As an Atlanta Accident Attorney, I know that the vast majority of fatal vehicular deaths and serious injury cases involves tractor trailers or 18 wheelers. These cases require a Georgia trucking accident attorney or a Atlanta tractor trailer accident lawyer to properly handle them. The Law Office of Joseph P. McClelland negotiates insurance claims in Atlanta, Marietta, Decatur, Griffin, Macon and throughout the state. The pure size and mass of these trucks, semi trucks, and 18 wheelers makes them quite dangerous, even more so than your car. To make matters worse, Georgia truck drivers are on the road for long periods of time. This causes fatigue. Numerous laws are in place to restrict the truck driver’s time on the road and mandating rest periods. However, even with those rules in place, deaths are still a regular occurrence. Interstate 75, Interstate 85, I-20, and 285 are all prime spots for a car injury. If you or a loved on has been injured by an 18 wheeler in McDonough, Decatur, Atlanta, Macon, Marietta, Jackson, and more. Speak to a personal injury attorney at 770-775-0938 for a free, no obligation conversation about your case.
Georgia Trucking Statistics
Statistics on commercial vehicle collisions indicate that they happen every 16 seconds in the U.S. The Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards for cars are not designed to withstand the impact of a semi truck hitting you or jackknifing. Large trucks have huge blind spots or no zones that make them dangerous. Also, these trucks make wide right turns and create what is know at the “squeeze play”. Further, commercial trucks require much more distance to come to a complete stop and a car or motorcycle. U.S. National Transportation Safety Board has estimated that between twenty and forty percent of commercial vehicle accidents occur because of tired drivers.
Types of Injuries in Tractor Trailer Wrecks
- broken bones
- strained neck and back
- sprained neck and back
- lacerations
- burns
- whiplash
- concussion
- wrongful death
Georgia Areas of Compensation in Trucking Cases
- emotional distress
- missed work
- medical bills
- future medical bills
- future pain and suffering
- loss of enjoyment of life
- loss of consortium
- punitive damages
Talk to an experienced Georgia Tractor Trailer Injury Lawyer at 770-775-0938.
Of course, pain and suffering is a factor to be included. This factor depends of the type of medical treatment required, the extent of your injuries, the amount of work missed, the way it changed your life, the way it will change your future like, and similar types of questions.
Medical bills from your case are the bread and butter of our demand package. We will work side by side with you to make sure we have itemized each hospital and every facility you have gone to because of the trucking accident. It is vital to get all the medical bill because 1) that bill need to get negotiated and paid, and 2) we could have used is to get more money from the tractor trailer’s insurance company.
Our firm will work with each hospital, physical therapist, or any other provider to get each and every medical record associated with the your treatment. These documents are the meat of your Georgia trucking injury insurance claim. The authority on your injuries is your doctor and everyone who saw you while you were undergoing treatment and rehabilitation.
Our firm will also research accident cases that involve similar injuries as you have suffered. We will analyze the cases based upon the individual facts and the county that each case was tried. A case in Atlanta or tried in Jasper County will typically yield different results . The trial verdict in a Metro Atlanta county like Clayton County or Fulton County will usually be higher than a smaller rural county like Monroe County or Lamar County. That does not mean that you will not get a favorable verdict, just that there is more of a likelihood of a higher verdict in those counties.
If the driver of the commercial vehicle was intoxicated, then your personal injury case is much different. The different type of drug may also change the value of the case. Insurance companies are scared of punitive damages and will attempt to settle the personal injury case fast especially if the accident was in Clayton County, Fulton County, or Dekalb County.
One of the things that I will do for you is your accident attorney, is to make sure that none of the important evidence is lost, misplaced, or intentionally destroyed. What the law firm will do immediately after the accident is to send an anti-spoilation letter to the insurance company. What this does is informs the insurance company that a claim may be filed and that certain information that they have may be required in a lawsuit. Now, there is no individual tort for destroying evidence. However, certain favorable inferences may be drawn from the absence of certain evidence. Before your family was probably even notified of the accident and definitely before they are arrived on the scene of the accident, and insurance company representative for the truck driver was already on scene. Most likely an attorney for the insurance company was already there, as well. What that means for a plaintiff’s attorney is that we already start off behind them. In the truck driving accident or an accident with a 18 wheeler being on the ball in prepared early in the case is almost essential. It is important in all cases, but with trucking cases especially.
