After an accident involving a tractor-trailer, 18-wheeler, big rig, or another large commercial truck in Atlanta, Georgia, it’s important to consider your legal options. That’s where Malone Law can help. You may be entitled to compensation, and our award-winning Atlanta truck accident lawyers are ready to help you fight for maximum recovery.
Since 1965, Malone Law has been a trusted advocate for accident victims and families in Atlanta. Putting 50+ years of combined experience behind every case, our top-rated Georgia litigators have helped clients win hundreds of millions in monetary awards.
Contact or call (770) 390-7550 our Atlanta, GA, law office to schedule a free consultation. We’re always here to provide the help you need – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
How Malone Law Can Help if You’ve Been Hurt in a Truck Accident in Atlanta
Truck accidents can be catastrophic. Related legal claims can also be incredibly difficult to litigate, thanks to disputes over liability and the application of complex state and federal trucking regulations. You can make the most of a difficult situation by turning to our trusted Atlanta medical malpractice lawyers for help with your case.
At Malone Law, we’ve earned a reputation for our no-nonsense approach to medical malpractice law. Our highly skilled attorneys are savvy negotiators and unafraid to take disputes to trial when necessary. The results we achieve speak volumes and make a positive impact on the lives of the people we represent.
When you’ve been hurt in an Atlanta truck accident, you’ll be able to count on our law firm to:
- Provide a free initial case evaluation to help you understand your legal rights and options
- Handle all aspects of your legal claim so that you have the time and opportunity to focus on your physical health and mental well-being
- Coordinate a prompt and thorough investigation into your truck accident
- Carefully analyze the results of investigations conducted by the trucking company and/or government agencies
- Obtain compelling pieces of evidence, including truck black box data, dashcam footage, driver records, vehicle maintenance and inspection logs, witness statements, forensic reports, and more
- Represent your best interests during settlement negotiations with the trucking company and its insurance carrier
- File a lawsuit and pursue a top-dollar verdict at trial if the trucking company refuses to accept responsibility for your accident
Ultimately, we will be your most passionate champions and fight to get you every cent you need and deserve after your trucking accident. We’ll do it all on a contingency fee basis. You’ll pay nothing unless we win money for your trucking accident case.
Give our law office in Atlanta a call to learn more. Your first case evaluation is free.
Are Truck Accidents Common in Georgia?
Every year, thousands of large trucks are involved in traffic accidents across the State of Georgia. According to crash stats published by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), a total of 6,667 large truck accidents were reported statewide in 2022.
That’s roughly 18 commercial truck accidents a day.
These accidents caused no fewer than 2,908 injuries and 246 fatalities.
What Are the Most Common Causes of Tractor-Trailer Accidents?
Accidents involving tractor-trailers and other large rigs shouldn’t happen often. After all, the trucking industry is heavily regulated by the FMCSA and Georgia state law. Additionally, trucking companies have an obligation to hire competent, licensed drivers and ensure compliance with trucking rules and mandates.
Truck accidents tend to happen most often when there are blatant deviations from accepted norms and standards, as well as violations of FMCSA safety regulations. Put another way, truck accidents happen when someone is negligent.
Common contributors include:
- Speeding
- Distracted driving
- Fatigued driving
- Drug and alcohol use
- Wide turns
- Illegal turns
- Sharp turns
- Unsafe passing
- Tailgating
- Braking errors
- Cargo shifts/unsecured cargo
- Lost loads
- Vehicle defects
- Inadequate vehicle maintenance
- Failing to pull a malfunctioning truck from service
- Negligent hiring
- Road rage
Often, an exhaustive investigation is needed to get to the bottom of why and how a truck accident happened. Our law firm will be prepared to launch a prompt inquiry into your Atlanta truck crash to determine the underlying cause.
Who Could Be Liable for My Injuries After an Atlanta Big Rig Accident?
Truck accidents can be complex, often the result of many different factors. Under Georgia law, liability extends to anyone whose negligence or wrongful actions directly or indirectly cause a collision.
