Forest Park, GA Truck Accidents

Georgia roads see thousands of truck collisions every single year, causing hundreds of thousands of dollars in property damage and bodily harm. Victims are often left unsure of what to do or how to protect themselves as everyone else points fingers and refuses to accept liability. You deserve better—you should not be left financially responsible for another person’s negligence.

If you or someone you love has been injured in a Forest Park truck accident, we’re here to help. Call Bailey Javins & Carter at 800-497-0234 to schedule a time to talk to our team about your accident claim.

Truck Accidents in the United States

Truck accidents are a huge problem across the entire country, which is evident in research put out by the United States Department of Transportation. Although fatal crashes stayed fairly consistent for several years, they began trending upward in 2016. Injury-causing crashes have been on the rise for at least ten years, although there was a slight dip during the pandemic.

Many fatal crashes are single-vehicle accidents. These include collisions involving pedestrians, bicyclists, and people in non-motorized vehicles. Overall, approximately 1% of all truck accidents are fatal. Between 2010 and 2020, accidents rose dramatically.

In 2010, there were 10.6 fatal truck collisions per million United States residents. By 2020, that number has reached 13.49 per million, reflecting a 27% jump. The worst places for fatalities include interstate highways and rural roads. In Forest Park, that would include roads like U.S. Route 41 and State Route 85.

What Causes Truck Accidents?

Truck accidents are often the result of human error, which is true across the board when looking at all vehicle accidents. Some of the most common mistakes leading to truck collisions include:

• Failing to yield right of way
• Failing to check blind spots before changing lanes
• Changing lanes unsafely
• Driving too fast for conditions
• Staying in a truck’s blind spot
• Getting stuck between a truck and the right shoulder when the truck is turning right
• Failing to leave enough space between your vehicle and other vehicles
• Driving too fast to maintain control of the vehicle
• Impaired, fatigued, and distracted driving

The last cause listed is a huge problem in the trucking industry. The FMCSA maintains strict hours-of-service regulations that limit how long truck drivers can be on the road, how many breaks they must take, and how much rest they must have before driving again. When companies push their drivers to violate these regulations and drive longer than they are legally permitted, fatigued driving is a common outcome.

Different Types of Truck Collisions

Truck collisions are different from passenger vehicle collisions in many ways. Trucks’ size and shape make them prone to several types of crashes, including:

• Jackknife accidents, which occur when a truck driver loses control of the vehicle, causing the back end of the truck to swing away from the front. The weight of the trailer pulls the tractor along, causing the truck to spin out of control.
• Rollover collisions, which tend to happen with an overloaded truck or a truck that swerves too hard left or right. These accidents can close entire roadways and crush vehicles in neighboring lanes.
• Underride accidents happen when a smaller vehicle behind a truck drives underneath the truck’s back end, ripping the top of the smaller vehicle off.
• Sideswipe crashes often occur when a smaller vehicle is in a truck’s blind spot and the truck driver begins to change lanes. Depending on how quickly either vehicle moves out of the way, minor or major damage may occur.
• Right-turn accidents happen when a truck is trying to take a wide right turn and a smaller vehicle tries to get between them and the curb.

Evidence That You Can Use in Your Claim

Evidence is one unique aspect of truck accidents. While evidence is critical in all personal injury claims, truck accidents generally have much more evidence available than other types of collisions.

As a result of an FMCSA decision, commercial trucks are required to be fitted with electronic logging devices. These devices capture information on hours of service, breaks, travel speed, braking habits, and other parts of a driver’s behavior. This is extremely helpful in a truck accident claim, as it may prove negligent or unsafe behavior on the part of a truck driver. It could also show if the driver has violated hours of service regulations.

In addition to that, truck accidents create a lot of physical evidence. Beyond a person’s injuries, there is generally damage to both vehicles, damage to the roadway and other public property, and multiple eyewitnesses. This can make it harder for a truck driver to cover up any mistakes or bad judgment calls they made leading up to the accident.

Your attorney may also want to look into the truck driver’s employer’s background. An employer that pushes drivers to violate hours of service regulations, fails to check drivers’ records before hiring them or doesn’t do routine maintenance checks could be liable for subsequent accidents.

How We Can Help You Fight for Compensation

Having an aggressive and experienced truck accident attorney fighting for you can make a big difference as you seek compensation. Truck drivers have a lot of people on their side, including their employer, their insurance provider, and their employer’s legal team. None of these parties have your best interests in mind—they are simply trying to limit their own financial liability.

Your attorney will be proactive about gathering evidence, investigating your crash, and demanding fair compensation from the insurance company. Our years of experience in truck accident claims make us the right choice for your case.

Choose Bailey Javins & Carter for the Representation You Deserve

It’s time to find out how our team can help you pursue full and fair compensation after a truck accident. Set up a consultation right now by calling us at 800-497-0234 or filling out our online contact form. We’re looking forward to supporting you through this difficult time.