Of course, the standard operating procedures that apply in a car accident also apply a trucking accident. That is never discuss the accident or the injury you sustained with the insurance company for the other side. Not only should you not discuss the case with them, under no circumstances before you speak with an attorney should you sign anything that they attempt to put in front of you.
Trucking Accident Statistics
This article is about tractor trailer accident statistics in the United States by the Georgia Tractor Trailer Injury Lawyer. Some of the stats are similar to what you think about with the amount of cars and trucks on the road, not to mention crazy drivers.
Tractor trailer accident statistics from the United States Department of Transportation, estimates that semi trucks and tractor trailers account for 500,000 accidents each year. That is a lot of injuries. Around 5,000 of those accidents result in death. With the trucks near 80,000 pounds, you never stood a chance. Let a personal injury lawyer help you recover the compensation you deserve.
Fatal Trucking Statistics
Twelve percent of all fatalities are caused by 18 wheelers. Further, you are 98 percent more likely to to die than the truck driver. Further, 68 % of truck accidents happen in the county as opposed the to the city. Of the accidents, 30 % were caused by driver fatigue while only 1 % were caused by drug or alcohol use.
One statistic on the side of the truck drivers is that around 75 % of the accidents were caused by the cars.
One of the more interesting facts I learned while researching this article is that in 1896 there were only four cars in America. Two of them got into a car accident in St. Louis. Pretty cool.
We represent clients injured in Georgia, Atlanta, Marietta, Buckhead, Decatur, Stockbridge, Forest Park, Morrow, Riverdale, McDonough, Jackson, Griffin, Forsyth, Barnesville, Macon, Dekalb County, Clayton County, Fulton County Trucking Lawyer, and more. If you have been injured or a family member was hurt because of someone else, call Mr. McClelland today to discuss your case. The insurance claims process is geared to beat you. The insurance company has spent more time and money than you could ever believe to know you, know what you do, how you do it, when you will do it, and how to make you go away. By the way, it was your fault, wasn’t it? (that is what they say and try to make you believe) Let me handle them and put them in their place.
Let us represent you against the insurance company. We will help you get all of your medical bills, future medical bills, past and future pain and suffering damages. A small mistake can make a huge difference in getting your case settled.
One of the takeaways here, I guess, is that tractor trailers cause fewer accidents than we probably believed. That does not mean that they are not dangerous. In fact, they are extremely dangerous. But the point here is that they are involved in fewer accidents than you would initially believe. I once had a truck driver leave a comment on this website indicating that I was making it sound like truck drivers were always responsible when they were involved in an accident. That was not my intention in that legal article. I hope that was not your take away either. 18 wheelers when they are involved in accidents call such a disproportionate amount of damage that everyone becomes more fearful than perhaps they should. So, statistically you are more likely to be involved in the automobile accident than a tractor-trailer accident. In fact, statistically speaking that is a very accurate statement.
I hope you have enjoyed this legal article on tractor-trailer accident statistics. As a George accident lawyer and an Atlanta lawyer, I have the experience to represent you if you are a family member has suffered a catastrophic or serious injury because of an accident that was not your fault. I only represent a handful of cases in any given year in order to give the best customer service . Call my office at 770-775-0938 to speak directly to me, Joseph P McClelland. Thank you for your time.
Glossary of the American trucking industry front end of a semi-trailer when it is not connected to a semi-truck number of wheels that the typical OTR tractor-trailer configuration has.…
Jackknifing towing a trailer such that it resembles the acute angle of a folding pocket knife overheat and fade while the tractor brakes remained fresh.… This is common with big trucks pulling trailers.
Epidemiology of motor vehicle collisions in 2005 Modern accident statistics often focus on reportable injury accidents which include deaths rather than reporting on deaths alone.…
Traffic collision A traffic collision also known as a traffic accident motor vehicle collision Youth Insurance statistics demonstrate a notably higher.…
If you have enjoyed this article, you might want to check out a recent article about trucking discovery issues. In that article I review certain pieces of evidence that must be preserved in order to maintain the strength of your lawsuit or settlement position. The article includes certain pieces of evidence such as maintaining the actual truck itself, internal memos, post accident alcohol and drug testing, information regarding similar or prior accidents, and other important types of evidence. Thanks for reading this legal article on tractor trailer accident statistics.
