If you have been involved in a wreck with a large commercial vehicle, you have rights and need a skilled truck accident lawyer by your side. Rafi, Brown, and Stokes are Alpharetta personal injury lawyers who have dedicated themselves to the plight of victims. You can trust that they understand these accidents are catastrophic and that your family may be experiencing overwhelming emotions.
You and your family deserve expert representation from a skilled Alpharetta truck accident lawyer and are entitled to a fair and equitable outcome. The person responsible for your accident should be held accountable. We will work to make that happen.
Steps to take after being hurt in a truck crash
Being involved in a truck accident is obviously horrible. But if you can keep these tips in mind, you’ll not only help protect your health but also your chances of getting the money you deserve.
1. Move to a safer location
Don’t assume your car is destroyed and won’t run. You might be able to move it to a parking lot close by or at least to the shoulder of the highway. If you can’t, try to get yourself off of the road and away from traffic.
2. Call 911 and ask for police and an ambulance
Call 911 as soon as you get to a safe spot. The dispatcher should immediately send an ambulance and police officer once they know there are injuries involved, but make sure they do so.
3. Tell your side of the story to the responding police officer
The officer will likely ask you some questions as part of their accident investigation. Tell the truth, of course, but don’t accept any blame. Let the investigation determine who was responsible.
4. Notify your insurance company
You’ll also need to speak with your insurance company to report the accident. If you delay notifying them, they’ll use that against you in an effort to reduce your compensation.
5. Gather evidence at the scene
If you feel that it’s safe to do so, get pictures of the vehicles involved in the accident, as well as your injury. Take photos of skid marks, damaged road signs, and anything else you think is essential. This evidence will be critical to your chances of winning your case.
6. Visit Urgent Care or your primary care physician
After being in a truck accident, you should first seek medical attention and receive a thorough physical exam. You may have suffered internal injuries or other injuries without apparent symptoms.
7. Speak with an Alpharetta truck accident lawyer
Speak with a lawyer as soon as possible. They’ll investigate to gather evidence on your behalf. If you do not do this immediately, key evidence could disappear.
Make sure you meet the deadline to file a claim.
Georgia law establishes a two-year statute of limitations in personal injury cases. If you miss the deadline, you’ll probably lose your chance to obtain compensation.
What are possible damages you can claim?
Damages are the financial losses associated with the accident. These include the following:
Economic damages
Economic damages are tangible. They include lost wages, property damage, and medical expenses.
Non-economic damages
Non-economic damages (pain and suffering, emotional distress, lost quality of life, etc.) are much harder to prove because they’re subjective. You’ll need the help of a skilled Alpharetta truck accident attorney.
Punitive damages
There are rare instances where a jury will award punitive damages to punish a defendant and dissuade others from committing the same type of negligence. Punitive damages are typically much higher than the ones mentioned above.
We fight trucking insurance companies to get you the maximum compensation
Commercial truck insurance policies can be worth millions of dollars. Insurers will employ skilled adjusters and lawyers to deny your claim. Skilled Alpharetta truck accident attorneys with Rafi, Brown, and Stokes – Injury Lawyers know how to defeat formidable opposition. We do it on a regular basis.
Which parties may be liable for the crash?
Several parties might have contributed to the accident. These include the truck driver, the company that loaded the truck, the trucking company, and many others.
How can your Alpharetta truck accident lawyer prove liability?
Your Alpharetta truck accident lawyer will investigate the accident to determine who owes you compensation. We can obtain surveillance camera footage, driver phone records, electronic data recorder (EDR) information (more on this below), and other robust evidence.
What is the length of time I can expect to wait for my claim to settle?
No ethical attorney will ever promise your case will settle within a specific timeframe – it could stretch for months or even years. But the more substantial the evidence, the sooner your case can end.
Semi-truck “black boxes”: What they are and how they may be used in your case
Your lawyer should ensure the truck’s “black box,” or EDR mentioned above, is saved so it can be downloaded and analyzed. The EDR records speed, braking, and other critical information. The black box is often crucial in learning whether the truck driver was operating their vehicle unsafely.
What are common truck accident injuries?
If you sustained severe injuries after a truck accident, your medical bills may pile up quickly. Don’t wait until your debt threatens your financial security to call an Alpharetta truck accident lawyer and seek compensation.
