Were you hurt or was a loved one killed in a truck accident?
Let our Georgia truck accident lawyers help.
Whether you call them semi-trucks, tractor-trailers or 18-wheelers, large commercial trucks are responsible for a disproportionate number of injuries and deaths on highways in Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee and across the southeastern United States.
Being centrally located in Georgia, Macon is particularly prone to serious and deadly truck collisions as semis and tractor trailers coming from Atlanta, Savannah and elsewhere attempt to navigate busy interstates and highways like I-75, I-16, I-475 and Hwy 247. In fact, according to crash data from the Georgia Department of Transportation, you’re more likely to be hurt or even die in an accident on Hwy 247 than any other road in Bibb County. Truck accidents are different than regular car accidents in a number of ways. For starters, semi-trucks and tractor trailers are much larger and heavier than average cars, so the risk of severe injuries and casualties in the event of a collision is much higher.
Also, truck accident claims typically involve more parties—not only the truck driver, but their employer (the trucking company), the trucking company’s insurer, and possibly a manufacturer.
When these accidents are caused by a truck driver or due to trucking company negligence, the law office of Westmoreland, Patterson, Moseley & Hinson has the experience and resources needed to thoroughly investigate your truck accident claim, establish liability and pursue the maximum compensation to which you are entitled.
Our Macon truck injury attorneys have successfully represented motor vehicle accident victims in Georgia and throughout the southeastern United States in personal injury and wrongful death claims for more than 50 years.
Millions recovered
What to do after a truck accident
A trucking company knows about an accident immediately after it happens because of the truck’s GPS system. The trucking company’s insurance company will usually send an investigator to the scene within 24 hours.
So what should you do in the aftermath of a truck wreck to protect your rights?
Step 1: Gather evidence
(if possible)
Call 911 and remain at the accident scene. If you’re able to safely take pictures of the accident scene, then do so. Also, write down the names and contact information of any witnesses—as well as the truck driver. However, truck accident injuries are often very severe and life-threatening, which may mean it’s impossible for you to gather this information. If so, wait for help to arrive. It’s in these cases that a truck accident lawyer is especially important to help recreate the accident scene and determine liability.
Step 2: Get medical care
Even if you’re one of the lucky few who were able to walk away from a truck accident, you should immediately see a doctor to get a full-body checkup. Many serious injuries, like brain trauma and whiplash, don’t always have symptoms that appear right away, but instead side effects start showing up in the days or weeks after the wreck. Adrenaline and shock may be concealing pain and injury in your body, which is why it’s important you visit a doctor as soon as possible.
Step 3: Contact a lawyer
While consulting a lawyer may be the last thing on your mind after a truck accident, it’s important to hire a lawyer as soon as possible so that you have a representative whose job is to ensure that important evidence is preserved. Trucking companies often try to destroy critical evidence after an accident. To prevent this from happening, your lawyer can send a “spoliation letter.” Plus, insurers might try to get you to say something that hurts your case, and your attorney can advise you on what to do next.
What caused your truck accident?
Our lawyers have the experience, skills, resources and determination to effectively represent the best interests of accident victims and their families. We’re equipped to handle all types of truck accident litigation, including cases arising from:
- Excessive speed. When trucks go too fast, accidents caused by excessive speed are the result.
- Fatigued or distracted drivers. As with other drivers, accidents happen when a truck driver is tired or distracted behind the wheel.
- Reckless or careless driving
- Lack of proper truck maintenance
- Drug or alcohol abuse. Truck drivers who are high or intoxicated often get in accidents caused by impaired driving.
- Bad weather conditions that the truck driver didn’t properly prepare for
- Defective parts such as brakes and alert systems
- Improperly loaded cargo
- Failing to follow trucking regulations and safety laws
Types of semi truck accidents
No matter what type of collision or wreck you were involved in, we can help you pursue full and fair compensation for your injuries. We’ve won successful settlements and verdicts for our clients involved in many different types of truck accidents, including:
- Rollover wrecks
- Jackknife crashes
- Underride collisions
- Unsecured load accidents
- Tire blowout wrecks
- Wide turn wrecks
- Rear-end collisions
- Blind spot accidents
- Brake failure accidents
Fatal truck accidents and wrongful death claims
Between 100 and 200 people die each year in deadly truck collisions across Georgia. At Westmoreland, Patterson, Moseley & Hinson, we’ve successfully represented surviving spouses and family members in wrongful death claims when a loved one died prematurely because of a truck driver’s carelessness or negligence.
