Macon Truck Accident Lawyers

Being involved in a collision with a large truck, such as an 18-wheeler or semi-truck often results in severe, life-threatening injuries. This is because a passenger car is not built to withstand a collision with a commercial vehicle that outweighs it by thousands of pounds.   

If you suffered a personal injury in a crash with one of these vehicles, it may have been caused by the negligence of the driver or other parties responsible for the truck, trailer or its cargo. This means you could be entitled to compensation for all of your current and future medical bills and other damages you are dealing with.

The Macon truck accident lawyers at Roden Law are prepared to help you pursue the compensation you deserve after this type of accident. We have detailed knowledge of the complexities of truck accident cases and how to advocate for your best interests throughout the legal process. You can review your situation in a free, no obligation legal consultation with one of our skilled attorneys. If we determine you have a viable case, we will represent you on a contingency fee basis. This way there are no fees unless you receive compensation.

Complete a Free Case Evaluation form today or call 1-844-RESULTS.

Compensation for a Truck Accident

Truck accidents can be devastating on many levels, often leading to severe injuries, expensive medical care and missed time at work. In some cases, victims are never able to work in the same capacity as they did before their injury.

Fortunately, our Macon truck accident attorneys may be able to recover compensation to help you deal with many of the problems caused by an accident, including:

Medical Costs

The law allows us to pursue compensation for all current and future medical expenses you experience because of an injury caused by another’s actions. Some of the expenses you could be compensated for include:

• Surgical procedures
• Hospital stays
• Ambulance ride to the hospital right after the accident
• Transportation to appointments for further treatment
• MRIs and other tests
• Medications to treat symptoms of your injuries, such as pain
• Canes, crutches, wheelchairs or other mobility aids
• Physical therapy

A Macon truck accident lawyer at our firm can help you collect all bills and receipts for the treatment you receive. This will allow us to determine an accurate value of all of the medical expenses you have incurred.

Lost Wages

In the days and weeks after a crash, you may miss work for medical appointments and other care, or your injuries may be so severe that you are unable to work for days or weeks at a time.

Our Macon truck accident attorneys understand that missing work is often one of the consequences of being injured in a truck accident. For this reason, we can help you determine if you are entitled to compensation for the time you missed work because of your injuries. If you are, we can help you recover all documentation for proving the wages you lost.

Lost Earning Capacity

In many cases, victims of truck accidents are never able to work in the same capacity as they did before the crash. Their injuries are so serious and cause so many physical and mental limitations that they are forced to change careers, work at a different company, or reduce their hours or job responsibilities.

This has a devastating effect on your future earning capacity, making it much harder to support yourself and your family. This is why it may be possible to pursue compensation to make up for the effect of your injuries on your earning capacity.

We will carefully evaluate your employment situation from before the crash to determine your salary, experience, skills and projected future earnings. This will help us as we pursue fair compensation for your lost earning capacity.

Property Damage

In addition to the injuries you have experienced, it is likely that your vehicle and other personal property were also heavily damaged in a truck accident. A Macon truck accident lawyer may be able to pursue compensation for your repair bills or for the fair market value of your vehicle.

Pain and Suffering

Sometimes victims experience post-traumatic stress after a truck crash and may continually relive the trauma of the accident. Victims can also suffer depression, anxiety and stress from the experience of the crash and from the effect it has had on their physical health and finances.

Because of this, we may be able to obtain compensation if you have experienced physical or emotional suffering from your injuries.

Our Macon truck accident lawyers understand that compensation cannot change what happened. However, it can be a big part of helping you deal with the effects of your injuries. This can give you the financial breathing room you need to try to move on with your life.

Call one of our attorneys right now at 1-844-RESULTS.