Below are some of the most common truck accident injuries.
Back and neck injuries
The vulnerable position of the human body, combined with the tremendous forces involved in a truck accident, creates a recipe for disaster. Because of their vulnerable position in the human body, back and neck injuries are unfortunately widespread in truck accidents.
Broken bones
The force present in an accident between a passenger vehicle and a semi-truck will likely bend the car’s metal chassis, perhaps even crushing it.
Also, the passengers inside the car could be crushed, pinned, or thrown against the door, windshield, dashboard, or any other area of the vehicle. This trauma can cause limb, rib, skull, or vertebral bone fractures.
Head and brain injuries
Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are one of the most dangerous consequences of truck accidents.
TBIs occur when sudden trauma (such as being hit by a semi-truck) causes your head to shake violently, hit an object, or be impaled by an object. Depending on the type and severity of the injury, your skull or brain could be damaged.
Depending on which part of your head was damaged, you could suffer a wide range of symptoms: some on the mild side, such as bruising and slight swelling, and some severe, like skull fractures, brain herniation, or even death.
Burns
Semi-trucks can hold an average of 125-300 gallons of fuel. That’s an enormous amount of flammable liquid, which presents a severe risk of burn injury. A truck and passenger vehicle collision could cause the fuel or flammable cargo to catch on fire and spread to nearby cars.
Internal injuries
Internal injuries can occur in a truck accident when the force of the collision causes the person to slam into the steering wheel, dashboard, or windshield or be restrained forcefully by their seatbelt.
Some of the internal injuries associated with truck accidents are rib fractures (broken ribs), internal bleeding, and liver or kidney damage.
What are the Georgia codes of interest?
What are the common causes of truck accidents?
Although each accident is unique, some causes are more common than others.
No-zones
Tractor trailers have blind spots on every side of their rig, including front and back. These blind spots often encompass one or more entire lanes of traffic.
Improper loading
Loading a trailer is a delicate job. Improperly loaded cargo can shift, causing the trailer and its cab to roll over onto an unsuspecting motorist’s vehicle.
Driving fatigue or impairment
Some trucking companies demand that their drivers make deliveries on time, which causes drivers to stay up far longer than they should. Unfortunately, this demand often leads to truckers using illegal drugs or supplements to stay awake for days, which is highly reckless and dangerous.
Speeding
You’ve probably driven next to a speeding semi-truck before, and it’s an unsettling experience. When a massive, 80,000-pound vehicle travels more than 65 miles per hour, the time it takes to slow down increases significantly. If a trucker cannot slow down to move out of the way of an obstacle or crash, their vehicle can cause devastating damage to other cars and passengers.
Failure to inspect and maintain the truck
Trucking companies and hired drivers must ensure their vehicles are well-maintained and safe for the road. If maintenance checks go unperformed or ignored, severe mechanical problems may result, which can and will cause crashes.
What are the “dos” and “don’ts” of dealing with insurance after a crash?
You need to report the accident to your insurer as soon as possible. Otherwise, it would be best to avoid contact with the insurance company, especially the trucking insurance company unless your attorney is present.
It would help if you never spoke with an adjuster without having an attorney by your side. Adjusters are notorious for trying to manipulate accident victims into accepting blame. The best action is to refer all insurance company questions to your Alpharetta truck accident lawyer.
What is the cost of hiring a truck accident lawyer in Alpharetta?
Working with Rafi, Brown, and Stokes won’t cost you anything upfront. We work on a contingency basis, which means we only get paid if we win your case.
We believe that victims have rights and that it is our duty to ensure that those rights are protected. We work diligently for victims to ensure they are fairly compensated for their losses.
Why you should visit a doctor as soon as possible
The insurer will do whatever it can to deny your claim. If you don’t get medical help, they can argue your injury isn’t severe or that you’re not hurt. Getting medical aid will prove you are injured and the accident is the reason.
An Alpharetta truck accident lawyer at Rafi, Brown, and Stokes is here to help
As a trucking crash law firm, we know the severe aftermath of these accidents. Not only may a victim be forced to undergo months of medical treatment, but the financial difficulties they face can be insurmountable. We don’t believe anyone should face financial difficulty for an accident they had no control over.