In addition to funeral and burial expenses, our truck accident lawyers can make sure you receive compensation for loss of future earnings, loss of consortium and other damages. Even though no amount of money will replace the life of your loved one, our goal is to help secure your family’s financial future so that you can focus on the things that really matter like coming to terms with your loss.
Filing a truck accident injury lawsuit in Georgia
Georgia is an at-fault state, which means the person who is liable for the accident is responsible for covering any damages they caused such as medical expenses, lost wages, vehicle damage, even pain and suffering. Under the doctrine of respondeat superior, a truck driver’s employer can be held liable for the negligence of their employee while the driver is performing work-related duties, such as driving a truck.
If you were injured in a truck crash, or you lost a loved one in a fatal truck accident, you may be able to sue the following parties:
- The truck driver
- The trucking company
- The truck manufacturer
- The company who leased the truck
- The cargo loading company
- The trucking insurance company
In order for your claim to be successful, you and your lawyer must adequately show that the accident was the truck driver’s fault. Establishing liability under respondeat superior is a 3-step process that typically involves proving the following statements are true:
- The truck driver was employed by the trucking company at the time of the accident. If the driver was an independent contractor, the trucking company might still be held accountable for the driver’s actions—but this complicates the case.
- The truck driver was working on behalf of the company when the accident happened. If the truck driver was running a personal errand, for instance, it may be more difficult to hold the trucking company liable.
- The truck driver’s actions were benefiting their employer. If the driver was using the company truck for an activity that isn’t considered “official business,” the trucking company may avoid liability.
In most truck accident claims, establishing that these three statements are true is easy and the trucking company is held liable for damages caused by their employee. In such cases, courts can award compensation to accident victims for both economic damages (past and future medical expenses, past and future lost wages, prescriptions, transportation expenses, rehabilitation, etc.) and non-economic damages (pain and suffering, loss of consortium, emotional distress, etc.).
In some cases, accident victims in Georgia may seek an award for punitive damages in order to penalize willful misconduct and malice on the part of the truck driver. Such awards are rare and difficult to prove, though, so an experienced truck accident attorney is needed.
It’s important to understand that you only have a limited amount of time to file a truck accident lawsuit because of the statute of limitations that applies to personal injury cases in Georgia. After this deadline, the law prevents you from pursuing a lawsuit.
In Georgia, you have 2 years from the date of the accident to file an injury claim.The clock is ticking! Contact our Macon truck accident attorneys as soon as possible so that we can start building your case and get you the compensation you’re owed.
Truck accident resources
“Mr. Hinson handled a personal injury matter for me. He kept me well informed and did an excellent job. I was very pleased with the outcome.”
The resources needed to win
Unlike some personal injury attorneys who settle all of their cases, we are not afraid to go to court if needed. Our firm has the resources needed to thoroughly prepare, try and win complicated cases.
We are dedicated to doing everything legally and ethically possible to obtain the best results for our injured clients. Hard work and dedication have allowed us to recover millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements for people in personal injury and wrongful death claims.
Hurt in a truck accident? Talk to our Macon personal injury attorneys for free.
No two accident cases are exactly the same. Every case is unique and different, requiring a customized approach to seeking compensation from the at-fault driver.
Our truck accident lawyers in Macon, GA retain the best possible experts in the trucking industry to advise us on the ultimate cause of the truck accident, as well as determine who is liable for the crash—including the potential liability of the truck driver, truck owner, trucking company and insurance company.
If you’re ready to talk about your specific case, give us a call or complete our online form to schedule your free consultation. With offices conveniently located in Macon, Albany and Warner Robins, we help clients in Georgia and across the Southeast understand their legal rights. The initial consultation is no cost to you, and you’ll pay us nothing unless we recover compensation for you and your family. That’s our No Fee Guarantee.