This could potentially include:
- Truck drivers
- Trucking companies
- Freight brokers
- Cargo/freight loaders
- Truck mechanics
- Truck manufacturers
- Property owners
- Government agencies
- Drivers of passenger vehicles
- Bus drivers
- Transit companies
- Pedestrians
- Bicyclists
The bigger a role someone plays in causing a truck accident in Atlanta, the more liability they’ll share for resulting damages. Count on our Atlanta truck accident attorneys to aggressively seek full financial accountability from anyone who played a part in your wreck.
What Types of Damages Are Available to 18-wheeler Accident Victims in Atlanta?
Georgia law gives you the opportunity to seek compensatory damages after a truck accident.
Compensatory damages include economic damages, intended to make you financially whole, and non-economic damages, intended to offset the hard-to-value trauma you experience as a crash victim.
Potential damages include money for:
- Current and future medical expenses
- Rehabilitation
- Physical therapy
- Nursing assistance
- Property damage
- Out-of-pocket expenses
- Lost wages
- Disability
- Funeral expenses if an Atlanta truck accident is fatal
- Chronic physical pain
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Disfigurement
- Loss of consortium
- Reduced quality of life
In limited situations, punitive damages might also be applicable. In Georgia, however, there must be convincing evidence of a defendant’s intentional or grossly negligent conduct. This might be relevant in truck accidents involving extremely intoxicated drivers or acts of road rage.
Can I Recover Compensation if I’m Blamed for a Truck Accident in Georgia?
It’s possible. However, Georgia has a modified comparative negligence system with a 50 percent bar.
- You are entitled to reduced damages if you share less than 50 percent of the blame for a truck accident.
- You cannot recover a third-party monetary award if you’re 50 percent or more responsible for the crash.
Damages are reduced proportionately, up to 49 percent. If you’re 30 percent at fault for an Atlanta truck accident, your take-home monetary award will be reduced by 30 percent.
Our truck accident lawyers in Atlanta will help you challenge allegations that you share some or most of the blame for your crash. We’ll do everything in our power to limit how much (if any) blame is assigned to you.
Truck Accident Injuries Can Be Catastrophic
Trucks can weigh anywhere between 20 to 30 times more than passenger vehicles. They carry a lot of momentum and are difficult to stop on a dime. When a big rig or semi-truck is involved in an accident, it can do a lot of damage.
When truck accidents happen, it’s not uncommon for victims to suffer:
- Broken bones
- Concussion
- Brain injury
- Whiplash
- Back and neck injury
- Spinal cord injury
- Paralysis
- Nerve damage
- Herniated discs
- Spinal fracture
- Crushing injury
- Chest injury
- Amputation
- Degloving injury
- Soft tissue injury
- Burn injury
- Catastrophic injury
- Vision loss
- Hearing loss
- Wrongful death of a loved one
Report your accident to the Atlanta Police Department, Georgia State Patrol, or other law enforcement agency immediately. Then seek prompt medical treatment at the closest hospital in Atlanta, even if you don’t think your injuries are too serious.
Many times, the adrenaline of a crash can mask symptoms and hide injuries. Getting to the doctor right away can be critical for your health and establishing a direct link between the truck accident and your injuries.
How Long After a Georgia Truck Accident Will I Have To File a Lawsuit?
Most truck accident victims in Georgia will have two years to file a legal claim for damages.
If you’ve lost a close family member in a fatal truck accident in Atlanta, you’ll also have two years from their death to file a wrongful death action against those responsible.
You must file a claim or lawsuit before the applicable statute of limitations expires. Once the deadline passes, you will no longer have the ability to assert your rights and demand the financial award you need to move forward with your life.
Schedule a Free Consultation With an Experienced Atlanta Truck Accident Lawyer
Did you recently suffer injuries or experience the tragic death of a family member because of a truck accident in Atlanta, Georgia? Do not hesitate to contact Malone Law. Our top-rated Atlanta truck accident lawyers are prepared to help you assert your rights and fight for the maximum financial award you deserve.
Malone Law has been a trusted advocate for accident victims in Atlanta for more than 57 years. Our clients benefit from a team of litigators with 50+ years of collective experience and an unrivaled ability to win top results.
Put us in your corner by calling our Atlanta, GA, law office for help today. Your first case evaluation is free.