HOME ABOUT MEET OUR TEAM PRACTICE AREAS LOCATIONS OUR RESULTS BLOG CONTACT 855-551-1019 Truck Accident Lawyer FREE CASE EVALUATION At the Eichholz Law Firm, our team of skilled truck accident lawyers has vast experience in representing plaintiffs injured in a vast array of trucking accident cases. Our attorneys understand local state law, applicable federal trucking regulations, and the accident investigation tactics that are crucial to resolving a trucking accident case, regardless of the size or magnitude. When it comes to truck accident litigation, we have experience in both out-of-court mediation and civil trials. If you or a loved one were injured or killed in a trucking accident, please reach out to our team of attorneys so that we can discuss a plan of action for your case. Frequently Asked Question About Truck Accidents What is a “commercial truck”? When should I file a truck accident lawsuit? Do I have to go to court? What should I do if I have been injured in a truck accident? What amount can I expect in a truck accident settlement? How much will a truck accident lawyer cost? How are car accidents different from truck accidents? Can I sue the truck driver’s employer if I am injured? Can I still win a lawsuit where I was partially at fault for the accident? What are truck “no zones”? Do truck drivers have a legal limit on their driving hours? Are there different laws that apply to truck accidents? Can I demand more money in my truck accident lawsuit? Types of Truck Accidents the Eichholz Firm Investigates Head-On Collisions Jackknife Truck Lost Loads Rear Or Side Underride Rollover Side Collisions (T-Bone) Tire Blowout Truck Rollovers Types of Trucks Involved in our Motor Vehicle Accident (MVA) and Truck Accident Cases Commercial Vehicles Of Any Size Tractor Trailers “Big Rigs” Or 18-Wheelers If you are unsure about the types of vehicles involved in your accident, especially if more than one car or truck was involved, do not worry. Reach out to us so that we can help you locate any police accident reports generated in response to your accident. The Difference Between a Truck Accident and a Car Accident Truck accident lawsuits may be different than car accident lawsuits since accident victims may not be dealing with the other driver’s insurance company as they would in a car accident. There will still be an insurance company involved, but it may be that of the company which employs the truck driver, which means the insurance company will be operating under a different set of rules. The company will likely have lawyers on retainer so it is essential to contact a truck accident lawyer as soon as possible. Common Causes of Truck Accidents Driver Fatigue According to a pivotal 2007 study conducted by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), fatigue is estimated to be a critical factor in 13% of all trucking accidents and 30% of all automobile accidents. In theory, this problem is supposed to be mitigated by Federal Hours of Service (HOS) regulations, which govern how many hours a trucker can drive at a time, how much time must be taken between shifts, and how many hours can be logged in any given week. These rules are broken all too frequently. It is alarmingly common for drivers to falsify their logs, and for trucking companies to imply or baldly insist that their drivers breach the HOS rules. In their race to stay profitable, many companies push their drivers past the limits of human endurance. Truck Maintenance Sometimes the average car driver may neglect their regular oil changes and tire rotation. That’s dangerous enough when it’s the family car. When it’s a big-rig truck, it may amount to catastrophic accidents. It is all too terribly common for truck tires to be worn out, for brakes, axles, and other truck parts to be old and in disrepair, and for maintenance to have been overlooked. Trucking companies and trucking brokers, out of concern for the bottom line, are often ready to shave their costs at the expense of safety. Substance Abuse Truck drivers work long hours in a dangerous job for low pay. They are alone much of the time, moving from town to town, with relatively little time to see their families. It’s a difficult life, and sadly, many of them deal with the tedium and stress by turning to substance abuse. Half of truck drivers have admitted to drinking and one-third to taking amphetamines. Many others consume cocaine and cannabis. While the pressures they face are a sad reality, there is no justification for the thousands of truck accidents that occur each year. Truck Accident Settlements There are five factors that affect liability in trucking accidents: liability, medical expenses, lost wages, property damage, and pain and suffering. Liability Quite simply, how much at fault the truck driver, or the trucking company or brokerage, can be shown to have been, the higher the settlement is likely to be — especially in a “fault state” like Georgia. If the trucker was intoxicated or overworked, if the company did not properly maintain the vehicle, or if there was simply a human error or miscalculation, the accident victim is likely to be able to demand