A log truck overturned on April 13th, 2010 in Effingham County, Georgia. It is reported that the log truck lost control and overturned. Then, according to reports, the log truck lost its cargo load onto the highway. Further, the log truck hit another vehicle. A personal in the car is reported to be injured, but not critically so. Our best wishes go out to the family and friends of all parties. Log truck accidents are very dangerous. If you have been injured because of a log truck in Georgia, call me today at 770-775-0938.
If you have been injured by a log truck, 18 wheeler, tractor trailer, big rig truck, or just a vehicle, contact our law office today for advice. We represent clients in all types of accidents with all types of injuries. Call us today at 770-775-0938. Let an experienced attorney fight for your rights.
We represent clients in McDonough, Stockbridge, Griffin, Jackson, Monticello, Forsyth, Macon, Atlanta, Decatur and more for car accidents with drunk drivers, Griffin personal injury from DUI driver, tractor trailer accidents with drunk driver, pedestrians hit by drunk drivers in Griffin, motorcyclist hit by DUI driver. Let the Georgia Accident Lawyer be there for you in Griffin, Georgia. Representing Dekalb County, Fulton County, Clayton County, Cobb County, Bibb County and more. For more information on log truck accidents, go to Georgia Car Accident Law Firm.
Public safety summary Savannah Morning News Public safety summary. Savannah Morning News. A 58-year-old Ellabell man died on his way to work Friday when his SUV rammed into the back of a log truck on US 80 in Garden City. The wreck happened shortly after 6 am near Alfred Street. Terry Williams died on impact. Capt. Gil Ballard who heads up and more.…
Police Officer Killed in Accident with Logging Truck Truck Accident A Civilian Reserve Police Officer with the Waynesboro Police Department in Georgia was killed in a truck accident on the morning of Wednesday Feb. 1 when his Ford Ranger was struck by an 18-wheel log-hauling truck.…
ONLY ON 12 Log truck runs into trailer all by itself Augusta GA What started as a normal evening for a Richmond County family turned into a true Friday the 13th and it could have been much worse than just scary. News 12.…
Not much good can come from a log truck accident. The worst thing that could happen is that your injuries exceed your ability to have those bills and injuries covered. That would be a nightmare, but it happens more than you think. Insurance availability is key is substantial injury cases. Log truck accidents are usually not just fender benders. If there is a positive aspect about a wreck involving a log truck or tractor trailer is that they typically have large insurance policies. Contact an Atlanta trucking lawyer or Atlanta personal injury lawyer if you have been injured by a log truck. That means that if they are determined to be liable, enough insurance will be available to cover the damages associated with the log truck accident.
When representing the client who’s been injured in a trucking accident, it is important that certain evidence be maintained and not destroyed for use at trial and for use during settlement negotiations. I recently attended continuing legal education class for personal-injury attorneys in Georgia, and one of the speakers to Mr. Ausband gave an interesting lecture on informal discovery and trucking cases. I felt that I would review some of the information that he went over and that CLE with you today.
Under Georgia law if the insurance company fails to preserve certain evidence they can be sanctioned by the court. One of the things we will need to be preserved in a trucking accident case so that the evidence isn’t change or repaired or are altered or destroyed is the tractor-trailer itself. This makes complete sense because if they’re going to claim something is wrong or not wrong with the vehicle then we need to be able to inspect.
Another piece of evidence we would like to be preserved are oversize permits or licenses covering the truck or the load on the truck on the particular day of the accident. The drivers daily logs for the day of the accident and eight days before can be extremely helpful.As well as the drivers daily inspection reports. If there was any repairs or inspections of the vehicle enough time, that would be valuable information as well. For example, if they have repaired something and that was the reason for the accidents that information could be valuable.
The driver himself has a drivers license qualification file and in that file should be his application for the job, his CDL license, prior traffic accidents or violations, his employment history, an annual MVR, annual review of the drivers history, any certifications any drug testing reports, and other similar items.
