Truck accidents are different from car accidents in the following regards:
- Truck accident cases can involve multiple liable and at-fault parties.
- Truck accidents tend to result in more severe injuries than car accidents.
- Truck accidents are more likely to involve fatalities than car accidents.
If you or a loved one was involved in a truck accident, we may be able to help you seek compensation. Talk to an Atlanta truck wreck lawyer from our firm to help you understand your situation better and evaluate your winning chances. We can determine who holds fault and liability for your losses, calculate the cost of your expenses, and take legal action accordingly.
You can work with us at no out-of-pocket cost to you due to our contingency-fee structure. Continue reading to learn more.
Truck Accidents Can Include Multiple Liable Parties
There can be many different parties involved in the operation of a large truck. Truck drivers, their supervisors, the truck’s mechanics, and a host of other parties must do their part to reduce the risk of accidents.
When a truck collides with a passenger vehicle, multiple parties can be held responsible. This does not typically happen in a car accident case, where the involved parties own their vehicles and are responsible for their own vehicle’s upkeep.
Depending on how your truck accident happened, the following parties could be held responsible for your losses:
- The truck driver. All truck drivers must abide by the rules set in place by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). This involves refraining from recreational drugs and only driving for a certain number of hours. Failure to abide by these guidelines could make a trucker responsible in the event of a crash.
- The trucker’s employer. If your accident was caused by a negligent trucker, you could hold their employer vicariously responsible. For instance, you could argue that because the trucker’s employer allowed a reckless driver on the road, you were hurt.
- The truck’s mechanics. Commercial trucks sometimes drive for thousands of miles at a time. This means they must be maintained by mechanics who should check tire pressure, the engines’ function, and fuel levels. If a mechanic failed in their obligation to keep a truck roadworthy, they could share liability for your losses.
In the event of a truck accident, other parties could share liability for your losses beyond those parties listed here. The number of involved parties in your truck accident case is just one thing that sets these scenarios apart from car accidents.
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Truck Accidents Can Result in More Severe Injuries Than Car Accidents
The FMCSA reports that trucks can weigh 20 to 30 times more than passenger vehicles. When a 40-ton truck collides with a 2-ton passenger vehicle, the occupants of the smaller car can suffer serious injuries.
Some of these injuries may include:
- Cuts and lacerations
- Internal bleeding
- Organ damage
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord damage
- Scratches
- The loss of a limb
- The loss of a sensory organ
Truck accidents can result in injuries that last a lifetime. While passenger vehicle crashes can also result in life-altering conditions, this is even more common among truck victims of truck accidents.
Truck Accidents More Frequently Cause Fatalities Than Car Accidents
Because of the size and weight of large trucks, the occupants of the smaller vehicle may not survive their injuries in the event of an accident. Fatalities are especially common among passenger vehicle occupants involved in truck accidents.
If you lost a loved one in a truck accident, you could be eligible to recover compensation for the following types of losses:
- Loss of consortium
- The decedent’s medical bills
- Funeral and burial expenses
- And more
Under O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33, you have a limited time to file a lawsuit for personal injury or wrongful death cases. We can tell you more about the time limit that may apply to your case. If you begin your case early enough, we can ensure you meet all important deadlines.
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Call Bader Scott Injury Lawyers for Help with Your Case
As you can see, there are many things that make truck accidents different from car accidents. If you need help filing a personal injury or wrongful death case, Bader Scott Injury Lawyers can help you. We are ready to use our many years of combined experience to help you move forward from this stressful time.
To learn more about how we offer legal aid on a contingency-fee basis, call our Atlanta law firm today at (404) 888-8888. Your case review is free.
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