a higher settlement. Proving any of this, however, requires a truck accident lawyer with experience in these areas to properly investigate the matter. Medical Expenses The extent of the medical damage resulting from a trucking accident will play a huge role in determining the extent of the settlement. Generally speaking, the higher the medical bills, the greater the consideration. An injury that requires hospitalization or causes life-altering consequences such as permanent mobility impairment will result in more compensation than one that only requires outpatient care. The lifetime of high medical costs that are associated with severe injuries will most likely result in a substantial settlement. Lost Wages Trucking accidents often cause injuries that prevent the victim from working for a period of time. Sometimes victims are permanently prevented from returning to their vocation. In cases like these, the claimant is entitled to compensation for lost wages or lost earning capacity. The inability to work must be proven. Typically, an employer must produce documented evidence that the patient’s injuries have made work impossible. The amount of the settlement will also vary by the patient’s income. A person making a six-figure salary will be entitled to greater compensation than someone earning $40,000. Property Damage Big-rig trucks are the largest vehicles on the road, so truck and car collisions will most likely result in far greater damage to the car and its passengers. Sometimes the damage inflicted is catastrophic. If the damage is repairable, the driver’s insurance company pays the bill and then the trucker’s insurance pays the driver’s insurance. But if the car is totaled, and the cost of repair exceeds that of the car’s value, the insurance must cover the blue book value of the car. Hence, information about the make and model of the driver’s car will determine the fair market value owed, and part of the legal settlement. Pain and Suffering The damages owed for pain and suffering are among the hardest to legally determine. A truck accident lawyer must look at all the causes mentioned above. The attorney will have to take into account the stress and aggravation caused, the lost life experiences, physical limitations, permanency, and other such factors. The lawyer also looks at the effects of an accident on others in the victim’s life, especially family and dependents. Also considered is the ability of a caregiver to support his or her family, how the familial and other relationships have been affected, and at the family’s anguish on seeing the driver’s impairment. Many of these factors are subjective and thus may be heavily disputed in settlement negotiations or in a courtroom. It is precisely for this reason that one needs an experienced truck accident lawyer. Proving the Truck Driver Was Negligent In order to successfully prove the claim in a truck accident lawsuit, the claimant must demonstrate that the other driver was negligent in their actions. There is no bright-line test to determine if a driver is negligent. Instead, there is a four-factor inquiry that each court will apply to determine whether there has been negligence. This test results from hundreds of years of case law and is applied to every situation in which potential negligence is involved. The elements of the test are as follows: The first question to be answered is whether the truck driver owed a duty of care to other drivers on the road. Usually, the answer to this question is an obvious yes. A truck driver cannot do whatever they please behind the wheel, especially as it impacts other drivers. Next, the court will determine whether the truck driver breached their duty of care. This question is framed as whether the truck driver acted as a reasonable truck driver would under the circumstances. This does not require absolute perfection, just that the driver did not act unreasonably under the circumstances. This part of the test is usually met if the truck driver broke a traffic law. For example, a reasonable driver would not travel at an excessive rate of speed or make illegal turns on the road. If the first two parts of the test are met, the court will look at whether the victim suffered an injury. So long as there is some sort of damage, this part will likely be met. Finally, the court will examine whether the truck driver’s actions were the proximate cause of the victim’s injuries. This is not always the case. For example, a truck driver can collide with another car as a result of another driver cutting off the truck. The question is “but for” the actions of the truck driver, would the victim’s injuries have occurred? Even if the truck driver was negligent, there is another factor to consider. The court will then look at whether the victim was to blame in any way for the accident that caused their injury. In a handful of states, the victim may not recover anything at all if they share even part of the blame. In Georgia, that is not the case. Georgia uses a modified comparative negligence test. This means that a party who was partially responsible for the accident may still recover for their injuries. For