Truck accidents happen all the time. When a tractor-trailer hits a passenger car or light truck, the occupants in the smaller vehicles often suffer severe injuries or fatalities. When the negligence or recklessness of a truck driver or the trucking companies causes a semi-truck accident, crash victims deserve to be compensated for their injuries and losses.
If you’ve been injured in a truck accident in Grayson, Georgia, turn to Cain Injury Law. When you’re facing anxiety and stress due to severe injuries and financial burdens, you need an attorney you can feel comfortable with and trust to fight for your rights and interests against the big trucking companies.
The legal team at Cain Injury Law is from the community and for the community. You become a part of the family when you walk through our doors. At our firm, we put in the time to understand our clients’ goals, needs, and concerns so that we can pursue a legal strategy aimed at getting you the results you deserve.
Contact Cain Injury Law for a free initial case review with a knowledgeable Grayson truck accident attorney. Learn more about how our firm can help you maximize the recovery you receive in your truck accident injury case.
What Makes Truck Accidents So Complicated?
Truck accident cases have several unique aspects that often make them more complicated than other kinds of motor vehicle accident claims. For example, truck crashes may have:
- More evidence involved – Both federal and Georgia trucking regulations require trucking companies to keep a significant amount of documentation in the course of business. All of this information can become evidence in a truck accident case since any document may potentially point to how an accident occurred and establish how the trucking parties may have been liable for the accident.
- More parties that could be liable – The trucking industry involves many different types of companies. Any of these parties could be responsible for causing a semi-truck accident, or a combination of these parties may contribute to causing a crash. Parties that can be held liable for truck accident injuries include the truck driver, the trucking company, the truck’s owner (if different from the trucking company or truck driver), the freight company, the truck mechanic, or the truck manufacturer or manufacturers of parts used in the truck.
- More accident victims – Tractor-trailer accidents can involve multiple vehicles, meaning that a crash may injure several different people. That can add complications to your truck accident claim, especially if numerous claims end up exhausting the at-fault parties’ insurance coverage or financial resources. When that happens, you may end up not being fully compensated for your losses or having to turn to your own insurance for underinsured motorist coverage.
- Accident victims with more severe injuries – The force of an impact by an 18-wheeler can cause catastrophic injuries. That may mean that a truck accident victim will have extensive losses and may still be undergoing treatment by the time they bring their claim. Those factors make it more difficult to calculate the full extent of the victim’s losses. It also means more money may be on the line in the case.
- Complex insurance coverage structures – Many trucking companies use layered corporate systems and insurance policies to conceal the true extent of financial coverage available to compensate you for your losses. They may try to get you to accept a lower settlement by convincing you that a settlement offer represents the maximum amount of coverage available.
How a Grayson Truck Accident Attorney Can Help You
After you’ve been hurt in a crash, the Grayson truck accident attorneys at Cain Injury Law can help you hold at-fault parties accountable to compensate you for your injuries and losses by:
- Utilizing our firm’s experience and resources to thoroughly investigate the accident to recover and review all available evidence, including working with accident reconstruction or engineering experts, when necessary, to build a persuasive case to show how the accident occurred and who was at fault.
- Ensuring we always remain available to speak to you about your truck accident claim, including answering any questions you may have and providing you with regular updates on your case’s status.
- Filing your claims with the relevant at-fault parties and insurance companies, aggressively negotiating for a fair and full settlement of your past, ongoing, and future expected expenses and losses.
- Preparing your case to go to court, if it becomes necessary, and using our firm’s skill to advocate on your behalf at trial for a verdict in your favor.
Causes of Truck Accidents in Grayson
Operating a commercial truck requires training, experience, and care. Even one negligent act or a moment of carelessness can lead to a devastating tractor-trailer accident. Some of the most frequent causes of truck accidents include:
- Speeding
- Reckless driving, including driving too fast for conditions or weaving through heavy traffic
- Distracted driving, including using a cell phone while behind the wheel
- Drowsy or fatigued driving
- Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
- Excessive or unbalanced cargo load
- Inexperience with operating a particular type of commercial truck
- Unfamiliarity with driving routes
- Deferred or improperly performed truck maintenance
- Design or manufacturing defects in the truck or truck parts
- Poor road conditions, including potholes or broken pavement, or water/oil, snow, or ice
- Adverse weather, including heavy precipitation or fog
Evidence We Gather in a Truck Accident Claim
Our firm takes the time to gather and thoroughly review many different pieces of evidence following a commercial truck accident. The evidence helps us determine what happened in the accident, how the crash occurred, and what parties may have been responsible for causing the accident.
Our truck accident law firm in Grayson may look at evidence such as:
- The truck driver’s logbooks, which show how long the driver has been on duty and behind the wheel
- The load manifest, which may show what cargo the truck was carrying and how it was loaded
- The truck driver’s toxicology records, assuming a drug/alcohol screen is performed
- The truck’s electronic data recorder, a “black box” type of device that records information such as the truck’s performance, GPS position, speed, or driver inputs
- The truck driver’s employment records, which will document their training and experience and whether they’ve had past accidents or safety incidents
- The truck’s maintenance history and inspection reports
Compensation in a Truck Accident Claim
When you’ve been hurt in a semi-truck accident due to a negligent or reckless truck driver or trucking company, you may be entitled to compensation for the losses you’ve sustained from the accident.
In a truck accident claim, you could receive compensation for:
- Medical treatment, including emergency room visits, surgeries, doctors’ appointments, and pain medication
- Rehabilitation, including physical and occupational therapy and mental health treatment
- Lost income and earning capacity, if you miss work while recovering from injuries or if you are permanently disabled from returning to work or returning to full-time duty
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of quality of life due to disabilities from your injuries that prevent you from participating in activities you once enjoyed or due to disfigurement or scarring
- Property damage, such as the cost to repair or replace your vehicle
Time Limit for Filing a Truck Accident Lawsuit in Grayson
Georgia law limits the time you have to file a truck accident lawsuit following a crash in Grayson. This time limit is known as the statute of limitations. The statute of limitations usually requires you to file a truck accident injury lawsuit within two years of the crash date.
If you file a lawsuit after the statute of limitations has expired on your truck accident claim, the at-fault parties can ask to have your case dismissed from court. You will most likely lose your right to pursue financial compensation for your injuries and losses from the 18-wheeler accident.
What to Do After a Semi-Truck Accident
After you’ve been in a truck accident, you can take steps to begin the process of setting up your claim for compensation for injuries and losses that you may have suffered and to protect your legal rights and options:
- Get checked out by a physician as soon as possible after an accident to diagnose any injuries you may have sustained in the crash. Be sure to attend all of your doctor appointments and follow your doctor’s orders.
- Keep copies of all bills, invoices, and receipts for any expenses you incur due to the accident.
- Consider starting a diary or journal to document how your injuries, treatment, and recovery impact your life.
- Avoid discussing the accident with friends and family or on social media, and avoid posting photos or videos of yourself traveling or being active until you’ve completed your medical treatment.
- Talk to a Grayson truck accident attorney as soon as possible to allow the maximum amount of time to prepare your truck accident claim.
Talk to a Truck Accident Lawyer in Grayson Now
If you’ve been hurt through no fault of your own in a truck accident in Grayson, GA, call or contact Cain Injury Law today for a free, no-obligation consultation. Speak to a Grayson truck accident lawyer about the details of your semi-truck accident and learn more about your legal rights and options.
At Cain Injury Law, we are from the community and for the community.