Types of Cases We Handle

We are prepared to manage cases involving various large trucks and commercial vehicles. This could include:

We represent clients who were injured in many different kinds of truck accidents, such as:

• Tanker crashes – These are crashes involving tanker trucks, which can lead to liquids or gases they are hauling spilling on the roadway or nearby vehicles. This can be extremely dangerous, as the truck may be hauling toxic or flammable substances. Others on the roadway are at risk of burns and health problems from inhaling fumes from these substances.
• Rollover accidents – These are crashes where the truck tips over onto its side, often because the driver was speeding or attempting to take a corner at excessive speed. Once the truck tips, it puts everyone on the road in extreme danger because the driver has no control.
• Underride collisions – These occur when a car crashes into the rear of a large truck, which is often much higher than the front of a traditional passenger vehicle. This causes the car to slide under the back of the truck, putting passengers at risk of severe injury or death.
• Lost load accidents – This is when cargo on the truck falls onto the roadway or the vehicles around the truck. Drivers can crash into the cargo or swerve to avoid it, potentially resulting in an accident with another car.
• Wide turn accidents – Trucks have a much wider turning radius than many cars. This is why drivers have to swing to the left before making a right turn. This can lead to the truck squeezing a car between the trailer and the sidewalk.
• Blowouts – These accidents happen when one of the tires on the truck blows out. This can leave huge pieces of the tire in the roadway that can be difficult to avoid, particularly if you are traveling at a high speed.
• Jackknife crashes – If the truck’s brakes lock up, the trailer can swing away from the truck and form a 90-degree angle. Other cars can easily collide with the trailer as it swings out from the truck.
• Rear-end accidents – Trucks take much longer to stop than other passenger vehicles because of their tremendous size and weight. Unfortunately, this makes it more likely they will crash into the back of cars, particularly if the driver is not paying attention or is fatigued.
• Blind-spot collisions – Traveling in the blind spot of a truck is extremely dangerous, because the driver could change lanes and crash right into you.

There are many other types of truck crashes that can occur, but these are some of the most common. If you were injured in any type of truck accident, contact our Macon truck accident attorneys for a free, no obligation legal consultation.

We can launch a comprehensive investigation to determine how negligence played a role in the accident. This may allow us to recover compensation for your damages.

Call 1-844-RESULTS today to schedule a consultation.

Why Do Truck Accidents Happen?

Many truck accidents are the result of negligence on the part of the driver or other parties that are responsible for the truck or its cargo. 

Some examples of negligence that often lead to truck accidents with passenger vehicles include:

The Macon truck accident lawyers at our firm are prepared to launch a comprehensive investigation to determine the specific causes of your accident. This could include:

• Studying the police report from the crash, as it has the officer’s thoughts about the cause
• Taking pictures at the scene to document damage to both vehicles
• Obtaining maintenance records for the truck to determine if it was properly maintained
• Obtaining information about the truck’s cargo to determine if it was overloaded or carrying cargo it was not designed for
• Contacting witnesses to find out what they saw
• Finding and reviewing any video footage of the accident if it exists
• Reviewing records on the driver to determine if he or she had the required license and was not in violation of any other requirements
• Reviewing time logs to determine if the driver was on the road longer than state or federal regulations allow

Our investigation will also help us determine all of the parties who may be liable for the crash. This can help us pursue all of the compensation you are entitled.

Fill out a Free Case Evaluation form today to schedule a free consultation.

Who Can be Held Liable for a Truck Crash?

One of the many benefits of working with an experienced Macon truck accident lawyer is that he or she knows that many parties can be held liable for an accident, not just the driver.

The attorneys at Roden Law know that we may be able to obtain compensation from various parties, such as:

Our Macon truck accident attorneys are committed to thoroughly investigating the specifics of your accident to determine all of the parties that may be responsible. We want all liable parties to be held responsible so you receive fair compensation.

Contact Roden Law right now to determine your legal options.

Trucking Industry Regulations

One of the most common ways we are able to establish liability for a truck accident case is to prove that the driver or another party violated state or federal regulations.

We have extensive knowledge of the trucking industry regulations that often apply to these cases. We also know how to quickly research laws to obtain the information we need when building your case.