example, if the victim bears ten percent of the blame, their damage recovery is reduced by that amount. However, the law states that any party who is more than fifty percent responsible for the accident may not recover anything. Contributory and Comparative Negligence Assuming that negligence is proven, the next step in a truck accident lawsuit is to examine the actions of the injured driver to see if they were partly to blame for their own injury. For example, the driver could have been struck by a speeding truck when they were making an illegal turn. Only a few states bar the injured driver from any recovery if they are partly at fault. This is called contributory negligence. Most states, including Georgia, will reduce the amount of the driver’s recovery by the percentage that they were negligent. For example, if a jury decided that a driver was 20 percent negligent, they could only recover 80 percent compensation for their injuries. This is known as comparative negligence. Some states will not allow any recovery when a driver is more than 50 percent at fault for an accident. How Can a Truck Accident Lawyer Help? Accident victims should retain a truck accident lawyer as soon as possible. The truck driver’s employer will likely have their own attorney already on retainer. An accident victim will need an attorney immediately for several reasons: Identifying liable parties Complex truck accident cases often involve multiple parties, thereby making it difficult to ascertain which party is responsible for the accident and if more than one party is at fault, what percentage of fault belongs to each of the parties. We have significant experience in this kind of complex truck litigation and are able to identify the responsible parties and seek legal recourse against them. Conducting thorough and independent investigations Commercial trucking companies routinely employ their own slate of investigators in response to accidents of any magnitude, especially when litigation is likely to follow. Since the accident investigator works for the trucking company, their investigative reports are typically one-sided – against the interests of the injured party. Our team at the Eichholz Firm hires its own team of investigators and experts to conduct a careful, thorough investigation of the accident to ensure that a fair and balanced report is created for your case. Determining negligence on behalf of the driver or trucking company Depending on the specific facts of your trucking accident case, our attorneys may allege that one or more parties involved in your accident engaged in the negligent conduct. Negligent conduct that may give rise to liability includes: Driving while under the influence of drugs (DUI/DWI) Driving while extremely fatigued due to lack of sleep or extreme working conditions Speeding or driving too aggressively for road conditions, violating driving restrictions Road rage Distracted driving, including texting or making phone calls while driving In addition to negligence based on the conduct of the driver, there are several ways in which the trucking company can be negligent (even though the driver himself may not have been negligent): Setting routes and time constraints that lead to unsafe driving behaviors Failure to fix known mechanical or parts-related issues with trucks Inability to perform necessary diagnostic vehicle inspections Requiring truck drivers to log hours that are more than federal limits Dealing with Car Insurance Companies Immediately after the incident, automobile insurance companies will be calling for details about the accident. If the victim has suffered an injury in the accident, they may not be able to aptly deal with the insurance companies and will need an experienced lawyer to communicate on their behalf. Insurance companies rarely have the best interest of accident victims in mind, so an accident victim can greatly benefit from the aggressive legal representation a lawyer provides. Recreating the Events of the Accident Many of the facts surrounding the accident will need to be established. The accident scene is only preserved for a limited period of time. After that, witnesses will need to be interviewed and experts may need to be retained. A truck accident lawyer will need to establish a timeline of the incident along with a recreation of the actions of everyone involved. Negotiating a settlement A truck accident lawyer will need to negotiate a settlement if possible. Insurance companies and other parties to the accident will typically not give their best offer at first. In fact, they will try to lowball their settlement offers if they make one at all. A truck accident lawyer will know if the settlement offer is reasonable and if an agreement can be reached with further negotiations. There are often multiple parties involved in negotiations and pre-trial discovery that often include the commercial trucking company itself. As a result, it is crucial that you rely on an experienced team of attorneys who are skilled at handling complex civil litigation and pre-trial settlement negotiations. Our truck accident lawyers are successful in negotiating settlements