Another important piece of evidence that should be maintained is the drivers post accident alcohol and drug testing results. If they have this information and it is not in the public record, that information is critical. The driver was under the influence at the time of the accident, the posture of the case changes for numerous reasons.
If there were any e-mails or letters or any other types of documents between the driver and the companyor enter company memos, we would like those to be preserved as well. Now, anything created by attorneys will be protected under the attorney-client privilege, however I’m speaking of communications within the company.
Another important piece of information have in a tractor-trailer accident is any type of electronic data from the truck itself most trucks have downloadable electronic data from the it tractor-trailers engine. That information includes the speed of the vehicle or the operation of the vehiclefor the six months preceding the accident. I’m very thankful for we all have this owner owned cars.
I hope you found this legal article informative and enjoyable. As you can see from some of the information provided, handling a tractor-trailer case in Georgia is much different than the traditional automobile accident case. Before your family can even get to the scene of the accident, representatives from the insurance company for the truck driver are already on the scene. Because of this, it is important to force the insurance company and attorneys for the insurance company to preserve and maintain not spoil any of theprecious evidence that is going to be used at trial or in a settlement prior to trial.
Atlanta attorney Joseph P McClelland represents clients across the state of Georgia and all types of personal injury cases. If you’ve been injured and that tractor-trailer or trucking accident, contact my office today at 770-775-0938 to discuss your case and confidential and private setting. All of our personal-injury consultations are free of charge. We represent clients in the metro Atlanta area, Marietta, Roswell, Stone Mountain, Decatur, Stockbridge, Jonesboro, McDonough, Griffin, Jackson, Monticello,and other cities.
This article is a about Fulton County Trucking Wrecks in Georgia and Atlanta tractor trailer accident lawyer information. This is general information, and the one take away is to call an attorney today. An Atlanta trucking lawyer can make a big difference in your case. Representing yourself or a family member in a commercial accident insurance claim is a mistake. If you do it, be prepared to call a bankruptcy lawyer in the future. Call an Atlanta, Georgia Personal Injury Lawyer.
Tractor trailers, semi trucks, commercial vehicles, log trucks, asphalt trucks, buses, and other large vehicles cause extreme injuries when involved in accidents. As an Atlanta tractor trailer accident lawyer, I know that when a client is telling me about an injury that was because of trucking accident, I know that the injury is more severe than usual. Sometimes they turn over. Sometimes they just hit you because the truck driver was not paying attention to the road and your car.
Safety standards for cars in Atlanta and the U.S. are primarily designed for collisions with other cars, not accidents with tractor trailers. If you have been in a tractor trailer accident in Atlanta, call an Atlanta trucking accident attorney today. We represent clients in Atlanta, Decatur, Jonesboro, Forest Park, Buckhead, Smyrna, Duluth, Dunwoody, Alpharetta, Vinings, Midtown Atlanta, Downtown Atlanta, and South Atlanta. Call us today for a free consultation about your Atlanta 18 wheeler personal injury case today.
If you have ever driven through Atlanta and Fulton County on Interstate 75, you know that is a dangerous drive. The lanes get so narrow as you go from Clayton County to Fulton County that you can’t help to avoid getting into an accident.
Call today at 770-775-0938
I just recently finished an article about trucking accident cases in Georgia call Fulton County Trucking Wreck. The focus of the article is about informal discovery before litigation actually starts. This topic is quite important because certain pieces of evidence will often be misplaced, lost, or destroyed. The information that might be lost could be valuable or pivotal to being successful in your personal-injury lawsuit against a trucking company. Pieces of evidence such as post accident alcohol and drug testing, driving logs, permits and licenses, and other types of evidence will be critical moving forward victoriously against an insurance company. Thank you for reading this article entitled Fulton County Trucking Wreck.
If you have been hurt by a drunk truck driver, then you need an attorney immediately to advise you of your rights. The following is a recent story involving a drunk driver. Had the driver been a truck driver, the case would carry even more value for several reasons. The first being a drunk driver is capable of killing someone. Second, a drunk truck driver can kill someone with even less of a mistake. Third, these guys are on the job and getting paid. That means that the company will be liable for their behavior, but if they knew about it, then they will be liable for additional reasons.