While every case is unique, there are some regulations that come up often in truck accident cases:

Hours of Service Rules 

Many accidents are caused by drowsy or fatigued drivers who violate regulations on the number of hours they are allowed to be behind the wheel. They face tight deadlines and pressure from their employers to meet these deadlines, which often results in violations of hours of service regulations.

Georgia’s Department of Public Safety (DPS) sets regulations for commercial trucking in the state. This includes the following limitations on the number of consecutive hours truck drivers can spend behind the wheel:

• Drivers who have not been on duty for more than 16 hours can drive for a maximum of 12 consecutive hours
• Drivers cannot drive after being on duty for a total of 70 hours over seven consecutive days or 80 hours in eight consecutive days

Regulations from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) are very similar but also a little stricter:

• Drivers can only drive for 11 hours after being off duty for 10 consecutive hours
• Drivers are prohibited from driving after being on duty between 60 and 70 hours over seven or eight consecutive days

Drivers who are carrying passengers are prohibited from driving more than 10 hours after eight consecutive hours off duty.

Your Macon truck accident lawyer will review your situation to determine whether state or federal regulations apply to your case.

Safe Transportation of Cargo

There are federal and state regulations drivers and others in the trucking industry must follow to ensure cargo is properly secured. 

For example, the FMCSA mandates that all cargo in commercial vehicles be firmly immobilized and secured with adequate devices. These devices include tiedowns or loose materials designed to support and protect cargo, also called dunnage. Regulations also state that any cargo securement system weigh at least half as much as the cargo being secured.

Federal regulations also require the use of certain numbers of tiedowns based on the length and weight of the items:

• One tiedown is required to secure cargo that is five feet or less in length and 1,100 pounds or less in weight
• Two tiedowns are required for cargo more than 1,100 pounds and less than 10 feet in length

The FMCSA has regulations on how to secure various other types of cargo, including:

Georgia DPS also has specific regulations for certain types of cargo. For example, tree-length wood must be secured with two or more tiedowns. These tiedowns must also be spread out and positioned along the length of the load to effectively secure the wood.

Testing for Drugs

One of the ways the trucking industry tries to prevent drivers from operating their vehicles while intoxicated is to conduct drug and alcohol testing.

Federal regulations mandate drug and alcohol testing for anyone attempting to obtain a commercial driver’s license. Regulations also state that trucking companies cannot employ someone who tests positive for alcohol and other illegal substances.

When an accident occurs, employers are required to test drivers for alcohol and controlled substances as soon as is practical. Regulations also state that employers must cease attempts to obtain an alcohol test more than eight hours after the accident. They must also cease attempts at drug testing within 32 hours of the accident. If an employer does not test, it must create a record explaining why not.

One of the many things we will do after an accident is determine if the driver tested positive for drugs or alcohol. If the test was not done, we will pursue records explaining why testing was not done.

Complete a Free Case Evaluation form today.

Is There a Deadline for Filing a Lawsuit?

Your Macon truck accident lawyer has a limited amount of time to file a truck accident lawsuit because of Georgia’s statute of limitations for personal injury cases, including motor vehicle accidents.

This law states that you have two years from the date your cause of action accrues to file a claim. This means your attorney must file a lawsuit within two years of the accident. After that, the law prohibits your attorney from pursuing a case.

This is why it is so important to reach out to a Macon truck accident attorney as soon as possible after your accident. The sooner you contact us, the sooner we can begin building your case and helping you get compensation.

Call an attorney right now at 1-844-RESULTS.

Contact a Macon Truck Accident Lawyer Today

Our Macon truck accident lawyers understand how devastating a truck crash can be. That is why we are committed to providing skilled legal representation to pursue the justice and compensation you deserve.

We have an in-depth understanding of the many factors in a truck accident case, from federal and state regulations, to the types of accidents and their causes, and how to thoroughly investigate.

Schedule a free legal consultation today to determine if you have grounds for pursuing compensation. We can review your situation in a free legal consultation. If we take your case, we will provide our services on contingency, so there will be no fee unless we recover compensation.