased family member due to a negligent or reckless truck driver is a life-changing event. If you speak with a Georgia truck accident attorney at Shane Smith Law you will be able to learn if you are entitled to commence a personal injury claim against the responsible parties for your truck accident. Call (888) 927-6955 to schedule your free legal consultation today.
Determining the responsible parties
When looking to figure out who is responsible for the accident itself and who may be responsible for damages you and your passengers have suffered due to the accident, there may be one or more parties that can be held liable. Your Georgia truck accident attorney will look at all of the following parties to see if they can be held accountable:
- The truck driver
- The owner of the truck and/or trucking company
- The manufacturer of all components of the trucks including the engine, brakes, tires, etc.
- The company or individual who loaded materials on it
- The individual or company that has performed maintenance on the truck
These factors will be looked at along with federal and state laws and regulations that apply to Georgia. After a thorough look of all potential points of liability and at-fault parties, you Gwinnett County truck accident lawyer will be able to tell you if you have a case, what damages a potential claim will ask for and which parties will be petitioned to be held responsible. However, the only way to see what your truck accident circumstances merit is by having a free legal consultation with your Georgia truck accident attorney at Shane Smith Law. Call (980) 246-2656 today!