Two librarians died from a car accident involving a drunk driver. Drunk drivers only cause a small percentage of all car accidents, but their accidents are deadly.
The driver of the car,Sandra Jacobson, was found guilty of drunk driving and vehicular homicide. One librarian killed was Kathleen Krasniewicz. The other librarian killed by the drunk driver was Kate McClelland. The fatal accident happended on the morning of January 27, 2009
When someone drinks and drives, they are putting everyone at risk. It is one thing to make a mistake, but these cases are almost intentional. They took the risk that they would be fine, but did not have any regard for you. These types of cases may allow for punitive damages. Because the other driver had no regard for your safety, it is like they looked at the consequences and said who cares. Punitive damages are on top of the other damages allowed in a personal injury case.
New DUI task force could help prevent drunk driving tragedies WRBL New DUI task force could help prevent drunk driving tragedies. WRBL. A new DUI enforcement unit is cracking down on drunk drivers in Muscogee County. more A new DUI enforcement unit is cracking down on drunk drivers in Muscogee County. The Georgia state patrol said one third of the fatalities that occur in Muscogee and more.…
Man Sentenced To Eight Years In Fatal Crash Patch.com Man Sentenced To Eight Years In Fatal Crash. Patch.com. Judge Kevin McMahon of the GA 10 Court also ordered him to serve three years of probation during which time he must attend alcohol evaluation counseling and treatment have no contact with the victims families and complete 50 hours of community and more.…
You can try to handle your own insurance company negotiations, but don’t. Do you know what your case is worth? Is that not why you came to this website right now? You are looking for information. I applaud that. But, you would not want me doing your job. Why? You took time to develop your skills and ability. It would take me time to get it down and even more time to be good at it. The same goes with my job. Let me do it, and do it well for you. I regularly negotiate personal injury and car accident claims in my office. I do them myself. I do not have a paralegal handle your case, I do. One call will not get you all, but that is just logical sense. If I only negotiated once, and took their first offer, I would stink. Plain and simple. It takes time to get to a proper settlement. Sometimes, it requires filing suit and proceeding with litigation. Because I can do this, and you cannot, why would they ever make you a non-insulting offer. You can’t do anything but complain. I will sue.
Georgia Personal Injury lawyer representing McDonough drunk driving accidents in Henry County, Griffin drunk driving accidents in Spalding County, Stockbridge drunk driving accidents in Henry County. We also represent North Georgia in the cities of Atlanta, Marietta, Buckhead, Midtown, Decatur, Lithonia, Stone Mountain, Jonesboro and Dekalb County, Fulton County, Clayton, Gwinnett County, Cobb County, Jasper County, Spalding County, Butts County and Bibb County, Georgia.
Image via Wikipedia
I know that a wrecks with semi trucks are some of the most dangerous accidents that happen on the road everyday which is why I authored this article entitled Commercial Vehicle Insurance Claims. Insurance claims are dealt with differently than car accident claims.
Commercial Vehicle Insurance Claims are Different Because:
The first reason is the value of the claim. When your typical driver hits you, they may have the minimum insurance requirements of $25,000 per person. The average commercial driver has a policy of around $1,000,000. Therefore, the insurance company for a truck driver has way more to lose in a settlement or trial verdict. This is why they treat these cases with a great deal of care.
The second way a 18 wheeler insurance claim is different from a car accident is the type and severity of the injuries you get. These things are huge and knock you around without slowing them down. One case I had, the driver hit either 7 or 8 cars before he came to a stop.
How to File a Commercial Vehicle Insurance Claim
If you have been hurt in a tractor trailer accident in Stockbridge, Jonesboro, McDonough, Jackson, Decatur, Atlanta, Marietta, Macon, Forsyth, or anywhere in Georgia, contact our office today at 770-775-0938.
