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Truck accidents often lead to severe or permanently disabling injury and death. These crashes generally involve serious injuries that can present a significant emotional and financial burden on a victim and his or her family. If you or a loved one recently suffered harm in a truck crash in Savannah, you need the help of an experienced law firm. Contact us today to schedule a free case evaluation. The Savannah trucking accident attorneys at Butler Prather LLP are uniquely equipped to take your case. Contact us at our Savannah office to schedule a free case evaluation today.
Georgia’s major trucking companies, such as Atlantic Trucking Company Inc. and Grimes Trucking Company, have resources to combat liability claims. Going up against a trucking company in pursuit of fair compensation for injuries can be an uphill battle. It is up to you to strengthen your side of the case with help from an Savannah auto accident attorney. Hiring a lawyer can force a trucking company and its insurer to take your claim seriously. It can also prevent an insurance company from taking advantage of you during the claims process.
If you suffered catastrophic injuries or lost a loved one in a truck accident in Savannah, an attorney can accurately evaluate your case and give you a better idea of what it could be worth. An insurance company, on the other hand, may try to downplay your damages and offer less than your injuries demand. Hiring a lawyer to take over insurance settlement negotiations can guarantee someone fights for fair recovery on your behalf. It can also take the burden of legal processes off your shoulders while you concentrate on healing.
Truck accidents are often not accidents at all. They are preventable collisions that stem from someone’s negligence. A truck driver may cause a deadly accident by texting and driving, drunk driving, or breaking roadway rules. It is up to every road user, including truck drivers, to prevent trucking accidents. Examining truck collision statistics in the state and country can help spread awareness of the dangers of trucking and may be able to decrease the numbers in the future.
Almost every day, a large truck in Georgia collides with another road user. This is an issue that all trucking companies, their drivers, and all other road users should keep in mind. It is everyone’s responsibility to try to prevent fatal accidents with trucks. Keeping up with Georgia’s truck accident statistics can help you understand and appreciate the problem. Butler Prather LLP continuously keeps up with the latest crash data to help keep our community informed of the dangers large trucks can pose.
If you live in or near Savannah, you may have heard of the Devil’s Highway. This is the nickname for a part of Interstate 16, stretching from Bryan County into Savannah, Georgia. It earned the name from a track record of terrible car accidents that have taken dozens of lives. State officials estimate more than 27,000 vehicles travel this busy portion of highway every day. This includes many commercial trucks hauling cargo to and from the port in Savannah.
The Devil’s Highway has been the setting of many fatal accidents over the years. In 2016, five people died in a tragic accident on I-16 near exit 155, when a Mustang with three occupants crossed the median and struck another vehicle with two occupants. This followed another five-death accident in 2015 when a trucker rear-ended a line of vehicles and killed five Georgia Southern nursing students on their way to a group study project.
What makes this stretch of I-16 so dangerous is the heavy traffic, combined with a dangerous design that does not take high capacity into account. The Department of Transportation has promised safety improvements at I-16 interchanges, and plan to make it six lanes heading into Savannah. However, no current end date is in sight for this project. In the meantime, distracted drivers (the trucker was texting and driving at the end of his shift) and congested traffic continue to cause accidents on the Devil’s Highway near Savannah.
Accidents with trucks, because of the sheer size and weight of the vehicles involved, are often catastrophic. Unfortunately, these accidents can occur in a number of ways, putting all drivers on the road in danger. Some of the most common types of truck accidents include:
Determining liability in a trucking accident is notoriously complex. Truck drivers and their employers must follow both state and federal laws that apply to trucking. When they fail to follow one of them, they may be guilty of negligence. However, these are not the only parties that may be liable for an accident. Any of the following may be wholly or partially responsible for a trucking accident:
The complexity of the liability involved necessitates an attorney. Often, these cases involve multiple parties who may share the blame for the victim’s injuries. A Georgia truck accident attorney can help determine the parties responsible and negotiate on the victim’s behalf to assure a fair settlement based on the full extent of his or her damages.
A truck accident case may involve several types of damages. These include:
Trucking companies throughout the U.S. used to evade liability for most truck wrecks. They did so by leasing instead of owning the fleet vehicles and using independent contractors instead of hiring employees to haul the cargo. New rules from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), however, put an end to trucking companies unfairly escaping liability for wrecks. The FMCSA holds that all trucking companies will be responsible for their trucks and drivers, regardless of ownership or employment status.
A trucking company could bear liability for your crash in a few different circumstances:
Trucking companies will be liable for most trucking accidents in Georgia. However, other parties may share liability. A negligent passenger vehicle driver, for example, may have caused the initial hazard that resulted in the truck crashing into you. Product manufacturers could also share liability if a truck or vehicle part contributed to your injuries. Determining liability is one of the many tasks our truck accident lawyers in Savannah can complete for you.
Another important element an attorney can take care of on your behalf is determining the cause of your truck accident. The cause of the crash will answer the question of liability for your damages. Most truck crashes stem from human error. A lack of judgment on the part of the truck company or one of its drivers, for example, could lead to circumstances that are unsafe for other roadway users.
Identifying the cause of your Savannah accident can help you and your attorney determine the appropriate defendant. It may take an investigation of your crash and a review of available evidence to assign fault. Your lawyer can interview eyewitnesses, download black box information from the truck, revisit the scene of the accident, and take other steps to determine the cause of your collision. Then, your lawyer can file a claim against the correct party or parties in the Savannah courts.
If you or a loved one recently suffered harm in an accident involving a commercial motor vehicle or semi-truck, you need the help of an attorney. The firm at Butler Prather LLP can represent your rights and demand fair compensation for your injuries, pain, and suffering. To schedule a free case evaluation and to learn more about your legal options, contact us today.