According to the United States Department of Transportation Federal Motor Carrier Safety, at least 77,000 of the approximately 141,000 truck crashes in 2011 could be blamed on driver error. Truck accident injuries are often severe due to a truck's size and weight and are difficult to avoid because of long stopping distances required by tractor trailers. If you are the victim of a truck accident it is important to have an experienced truck accident attorney in Clayton County.
In a case in another state, a jury returned a verdict for $281 million to the family of a man killed when a tractor trailer's drive shaft flew through his windshield and killed him. It is theorized that the jury returned such a large verdict because the tractor trailer belonged to a company that is unpopular as it does local oil shale fracking.
Attorneys for the family alleged negligent maintenance by the trucking company. The jury's verdict included $100 million in punitive damages for the "extreme nature of the company's negligence."
A similar punitive damages verdict in Georgia would be reduced to $250,000 unless the jury found clear and convincing evidence of harmful intent on the part of the trucking company.
If you or someone you know has been hurt by a truck driver, meet with a truck accident lawyer at Shane Smith Law. We can assist you in every stage of your case including obtaining the available evidence.