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If you are involved in a trucking or tractor-trailer collision, it is important that you speak with an attorney who specializes in these types of accidents. The trucking and tractor-trailer personal injury attorneys at Nicholson Revell LLP have years of experience successfully litigating trucking and tractor-trailer collision cases. Contact us for a free consultation today if you have been injured in a truck accident in Augusta, Georgia.
Insurance companies are in the business of protecting their assets and saving as much money as possible. Before you speak with an insurance representative, you should strongly consider having experienced legal counsel on your side as the insurance company is sure to have a team of lawyers working for them.
If you or a loved one is the victim in a trucking or tractor-trailer collision, you deserve a personal injury lawyer that is focused entirely on protecting you and your interests while obtaining the best possible settlement or trial verdict. An experienced Augusta car accident attorney can use professional legal knowledge to gather the necessary evidence for your case and go up against an insurance company on your behalf. This can improve your chances of receiving adequate compensation for your injuries and financial losses.
If a settlement is not possible for your truck accident claim, your lawyer can help you go to trial against a defendant instead. Either way, you can rest assured of the abilities of your attorney to successfully resolve your case, giving you the peace of mind to focus on your personal recovery.
Tractor-trailers significantly differ in size and weight when compared to passenger vehicles, putting occupants of the smaller vehicle at extreme risk when involved in a trucking or tractor-trailer collision. The type of injuries victims often suffer include:
The injuries suffered in a truck accident can impact a victim for life. A victim with a catastrophic or permanent injury may suffer lifelong medical expenses, lost capacity to earn, and lost quality of life. In other cases, surviving family members may have to bring a claim on behalf of a deceased truck accident victim.
Truck drivers are required by law to meet certain requirements to help ensure safety on the road, including the logging of how long and how often they are driving and resting, avoiding substances that may affect their performance, or distractions in the cab that would remove their focus on driving. When a tractor-trailer driver fails to follow these rules, the results can be catastrophic.
Common causes of truck accidents include:
While you may see the word accident used widely in personal injury law, at Nicholson Revell LLP, we don’t agree with this word. We believe most truck accidents are not accidents at all, but preventable incidents that trace back to someone’s negligence.
In auto accident law, a person is negligent when his or her carelessness causes harm. Negligence in truck accidents can take many forms, from a truck driver breaking federal law to a company cutting corners to save money. An Augusta personal injury lawyer can hold the negligent person or party liable for the crash.
Georgia is a fault-based car insurance state. This means that after any type of motor vehicle accident, the person or party at fault for the collision has to pay for injuries and losses through that driver’s insurance. In a no-fault insurance state, on the other hand, it is not necessary to identify the at-fault party; all injured parties seek reimbursement from their own insurance providers, regardless of fault.
If a negligent truck driver caused your accident, he or she could be liable as the owner/operator. If, however, the truck driver was employed by a trucking company, the company could be vicariously liable instead. A company is responsible for the mistakes of its on-duty employees. Using the rule of vicarious liability could allow you to gain access to greater insurance coverage from the truck company.
You may also be able to hold a truck company responsible if a mistake by the company caused or contributed to your accident. These mistakes can include dangerous cargo loading procedures, lack of proper driver training, and poor truck maintenance. Other parties might also be to blame for your accident, such as a third-party driver, cargo company, or the government for a road defect.
If you are not sure who caused your truck accident, a lawyer can help. A lawyer can return to the scene of the motor vehicle collision to collect evidence on your behalf. A lawyer also has connections to accident reconstruction specialists to get to the bottom of who or what caused the crash. Once the cause of your accident is determined, your lawyer can help you file a claim against the liable party.
Getting into a truck accident is not like getting into a standard car accident. First, your injuries and losses are likely to be more severe. This can make it more important for you to hire a lawyer to represent your rights and best interests. Without help from a lawyer, an insurance company may take advantage of you and convince you to settle for less than your serious injuries are worth.
Second, the types of evidence available in a truck accident claim are different than in a typical motor vehicle collision. Evidence can include:
In addition to severe injuries and new types of evidence, trucking companies and their insurers are larger adversaries than standard drivers. They have ample resources and legal teams to fight claims. They often send investigators to the scene immediately.
Finally, different laws and regulations apply to truck accidents. Your case may involve unique laws from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, such as hours-of-service regulations and cargo loading and securement rules. A lawyer can help you navigate the unique rules and factors that apply to your case.
If you get injured in a truck or tractor-trailer collision in Augusta, Georgia, there are actions you can take to immediately protect your rights. The actions you take in the hours and days following a truck accident can allow you to build a stronger claim against the at-fault party.
Do your best to carry out these instructions if you get into a truck accident:
Don’t worry if you can’t complete all of these steps after a truck accident. An Augusta truck accident lawyer can guide you through the claims process, helping you with each phase while you focus on healing from your injuries. If you suffer catastrophic injuries in a truck accident and are unable to do anything except go to the hospital in the aftermath of a crash, your lawyer can help you build a claim from there.
At Nicholson Revell LLP, we believe in holding wrongdoers accountable for their actions. If you were injured as a result of negligence, we can help you bring a personal injury claim against the truck driver or truck company. We know how to demand fair compensation for all types of serious accident injuries.
Truck and tractor-trailer accident cases can be far more complicated than automobile accident cases. If you or a loved one is hurt or killed in a truck accident, contact the legal team at Nicholson Revell LLP for a free consultation.
Our Personal Injury law firm in Augusta also provides: