It’s easy to forget how much power and speed a semi-truck has—until you’re involved in an accident with one. Unfortunately, year after year, some of the worst accidents in Stone Mountain involve semi-trucks and 18-wheelers. These vehicles can leave other motorists in life-threatening condition, and cause injuries that last a lifetime. If you or someone in your family were affected by a truck accident, don’t face the aftermath alone. Get help from a qualified Stone Mountain semi-truck accident lawyer.
We can help you. For more than 20 years, our attorneys have worked closely with the victims of truck accidents to get them the results they deserve—and all of the money they’re entitled to. In that time, we’ve built a reputation as one of the most trusted injury law groups in the state. Never risk missing out on the money you’re owed after a life-changing accident. Let us give you a FREE consultation. Fill out the form to the right or call us at (404) 341-6555 and talk to our semi-accident attorneys for free today.
Who can recover money after a semi-truck accident in Stone Mountain?
Although truck accidents are extremely severe, in most ways the law treats them just like other car accidents. That means that your ability to recover money will depend largely on “fault”—the question of who caused the accident.
When a semi-truck is involved in an accident with another vehicle, there are usually three possibilities:
- The semi-truck driver is at fault for the accident,
- The driver of the other vehicle is at fault, or
- Fault is shared by both parties.
If you are a passenger in the vehicle that was hit—not the driver—you are NOT and fault and you can recover money for your damages.
If you were the driver of the other vehicle, however, you will need to prove who was at fault or liable for the accident. But be careful—insurers may seek to blame you for the accident even if you are not the one who caused it. They have a powerful financial motive to avoid paying out money if they can help it, especially in a costly truck accident.
Never face insurers or truck companies without a lawyer on your side. They know how to use your words against you—and they will go so.
How is fault determined in a semi-truck accident?
Fault is usually determined by negligence or carelessness. This can include:
- Breaking a traffic law which led to the accident (or made it worse),
- Not paying attention while driving
- Driving under the influence and causing an accident
- Driving distracted
- Simply making a poor decision—such as mis-judging whether you had enough space to change lanes
Note that the semi-truck driver is not always considered at fault for the accident. However, they come under heavy scrutiny, for several reasons:
- There is a history in the trucking industry of drivers being given long hours and aggressive timelines, thus driving in a state of fatigue
- Occasionally, some drivers will falsify their road hours in order to complete deliveries faster—meaning they driver longer than allowed by law
- Semi-trucks have enormous blind spots, and drivers are supposed to adjust their driving based on this, but not every driver does this consistently
In most vehicle accidents, the police will work to determine fault when they first arrive at the scene. In truck accident cases, the process is usually much more involved. The police report will only be part of the picture, because both the trucking company and your own lawyer are likely to task independent investigators with finding out what happened.
There are also cases where a completely different party is responsible for the accident. For example, if an 18-wheeler’s brakes failed, that may the fault of the manufacturer or of a company that was hired to maintain the truck. These “invisible” causes are often impossible to guess at the scene—the only way to discover them is to pull together evidence and records after the fact.
This is part of why it’s so important to have a truck accident lawyer on your case from the start. There is simply no way that a victim can do the same thorough job of investigating and gathering evidence on their own.
How much money can I recover in an accident with an 18-wheeler?
If you were not the one at fault, you can recover two main types of damages:
- 100% of the monetary expenses you incurred as part of the accident (such as medical bills, or lost work time)
- Additional money based on the pain, suffering or changes to your life caused by the accident
This second type of damages is very important, because they’re what allow you to actually rebuild a life and move forward after an accident. For example, if you suffer a spine injury because of the truck accident, it’s not enough to just get your hospital bills paid. You will likely spend the rest of your life dealing with new limitations on your movement and abilities. Money can’t make up for that, but it can help offset the impact of your injury—and give you flexibility in building a life around your new limits.
This extra money is often called pain and suffering, but it can address many kinds of personal losses. Unfortunately, it’s also where insurance companies are most likely to lowball you if you don’t have an attorney to fight for you.
If someone you love lost their life in the accident, you have other options. The victim’s family has the right to file a wrongful death claim, so that the relatives can recover money on behalf of the person they lost. This can be crucial to relieving financial pressure in the aftermath of a tragedy.
Talk to a Stone Mountain Semi-Truck Accident Lawyer for Free
Semi-truck accidents leave effects that last for decades. Don’t try to deal with your accident without legal help—and don’t accept a penny less than you deserve. We offer a FREE consultation, and we charge you nothing if we don’t get you money. Fill out the form to the right or call us at (404) 341-6555 for your free consultation today.
