Gainesville Truck Accident Lawyer

Talk with a Gainesville truck accident attorney today.

Commercial truck accidents can turn your life upside down. One minute you are running errands and the next, you are in the hospital with severe injuries or mourning a loved one’s death. When you are hurt because of a truck wreck, call Blasingame, Burch, Garrard & Ashley, P.C. for help.

Gainesville Commercial Truck Accident Lawyers

In 2019, there were 204 fatal accidents that involved a large truck in Georgia. Because commercial trucks are so large and heavy, a wreck with a standard vehicle often causes the occupants in the smaller vehicle to suffer severe and catastrophic injuries. Sometimes those injuries can be fatal.

Unfortunately, Georgia is known as one of the worst states for trucking accidents. Based on data from 2015-2017, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) reports that Georgia is one of 10 states with the highest average of fatal large truck and bus crashes.

If you or a loved one have been in a truck crash and you believe someone else was at fault, call us right away. A Gainesville semi-truck accident lawyer can help you hold a truck driver or trucking company responsible if the harm they caused you was because of negligence on the part of the driver or the trucking company.

If you have catastrophic injuries from a truck crash or your loved one was killed in a crash with a semi-truck, call us 24/7 at 706-354-4000 and speak to an attorney. If it’s after hours or on a weekend or holiday, hit the prompt to speak to a live person.

We Handle Cases Involving Significant Truck Accident Injuries

Commercial trucks weigh between 26,000 and 80,000 pounds. The weight depends on the type of vehicle and its cargo, but you can expect an empty semi-truck to reach 35,000 pounds and a fully loaded one to weigh up to 80,000 pounds.

Vehicles of this size can cause devastating damages in a crash. We work with individuals who experience severe injuries including, but not limited to:

• Bone fractures
• Deep lacerations and scarring
• A traumatic brain injury
• Back and spinal cord injuries
• Paralysis
• Amputations
• Poisoning from hazardous materials
• Severe burns

These injuries can impact your physical capabilities, mental health, and your capacity to work and provide for yourself and your family.

What If the Truck Accident Was Fatal?

Talk with a Gainesville truck accident lawyer as soon as possible if you or a loved one was involved in a fatal crash. We help families who have lost a loved one recover financial compensation. Our experienced attorneys can help you navigate the complex legal system by working with witnesses, accident reconstruction specialists, medical doctors, and other experts who help us establish the cause of the crash, determine who was at fault, analyze the trucking company’s history, and prove a history of negligent practices, if applicable. We can also work closely with a life care planner who can be used in expert witness testimony. Certified life care planners can offer comprehensive assessments that help provide insights into the cost of current and future medical costs, ongoing psychological treatment costs, and rehabilitation needs for individuals who suffer life-long injuries or complications.  

Why Are Truck Crashes Different from Car Accidents?

If you take one thing away from this information, it is that you cannot deal with a truck accident claim the same way you would handle a car crash. The commercial trucking industry is highly regulated, and these regulations could impact your claim.

To begin with, truck drivers must have their commercial driver’s license (CDL). They also must adhere to many rules regarding inspections, hours of service, and alcohol & drug testing. Trucking companies, also called motor carriers, also have strict regulations to abide by in hiring practices, scheduling, and fleet maintenance.

After a crash, talk with a Gainesville 18-wheeler accident lawyer. We will thoroughly investigate the incident and determine which regulations applied to the truck and truck driver. Then, we will analyze the evidence and determine if the trucking company or truck driver violated any of the rules.

Who Is Responsible for a Truck Wreck?

When it comes to liability in a truck crash, there may be more than one party responsible depending on the circumstances. 

The party liable for a truck crash could be the:

• Truck driver
• Trucking company
• Maintenance provider
• Cargo owner
• Truck manufacturer

It helps to have an experienced lawyer investigate the crash, figure out what went wrong, and identify who is responsible under the law.  

Can I Receive Compensation for Truck Accident Injuries?

If you can prove someone else negligently caused the crash, you may recover compensation for your injuries.

You could potentially recover:

• Economic damages: These are your financial losses and costs, like repairing or replacing your vehicle, medical bills, and lost wages.
• Non-economic damages: These are intangible damages for things like your physical pain and suffering and emotional anguish.
• Punitive damages: If your Gainesville truck accident lawyer can prove the at-fault party’s conduct was reckless or egregious, you might win additional compensation in the form of punitive damages.

Talk with us about how we evaluate these damages and the factors that impact your claim’s possible value.

Guide to Georgia Truck Accidents

What If the Truck Driver Says You Caused the Accident?

If the other side is pointing fingers at you, it is important to hire a semi-truck accident lawyer.

In Georgia, if you are 50% or more at fault, then you cannot win compensation. If you are 49% or less at fault then you can file a claim and try to receive compensation for your damages, but the court or insurer will reduce the amount by your percentage of fault. For example, if you are 25% at fault, your recovery may be reduced by 25%.

How Long Do I Have to File a Truck Accident Lawsuit?

If you were injured in a truck crash, you should get started with a claim right away. That is why we recommend hiring a Gainesville truck accident lawyer. We can help you preserve your right to compensation and, if necessary, file a lawsuit before the statute of limitations runs out.

In Georgia, the statute of limitations is two years for personal injury claims and four years for property damage claims. This is the amount of time you have after the accident to file a claim in court. However, you rarely want to wait that long. Instead, we can help you try to reach a fair settlement with the trucking company’s insurance company. If we cannot reach a settlement agreement with the insurance company, we may recommend filing a lawsuit within weeks or months of the crash date.

Contact a Gainesville Truck Accident Attorney Today

Our attorneys at Blasingame, Burch, Garrard & Ashley, P.C. are ready to fight for your rights. We have a strong truck accident practice and have handled many truck crash claims. We have the knowledge and skills to help you through this difficult time.

Contact us at 706-354-4000 or complete our contact form to tell us about the crash. We handle truck crash cases in Gainesville and across Georgia. You do not pay anything unless we recover compensation in your case.

_{If you have catastrophic injuries from a truck crash or your loved one was killed in a crash with a semi-truck, call us 24/7 and speak to an attorney. If it’s after hours or on a weekend or holiday, hit the prompt to speak to a live person and tell the receptionist you have serious injuries from a truck crash and would like to speak to an attorney immediately. They will patch you through to one of our skilled truck accident lawyers.}