If you were in a truck accident, keep reading to learn more about how Lawrenceville truck accident lawyers from Rafi Law Firm can help.
Truck Accidents In Lawrenceville
Every year, around 500,000 trucking accidents occur in the United States. In recent years, the state of Georgia has ranked in the top five states with the most truck accidents in the nation.
Truck accidents can occur at any time on any road and are among the most fatal types of crashes.
Why Truck Accidents Are So Dangerous
A collision with a truck is much more serious than a collision with another car because trucks are significantly larger and heavier than the average car. A truck can run over or flip onto a car, and the sheer force can kill the car occupants on impact.
Common Causes Of Truck Accidents
Truck accidents can happen for many reasons, but there are a few situations that cause truck accidents most often:
Driver fatigue
Truck drivers are required to take breaks and log rest time in order to meet federal trucking regulations. Truckers cannot drive more than 14 consecutive hours after coming on duty, following a 10-hour off-duty period. Truck drivers are also required to take at least one 30-minute break when they have driven for 8 consecutive hours.
These regulations are designed to prevent fatigue-related collisions, but unfortunately, some employers bully or coerce their drivers into driving past that limit. Without proper breaks and rest periods, drivers have a serious risk of fatigue and distraction, which in turn causes delayed reactions or irresponsible decisions while driving.
Improperly loaded cargo
Trucks can hold thousands of pounds of cargo. If it is not loaded properly with attention given to weight distribution, this could cause the truck to tip more easily.
Additionally, if the back latch of the truck is improperly closed or broken, the cargo from a truck could come spilling out onto the road, causing an accident.
Speeding
Speeding is common among vehicles of every size on the road, but when a truck is speeding, the risk for collision increases exponentially. If a trucker is speeding and sees a traffic jam, it may not be able to slow down quickly enough to avoid crashing into another vehicle.
Failure to inspect and maintain the truck
We’re all familiar with the dreaded “check engine” light and other signals that come on your dashboard. Ignoring those lights for a day or two before you make time to get it checked out might seem like no big deal, but that is not always the case.
Truck drivers failing to inspect their vehicles for issues and failing to get those issues fixed can have huge consequences. If the power steering, transmission, brakes, or other crucial systems go out while a truck is in motion, it can cause a catastrophic accident.
Common Injuries Resulting From Truck Accidents
If you are in a truck accident, there are many types of injuries that you could sustain. Read about a few of the most common ones below.
Neck and Back Injuries
Back injuries, as well as neck injuries like whiplash, are commonly sustained in truck accidents due to trauma or impact to those areas. Fractured vertebrae, disc herniations and bulges, and conditions like spinal stenosis are common truck accident injuries. Back and neck injuries can affect mobility and basic functioning due to muscle, joint, or nerve damage.
Broken Bones
The impact of the collision could cause occupants of the passenger vehicle to be slammed against the door or dashboard, which could cause arm and leg fractures. Being forcefully thrust against their seatbelt could also cause someone to suffer a broken rib or other internal fracture. Broken bones may not seem very serious, but any fracture runs the risk of infection and further complications.
Spinal Cord Injuries
These are injuries that involve damage to the spinal cord, spinal column, or its surrounding nerves. Spinal cord injuries can permanently affect your mobility.
A severe spinal cord injury can leave you partially or fully paralyzed. You can lose strength, feeling, and function around the site of the injury.
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
Traumatic brain injuries occur as a result of sudden trauma or impact to the head. They can range in severity from a concussion to permanent brain damage.
Traumatic brain injuries are among the most serious injuries and the most expensive to treat. They can leave you permanently disabled and affect the way that you function in daily life.
The head trauma sustained in a car accident could lead to cognitive dysfunctions and affect your ability to work, talk, move, and form new memories.
But That’s Not All…
The above list of common injuries is not exhaustive. Unfortunately, truck accidents can cause many types of serious injuries.
Internal injuries, burns, and psychological issues such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) are just a few of the other types of injuries you can end up with in the wake of an accident.
If you are suffering from a truck accident injury that was not mentioned here, call Rafi Law Firm. A Lawrenceville truck accident lawyer can help you figure out if you have a case.
What Is The Truck’s “Black Box,” And What Does It Track?