Let’s take an example. You are driving on Interstate 75 when the traffic ahead starts to slow for no reason. (I am looking at you McDonough) You come to a full stop when you look in you rear-view mirror to see a truck not being able to stop. You exchange information. He lives in Dekalb County. The accident was in Henry County. You live, let’s say Fulton County. The business the truck driver worked for was registered to do business in Cobb County which is very likely. Where will the case be litigated? The answer is going to be Cobb County. The usual answer is the county where the at-fault driver hit you, which would be Dekalb County. However, since his employer will be vicariously liable and will demand to litigate in Cobb County.
I have recently completed a new article about tractor-trailer accidents. The focus of the article is about discovery in trucking cases in Georgia. Now, handling a tractor-trailer accident case versus a typical automobile accident case requires an additional set of knowledge. Information that is not required or not necessary in a car accident case can be critical to success in a tractor-trailer accident case. Certain things cannot be misplaced or destroyed or you will never know the actually existed. This article covers some of the items that should be and must be requested the insurance company to preserve prior to filing suit and a tractor-trailer or trucking accident case. Hope you enjoyed this article on Commercial Vehicle Insurance Claims.
Image via Wikipedia
An 18 wheeler turned over on I-20 spilling its contents. The semi truck was heading east on I-20, when drove off the highway near mile marker 100 when the driver lost control. The driver crashed through the median and turned over. The tractor trailer accident caused a five gallon container of chlorine to spill out. The truck driver was taken to the hospital for non-life threatening personal injuries.
Traffic was diverted to avoid the accident which happened in Newton County, Georgia.
As a Georgia Car Accident Lawyer I know that if a driver from Atlanta, let’s say in a car going the opposite direction, could not avoid the over-turned truck. An accident follows.
We provide quality personal injury advice to clients in Atlanta, Decatur, Marietta, East Atlanta, Midtown Atlanta, Stockbridge,McDonough, Jackson, Griffin, and Macon, as well as Dekalb County, Clayton County, Fulton County, Cobb County and Bibb County.
When you’re driving down interstate, it is always a scary thing to be behind tractor-trailer or thinking. It seems that you can never see the driver, so always wonder if they can see me. And calls a big load they’re carrying, my little car is just waiting to be cruncher knocked off the road. Let me be clear, truck drivers, our job. Whenever I’m on the road for long. Time I lose focus and get agitated and become more aggressive driver then usually. Nothing the truck drivers armrest drivers, I’m just saying that road rage comes from, on the road. And since it’s big man versus small man in terms of the size difference of the different vehicles, is imperative that caution is observed at all times when driving near or around 18 wheelers. the potential that a big truck and turnover is quite common. Just like cars turnover so the trucks. Just blank in SUVs or sport utility vehicles have an increased opportunity to roll over, trucks and large trucks even more.
Motorcyclist dead after collision with 18 wheeler driver charged ABC NEWS 4 Motorcyclist dead after collision with 18 wheeler driver charged. ABC NEWS 4. North Charleston Police say they responded at around 7 30 am Monday morning to an accident with injuries at Remount Road near Virginia Avenue. The driver of the 18 wheeler 47-year-old Louis Hunter Jr. of Sylvania GA told police that he exited a and more.…
El Dorado Springs Sun Online 18 WHEELER TURNS OVER 18 WHEELER TURNS OVER. Posted October 20 2011 at 10 17 am. Simple Window Modal. Thank you for visiting eldoradospringsmo.com. We hope you’ve enjoyed your 2 free articles this week. As you may already know we are now.…
Tow Truck Operator Drops His Truck and 18 Wheeler Off Cliff Amazing. It turns out that there was a driver in the 18 wheeler. He went down the cliff and landed in the river. He survived with only a few broken bones. The news goes on to say that the truck was not insured so he’s screwed.…
I have recently completed a new article about discovery in tractor-trailer cases. As you might have noticed from previous articles on this site, having a car accident case in a trucking accident case are completely two different things. The amount of evidence and details and knowledge of federal transportation mauls are critical. After attending a recent legal continuing education class, I felt the need to publish this article about informal discovery in Georgia tractor-trailer cases. Hope you find the article enjoyable and readable. And if you have been an accident involving a tractor-trailer, then I hope you understand that contacting attorney immediately is a high-level priority for you. Successive year case truly depends on having immediate imprecise legal advice. Thanks for reading this article called 18 Wheeler Turns Over.
