Commercial Truck Accidents
The substantial size of commercial trucks, their notoriously large blindspots, and difficulty with quick maneuvering or braking makes them particularly dangerous to other drivers or pedestrians. Motor vehicle accidents involving commercial trucks are often some of the most devastating, causing severe bodily harm and vehicle damage.
Fighting the commercial truck company and their insurance provider without an Atlanta truck accident attorney can feel insurmountable, especially during a period of difficult, prolonged recovery from physical injuries. Having a Cheves Briceno truck accident attorney Atlanta team member on your side throughout this process will allow you to relinquish certain worries and anxieties regarding your case. Nonetheless, if the driver was negligent or intentional in causing an accident that resulted in your harm, you likely have a strong case for receiving compensation to help recover from the financial and emotional impacts of the incident.
An experienced Atlanta truck accident attorney with a proven track record of success can help you navigate the legal process, successfully fight your case and secure the highest possible compensation.
A Truck Accident Can Cause Serious Harm
Due to the sheer size of a truck, an accident can cause life-changing injuries. If you’re suffering due to a negligent driver, Cheves Briceno can help you. We have represented clients in Georgia, Alabama, Florida, and Washington state. Trust a firm that is dedicated to getting the best possible result.
What You Can Expect When You Work With Us
Truck drivers are held to a higher standard, which means that there are often many people held responsible when they are involved in an accident. Besides the driver themselves, the company they work for and their insurance company can also be liable. That being said, these organizations often have a tough legal team behind them ready to defend themselves. That is where we step in. We will fight for the compensation you are entitled to, whether it be for medical expenses, lost wages, or any pain and suffering you have gone through.
Unfortunately, there are numerous reasons why an accident might happen. Truck drivers are often forced to work long hours with little to no sleep. They also might not have received proper training. On top of that, road conditions and the weather can have a serious impact on how these vehicles should be handled. Regardless, it is our job to hold the negligent party accountable. Our truck accident attorney Atlanta team will help you through the legal process from beginning to end.
Unfortunately, there are numerous reasons why an accident might happen. Truck drivers are often forced to work long hours with little to no sleep. They also might not have received proper training. Additionally, road conditions and unfavorable weather can have a serious impact on how these vehicles should be handled. Truck drivers are held to a higher regulatory standard than other drivers, which means that there are often many people held responsible when commercial drivers are involved in an accident. An experienced Atlanta truck accident attorney will know exactly which regulations apply in a commercial truck accident claim.
Aside from the commercial truck driver, their employer and insurance provider can also be liable in your accident. Despite their potential liability, these companies often have a tough legal team behind them ready to defend the actions and interests of the organization. Without a trusted Atlanta truck accident attorney you will be left to face these experienced teams alone.
That is where we step in. As your Atlanta truck accident attorney we will fight for the compensation to which you are entitled, whether it’s for medical expenses, lost wages, or any pain and suffering you have endured due to the accident. Our job as your Atlanta truck accident attorney is to protect you and hold the negligent party accountable. The knowledgeable Atlanta commercial truck accident attorneys at Cheves Briceno will help you through the legal process from the first day until your claim is successfully resolved.
There are multiple kinds of accidents involving large commercial trucks. Some types of truck accidents are uniquely attributed to the style and size of the vehicle while other accidents are due to the same types of driver error(s) that would cause a regular car crash. The most common occurrences of commercial truck accidents include:
- Collisions (i.e., head-on, T-bone, rear or sideswiped)
- Jack-knifed semi-trailers
- Rollover accidents
- Tire blowouts
- Cargo mishaps (e.g., falling off the truck, spilling out of containers, blowing onto the road, etc.)
Common examples of commercial truck accident causes that can be ascribed to negligence or purposeful harm include:
- Drunk or intoxicated driving
- Distracted driving (e.g., texting, using a cell phone, etc.)
- Improperly loaded cargo
- Carelessness or lack of attentiveness while driving
- Aggressive driving
- Lack of maintenance
- Uncertified or untrained driver
- Fatigued driver
- Faulty equipment
- Irresponsible driving in severe weather conditions
Commercial truck accident claims are an attempt on part of the claimant to secure compensation for damages caused by an accident. Like most personal injury cases, commercial truck claims can be settled out of court or taken to trial with the help of an Atlanta truck accident attorney. If the negligent actions of a commercial truck driver (or their employer) result in an accident that causes personal injury, the defendant likely has grounds to receive compensation for legitimate damages. Your Atlanta truck accident attorney will provide guidance on the validity and potential compensation available from your claim.
Commercial truck accident cases can be more complex than a typical car accident and involve multiple negligent parties. Accordingly, it is highly recommended to work with an Atlanta truck accident attorney when you are seeking damages as part of your personal injury claim. Determining who is at fault in a specific accident does not mean proving that one party bears all of the responsibility. Instead, fault is generally considered in percentages, and a successful Atlanta truck accident attorney will show that the defendant bears a majority of the responsibility.
One factor that adds additional complexity to a commercial truck accident case is whether the driver’s employer also bears responsibility. The driver may have been put in a position where they had to decide between following a safety procedure or potentially losing shifts, or even their employment. A proven Atlanta truck accident attorney will conduct extensive research to determine if a driver’s employer bears any responsibility for the accident occurring. There are numerous ways for a commercial driver’s employer to share the burden of fault, including:
- Hiring unqualified drivers (e.g., unlicensed, uninsured, bad driving records, etc.)
- Creating an unsafe load by irresponsibly stacking or failing to secure cargo
- Forcing drivers to work back-to-back shifts without rest
- Failing to properly maintain their equipment, causing a preventable malfunction
Many of the decisions described above are either made or managed by the employer and can cause them to also be at fault. To show how these failures of oversight contributed to your personal injuries, your Atlanta truck accident attorney will need to demonstrate a direct relationship between a defendant’s negligence and the accident.
In most vehicle accidents, the drivers involved share the same responsibilities and burden of care. Cases involving purportedly negligent actions (like most personal injury suits) rely on a standard called “burden of care,” which means the reasonably expected duty to exercise certain precautions, follow standards or act responsibly in a given situation. Because truck drivers have to follow more regulations and laws, they have a greater burden of care - as an Atlanta truck accident attorney will prove during your claim negotiations or trial.
Commercial truck drivers and their employers must adhere to practices and procedures like the following:
- Limited shift times to avoid fatigue - drivers are not allowed to drive for extended periods
- Driver drug testing before employment and randomly while employed
- Properly securing loads, including weight and size limitations
- Hiring trained and licensed drivers
- Supervisor training
These regulations are determined and enforced by both state and federal level agencies. Expert Atlanta truck accident attorneys are well versed in these regulations, including how failing to follow them can expose a driver or employer to liability.
The higher amount of regulations does mean that there are more ways for commercial drivers and companies to be held financially accountable by an Atlanta truck accident attorney when an accident occurs. However, the number of parties involved, legal complexities and overwhelming amount of research and evidence gathering analysis involved in successfully representing a claimant require a skilled attorney. An expert Atlanta truck accident attorney will know exactly what kind of information to demand from the defendant and how to build the most successful case possible.
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We are headquartered in Peachtree Corners, GA, but we have a much farther reach. At Cheves Briceno, we represent clients in no fewer than four states: Georgia, Florida, Alabama, and Washington. Even if you do not live in the Atlanta metro area, we can still represent you.