If you were recently injured in an accident involving a commercial vehicle in Atlanta, GA, it’s important to understand your legal options. Your financial award can make a huge difference in your future. An experienced Atlanta commercial vehicle accident lawyer at Malone Law can help you fight to recover money for medical bills, lost wages, and your pain, suffering, and inconvenience.
Our lawyers at Malone Law have over 50 years of experience in personal injury law. Since we opened our firm in 1965, we’ve successfully recovered hundreds of millions of dollars on behalf of injury victims like you.
Do not hesitate to learn more about your legal rights after an accident. Call our law offices in Atlanta, Georgia, at (770) 390-7550 to schedule a free consultation today.
How Can Malone Law Help Me Recover Compensation After a Commercial Vehicle Accident in Atlanta?
Commercial vehicle wrecks can cause serious damage. Drivers of commercial vehicles can be injured, of course. However, it’s often occupants in much smaller vehicles that suffer the most severe injuries. When you’re injured due to someone else’s acts, you deserve to be compensated.
Malone Law can help. Our experienced Atlanta medical malpractice and personal injury attorneys have decades of experience handling complicated injury matters. We’ve been recognized for our legal services by Super Lawyers and Best Lawyers in America. We’ve also earned the highest possible AV-Preeminent rating from the Martindale-Hubbell lawyer rating service.
While you focus on getting better, our attorneys will handle every aspect of your claim, including:
- Investigating and gathering evidence
- Analyzing the evidence to build the strongest case possible
- Calculating your case’s value and rejecting lowball settlements
- Consulting leading experts to prove complex aspects of your case
- Negotiating with the insurance companies and their defense teams for a fair deal
- Taking your case to trial before a judge and jury if necessary
Multiple parties, including large corporations, may be involved in a commercial vehicle accident claim. That makes it especially important to have an experienced Atlanta medical malpractice lawyer by your side. Call our law firm today to learn more.
How Common Are Commercial Vehicle Accidents?
According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), 4,998 large trucks and buses were involved in motor vehicle accidents nationwide in 2020.
When most people think of commercial vehicles, they imagine large semi-trucks and big rigs. While truck accidents are common, there are many different types of commercial vehicles.
At Malone Law, we handle all types of commercial vehicle accidents, including those involving:
- FedEx trucks
- UPS trucks
- Amazon delivery vans
- Garbage trucks
- Moving trucks and vans
- Construction vehicles
- Utility vehicles
- Tractor-trailers
- Charter buses
- Box trucks
We handle all types of commercial vehicle accident claims. Whether you were a driver, occupant in a passenger vehicle, or walking down the street, contact us today to discuss your case.
What Is My Atlanta Commercial Vehicle Accident Claim Worth?
Every situation is different. Some personal injury cases are worth millions. Others are worth a few thousand. It all depends on the nature and severity of your injuries.
Some important considerations as we assess your case value include:
- The cost of your medical treatment
- The level of pain, suffering, and distress you have endured
- The value of your lost income during recovery
- Whether you will suffer from a reduced earning capacity once you recover
- How the injury will impact your future quality of life
- Whether you contributed to the accident
- Whether you took the steps necessary to mitigate damages
The more the injury will change your life, the higher your compensation award will tend to be. Speaking with an experienced attorney is the only way to really know how much your personal injury claim is worth. Call Malone Law today for more information.
What Types of Damages Are Available to Victims of Commercial Vehicle Accidents in Atlanta?
Truck accident victims in Georgia can seek compensation for economic damages and non-economic damages.
Economic damages reimburse you for past and future financial costs, including:
- Medical expenses, including ER visits, hospitalization, and doctor’s appointments
- Future medical care
- Lost wages
- Reduced earning potential
- Physical therapy
- Rehabilitation
- Property damage
- Out-of-pocket expenses
Non-economic damages compensate for losses and trauma that do not have a clear financial value, including:
- Pain and suffering
- Diminished quality of life
- Emotional distress
- Anxiety
- Depression
- PTSD
- Permanent disfigurement and scarring
- Loss of consortium
If you or a family member were involved in a truck accident in Atlanta, call our Atlanta commercial vehicle accident attorneys today.
Can I Recover Damages if I’m Being Blamed for Causing a Commercial Vehicle Accident in Georgia?
Possibly, but you could walk away with a reduced settlement or verdict. It’s also possible that you could lose your right to compensation entirely.
