Truck Accidents: Early Attorney Involvement Helps To Protect Your Claim
Accidents involving a semi truck, tractor-trailer, 18-wheeler or other large commercial vehicles are often grouped together with other automobile collisions under the same category, but they are an entirely different ball game.
The injuries are often much more severe. You are also up against major insurance companies with extensive resources. They will quickly have an entire team of investigators on the scene with one goal: to find evidence that will allow them to underpay or deny your injury claim.
It is imperative that you have an attorney on your side who can match the power of your opponent. Patrick Flynn, Attorney at Law, is equipped to undertake even the most complex truck accident case in Georgia. With his office in Albany, Patrick will have an investigative team on site immediately to preserve evidence and protect your claim.
Patrick Flynn Knows Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations
Countless federal rules and regulations govern the operation of commercial vehicles in the trucking industry. When an accident occurs, a thorough investigation inevitably shows that at least one if not several of these rules were violated by the driver or trucking company. You must have a lawyer who has mastered these laws. It will affect the amount of compensation you are able to recover.
Analyzing the dynamics of the crash and uncovering the myriad violations are second nature for Patrick in determining liability. With hundreds of successful injury cases of all kinds including car crash cases, Patrick knows how to anticipate the challenges and defenses your opponent will raise.
Common truck accident causes include:
- Hours-of-operation violations or fatigued driving
- Overloaded or improperly loaded trucks
- Poorly maintained vehicles
- Speeding, following too closely or improper lane changing
- Failure to exercise extreme caution in hazardous weather conditions
- Reckless driving
- Driving while impaired
- Texting while driving
- Negligent hiring, training or supervising of drivers
Make sure that nothing prevents you from recovering the maximum compensation you are entitled to under the law. Work with a proven attorney for truck accidents in Georgia.
Frequently Asked Questions About Truck Accident Claims
You are welcome to bring your questions to the attention of attorney Patrick Flynn for a personalized evaluation of your case. You may ask about issues such as those described below. Attorney Flynn will keep the particulars of your truck accident and injuries in mind while answering your questions.
Who can I sue for truck accident injuries in Georgia?
There may be more than one defendant in your truck accident case. The trucker, trucking company, inspectors, truck repair facilities, loading dock supervisors, government entities in charge of signs and road maintenance, and truck parts manufacturers are often liable to compensate people injured in truck crashes.
What if the trucking company’s insurance refuses to pay my claim?
In Georgia, you can often sue a trucking insurance company directly, which may seem to be an advantage to the plaintiff – the injured person or surviving family members. However, such insurers typically fight hard to avoid paying or to minimize any compensation that they pay to the suing party.
Get a respected plaintiff’s lawyer on your side as soon as possible. Trucking company insurers will look for any legal loopholes they can find. Your attorney should look closely at all activities and communications from the trucking company that seems to be trying to avoid paying. Lies, coverups, destroyed evidence, skirting of court procedures through delays and other avoidance tactics may come to light.
Appeals may ultimately be necessary to overcome vigorous defense efforts. A skillful attorney on your side will prepare to play hardball with the defense if necessary.
What evidence is needed to recover compensation in a Georgia truck accident case?
The possible causes of a truck accident are so numerous that it is important to keep an open mind during the review of evidence that is part of a thorough investigation. Examples of evidence may include:
- The truck driver’s log documenting rest and driving time in the days before a crash
- Cellphone records that may reveal a likelihood of distracted driving
- DUI arrests and traffic tickets in the trucker’s background
- Permits or a lack of permits for oversize loads
- Documentation related to the loading dock where cargo was loaded
- Past complaints against the trucking company over federal and state regulation violations
- Weather reports and/or road repair records that may indicate a trucker was traveling too fast for the conditions
- Police reports about the crash as well as past crashes the trucker and/or trucking company was involved in
- Video or photo depiction of injuries
To build arguments in favor of punitive, noneconomic damages, it is also important to gather testimonies of family members of the injured person about the impact of the accident on their lives.
The Truck Accident Help You Need Is A Phone Call Away
Contact attorney Patrick Flynn immediately to schedule your free consultation with a skilled and experienced attorney.
Call him at his Albany law office at 229-234-1863. You can also complete this online form, and Patrick Flynn will contact you.