At any given time, there are three million big rigs operating on the road. These trucks can weigh up to 80,000 pounds and are up to 70 feet long. With these figures in mind, it is easy to see why accidents involving semi-trucks can be catastrophic.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, an accident occurs every 16 minutes in the United States that involves a tractor trailer. Nearly 80 percent of these accidents result in someone in the passenger vehicle being injured. Sadly, 10 percent of all of these accidents result in a fatality.
Involvement in a tractor trailer accident will impact your life in many ways. There will be physical hardships during your recovery process, there will be financial hardships, and there will be emotional stress. It is important for you to seek qualified legal representation during this time to help relieve some of these hardships.
The truck accident attorneys at the Law Offices of Ken Nugent understand the difficulties that you are facing. They know that you need someone on your side to help relieve this stress so that you can concentrate on your recovery. They know that you need someone who is familiar with this industry to aggressively represent their case.
How Tractor Trailer Accidents Are Different
Victims of trucking accidents need to find a lawyer that understands the commercial vehicle industry. There are different laws in place that regulate this industry on both the state and federal level. Your truck accident attorney needs to understand all of these laws and regulations and know how to verify if they are all being followed.
The size and weight of semi-trucks make them very dangerous on the roads. Government entities at both state and federal levels have imposed strict regulations on these vehicles and their drivers to try to keep the highways safe. However, many trucking companies in an effort to reduce costs or make unnecessarily short deadline will overlook these regulations. It is when these regulations are overlooked that negligence occurs.
Your attorney needs to understand how log books work and how to determine if the driver violated any laws concerning the amount of hours driven in one day. The lawyer needs to be able to verify maintenance records, review diver training procedures, and even reconstruct traffic conditions to completely represent their client.
The truck accident attorneys at the Law Offices of Ken Nugent understand this industry and will diligently represent their clients until a fair and compete compensation settlement is received. They are willing and able to address all of the complex legal issues surrounding an 18 wheeler accident to find the truth and help their client.
Common Causes or 18 Wheeler Accidents in Atlanta, Georgia
Driver Issues. This may include a driver that is overtired, on who is undertrained, or one who is distracted by something like a cell phone.
Driving Issues. This may include reckless lane changes, speeding, improper turns, improper braking, inexperience in weather conditions, inexperience in traffic conditions.
Safety Issues. The way that a load is packed into the trailer of a semi can have a lot of impact on the way a truck handles on the road. If the load was improperly balanced, the truck could be dangerous.
Maintenance Issues. Any maintenance issues such as bad brakes, improperly working signals or lights, and bad tires can be attributed to negligence on the part of the company.
Training Issues. The driver of the truck may not have received the proper certification to drive a truck or has not participated in mandatory safety training.
Log Book Issues. The driver may be in violation of log book regulations and may have been on the road too long on the day of the accident.
Drug or Alcohol Issues. The driver may have been under the influence of illegal or prescription drugs or alcohol at the time of the accident.
Of course, there are many other issues that may be a violation of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration regulations that could be the cause of the accident. Your Atlanta truck accident attorney will have to review your individual case to determine which of these regulations have been violated.
The Most Important Thing To Remember
Being involved in a trucking accident will be stressful in many ways. It does not, however, have to be your burden to bear alone. There are qualified and compassionate truck accident attorneys in Atlanta that are part of the Law Offices of Ken Nugent who are available and willing to help.
They will aggressively represent your case so that you receive the compensation you deserve for your injuries. They will handle work on your behalf to make sure that the insurance companies provide you with everything you need to make a full recovery. They understand that you need this burden lifted so that you can concentrate on your recovery.
We have offices in Albany, Atlanta, Augusta, Columbus, Duluth, Macon, Savannah and Valdosta. Our experienced team is ready to start working on your 18 wheeler injury case today. Click the chat bubble to send us a message or call us toll free at 1-888-579-1790 to speak to an accident attorney.