Under Georgia’s modified comparative negligence law, you can recover partial compensation if you are less than 50% responsible. If you’re mostly or equally as responsible, you’ll lose your right to damages completely.
Insurance companies will try to blame you for getting hurt. Our experienced Atlanta truck accident lawyers are prepared to defend you. Call our legal team today to schedule your free case review.
Our Team Will Fight To Recover Compensation for All of Your Commercial Vehicle Accident Injuries
Commercial vehicles are, by definition, larger and heavier than private cars and SUVs. Victims are much more likely to suffer severe injuries when a larger commercial truck is involved in an accident.
Some of those injuries include:
- Broken bones
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Crushing injuries
- Burns
- Whiplash injuries
- Soft tissue damage
- Chest injuries
- Head and neck injuries
- Concussions
- Back injuries
- Organ damage
- Amputations
- Paralysis
- Catastrophic injuries
Commercial vehicle crashes can also be fatal. Our wrongful death attorneys in Atlanta are here to help you fight for justice if you lose a loved one in a fatal accident.
What Causes Most Commercial Vehicle Accidents in Atlanta?
Commercial vehicles are a common sight on Atlanta’s roads. While most drivers of commercial vehicles are required to obtain a commercial driver’s license (CDL), that’s no guarantee that they won’t be involved in accidents.
Commercial vehicles can be difficult to maneuver and stop quickly. Commercial drivers are often under tight deadlines–and they can be rushed, overworked, and tired.
Overall, some of the most common causes of commercial vehicle accidents include:
- Distracted driving
- Driver fatigue and violation of FMCSA hours-of-service regulations
- Inexperienced drivers
- Failure to yield the right-of-way
- Speeding
- Dangerous left-hand turns
- Running red lights or stop signs
- Racing through intersections
- Drunk driving
- Driving under the influence of drugs
- Road rage
- Negligent hiring, including failure to hire drivers with a valid CDL
- Defects in the commercial vehicle or safety components
- Failure to maintain the commercial vehicle in a safe condition
- Road hazards
- Stopping in dangerous locations
Identifying the cause of your accident is important. To recover full compensation from everyone who shares the blame for your accident, you’ll have to determine why the accident happened in the first place.
How Do I Prove I Deserve Compensation After a Commercial Vehicle Accident in Atlanta?
Like most accident cases, most commercial vehicle accidents happen because someone was negligent.
The four elements of negligence are:
- A legal duty of care existed
- The defendant breached that duty
- The breach of duty directly caused the accident
- You suffered damages
Unlike your typical auto accident case, however, the at-fault driver isn’t the only party who can be held legally liable for damages. If the truck driver was someone’s employer, the company can be held responsible. This is called “vicarious liability”.
Examples of other parties who may be legally on the hook for paying your damages include:
- A trucking company
- Shipping companies
- Companies responsible for the vehicle’s cargo
- Maintenance companies
- Manufacturers of defective parts
- Third-party motorists
- Bicyclists or pedestrians
- Government agencies
In the end, your claim for compensation may be against a large corporation. They’ll invest significant resources and do everything possible to fight your truck accident case. They’ll point fingers and try to shift the blame to someone else–probably even to you.
Standing up to these corporations can be intimidating, but our lawyers are well-equipped to handle the legal issues. We’ll conduct our own investigation and gather evidence to establish your case. Police reports, witness statements, video surveillance footage, and other types of evidence may be available to prove you deserve compensation.
What Is the Deadline To File a Lawsuit After a Commercial Vehicle Accident in Georgia?
The personal injury statute of limitations in Georgia is only two years. Missing the deadline has serious consequences. You’ll completely lose your right to sue for damages if you wait too long to take legal action.
That said, there are many other reasons to take legal action quickly. Evidence will be strongest soon after the accident and injury occurred. Witnesses will be more likely to remember the details–making it easier to prove your case.
There are also exceptions to the statute of limitations. Contacting an experienced medical malpractice and personal injury law firm as soon as possible is the best way to protect your legal rights.
Schedule a Free Consultation With an Experienced Atlanta Commercial Vehicle Accident Lawyer Today
Serious injuries can take a huge physical, emotional, and financial toll. Recovering financial compensation can make it much easier to deal with the physical and emotional losses. Contact Malone Law today at (770) 390-7550 to learn more about how an experienced Atlanta commercial vehicle accident can help you pursue fair compensation after a crash.