“Black box” is an overarching term for a variety of technological systems installed in commercial trucks. These systems monitor the status of the truck and the safety of the driver.
Essentially, the black box holds drivers accountable, as the devices monitor and continuously collect data, including the crucial moments before a crash. This data can be extremely important in a truck accident case.
Three main devices fall under the umbrella term “black box”:
Event Data Recorders
Event data recorders are what most people are referring to when they use the term “black box.” EDRs record data on an “event” before and during a crash.
Speeding is common, but other examples of “events” tracked and stored by the EDR include sudden braking, rapid deceleration, airbag deployment, sudden seat belt tension, and sharp wheel turning. The EDR will record these “events” and store the data, which your attorney can use to prove the trucker’s liability in the crash.
Electronic Control Modules
Think of electronic control modules as small computers that allow truck engines to function. These modules monitor and control things like brakes, transmission, and traction control functioning.
This is the device that triggers a “check engine” light. It assesses the status of the vehicle’s functioning and notifies drivers when there is a problem with the vehicle.
Electronic Logging Devices
These devices log truck drivers’ hours driving. Traditionally, truck drivers used to have to keep a manual log of their hours in and out of service, but electronic logging devices have replaced that practice.
They log the hours that the truck is in movement, when the engine is on, and how far it travels. This data is very important because it can be used to prove whether or not the truck driver was adhering to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) hours of service requirements.
Why Black Box Information Is Crucial To Your Case
Data stored in the black box is crucial to your case because it can help prove that the truck driver was doing something reckless, negligent, or illegal in the moments leading up to the crash. This evidence can demonstrate that the trucker was therefore liable for the crash, and that they or their employer should compensate you for the injuries that they caused.
For example, if the trucker was driving 110 mph in a 70 mph zone seconds before the collision, this would be helpful evidence that could help determine liability.
The event data recorder (EDR) shows the truck’s speed at the time of impact, whether pressure was applied on the gas or brake, and if so, how hard the driver was pressing on the pedal, as well as the angle of the steering wheel.
Although all of these factors are recorded, speed is the most important. Speeding is the main culprit in many truck accident cases, so having proof that the trucker who caused the accident was speeding is invaluable in proving your case and getting the compensation you deserve.
Don’t Fall For The Insurance Company’s Tricks
Drivers pay their insurance companies to insure them, so it’s only natural to think they are trustworthy. Unfortunately, when it comes to automobile insurance companies (even the one that is insuring you), their main priority is to keep as much money in their own pockets as possible.
Your own insurance company or the insurance company of the truck driver may try to pin the accident on you or offer you a low-ball insurance settlement.
Don’t fall for their tricks.
If you were in a serious truck accident, especially one that resulted in serious injuries, you need a Lawrenceville truck accident lawyer. An attorney can speak to the insurance companies on your behalf and save you from falling into one of their traps to wrap up the issue by simply sliding a bit of money your way.
Never Accept A Settlement Without Speaking To An Attorney
If you’re reading this and thinking, “Oh no…I already spoke with the insurance companies and haven’t gotten a lawyer yet,” you can still save yourself some trouble!
If insurance offers you a settlement, don’t accept it without speaking to an attorney first. To the average person, the amount of money the insurance company is offering may seem like a large amount of money, but an experienced truck accident lawyer knows better.
The first settlement offer is usually not a fair sum of money for what you have endured. An attorney can tell when you’re getting low-balled. Always consult an attorney before responding to a settlement offer.
Injured In A Truck Accident? Rafi Law Firm Is Here To Help.
If you were injured in a truck accident, Rafi Law Firm can help you determine if you have a case. If you do, we’ll work to obtain maximum compensation so you can fully recover from your injuries.
Rafi Law Firm has helped injured Georgians recover more than $45 million, and we’ll fight for the most equitable outcome in your case. We only take personal injury and accident cases, and our dedication to this practice area shows in our results.
To read more about the large recoveries and settlements we have won for our clients, check out our case results.
Although we can’t undo what has been done, we can help you to focus on healing while we take care of getting you the compensation you deserve. An experienced Lawrenceville truck accident lawyer from Rafi Law Firm can help you get justice.
Don’t wait. Call (404) 800-9933 today to schedule a free consultation with an attorney who will evaluate your case.