with multiple parties involved in a trucking accident, which may include the insurance company, the truck driver, the trucking company that employed the driver, and any parts manufacturers that may be involved in the crash. Completing Lawsuit Paperwork If it is necessary to file a truck accident lawsuit, the attorney will draft and file the complaint. Courts have stringent requirements for how the paperwork must be filed and will not necessarily be lenient on those requirements for claimants who do not have a truck accident lawyer. Expert Legal Advice Accident victims need wise counsel throughout the entire process. Hopefully, the incident is the first and only time that the victim has been in an accident with a truck. The Eichholz Law Firm in Atlanta, GA has truck accident lawyers, and have helped many victims under similar circumstances and has the experience necessary to provide advice not just about legal matters, but about handling the accident as well. Dealing with Medical Insurance The high likelihood of injury in truck accidents means that there will probably be medical bills to tend to. Attorneys can help the victim deal with medical insurance in the event that there are uncovered medical expenses. I was involved in a trucking accident – what should I do? The reality is that most commercial trucking companies are well prepared to handle an accident in its immediate aftermath, while the individuals injured in the accident are focused on recovery. When the company’s trucks are involved in a crash, the trucking company immediately dispatches its own team of internal investigators and insurance adjusters to interview drivers and witnesses and to obtain evidence that they will use in an attempt to avoid liability. If you or a family member are involved in a truck accident, focus on your recovery first and foremost. The victims (and family members) should not give any statements to insurance companies or private investigators that claim that they are calling or visiting on behalf of the trucking company or its insurance company representatives. Instead, call the experienced truck accident lawyers at the Eichholz Law Firm immediately. We will handle any inquiries from the trucking companies and begin work on establishing your legal claim. Filing a Truck Accident Lawsuit If you or someone you love has been injured or killed as a result of a truck driver’s reckless or negligent driving, or due to suspected negligent conduct on the part of the trucking company, please call the skilled truck driver accident attorneys at the Eichholz Firm. Our truck accident lawyers will discuss a timeline and suggest next steps so that we can pursue the financial outcome you deserve while you can focus on recovery. Our attorneys are available to discuss all aspects of your potential claim and can answer any questions you might have about what to expect when you bring a truck accident lawsuit against a negligent truck driver or trucking company. Call The Eichholz Law Firm for a free case consultation if you have been involved in a truck accident. References Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. “Large Truck and Bus Crash Facts 2017”, United States Department of Transportation, https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/safety/data-and-statistics/large-truck-and-bus-crash-facts-2017. Accessed June 13, 2019. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. “The Large Truck Crash Causation Study – Analysis Brief”, United States Department of Transportation, https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/safety/research-and-analysis/large-truck-crash-causation-study-analysis-brief. Accessed June 13, 2019. Nolo. “Trucking Accidents: Common Causes & Liability”, Nolo, https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/trucking-accidents-common-causes-liability-30156.html. Accessed June 13, 2019. HG.org Legal Resources. “Truck Accident Law”, HG.org Legal Resources, https://www.hg.org/trucking-accidents.html. Accessed June 21, 2019. FindLaw. “Truck Accident Law: What You Need to Know”, FindLaw, https://injury.findlaw.com/car-accidents/truck-accident-law-what-you-need-to-know.html. Accessed June 21, 2019. Please seek the advice of a medical professional before making health care decisions. Georgia Car Accident Savannah GA Augusta GA Macon GA Atlanta GA Athens GA Georgia Truck Accident Athens GA Atlanta GA Augusta GA Macon GA Savannah GA Practice Areas Personal Injury Workers Compensation Product Liability Class Action Catastrophic Accidents Negligence Truck Accidents Testimonials Nice, Professional Staff from the beginning to the end. Alicia Proctor was a pleasure to work with. She made sure she followed through every step as she promised. Answering every question and concern I had throughout. Eichholz form work thoroughly to get their clients what they need and keep you in the loop. I can’t thank them enough. I would recommend this firm and I will certainly use them again in the future if need be. Rita Thomas VIEW ALL TESTIMONIALS CONTACT US Fill out this form for a free, immediate, case evaluation. 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