Large commercial trucks can weigh up to 80,000 pounds when fully loaded, presenting a significant danger to average 4,000-pound vehicles on the road. According to data from the National Safety Council, over 70% of injuries and fatalities occur to motorists in smaller vehicles rather than to the truck driver.
In fault-based insurance states like Georgia, an injury victim must have compelling evidence of an at-fault driver’s liability to recover their economic losses and compensation for pain and suffering. When an accident involves a commercial truck, proving liability becomes complex due to the multiple parties who could be legally responsible for the accident.
It takes many entities to ensure that a safe truck is on the road and operated by a qualified driver. It often requires an experienced investigation into all aspects of the accident to determine what caused the accident, the negligence that led to it, and the correct liable party. Then, the injury victim can file a claim against the liable party’s insurance or from multiple liable parties that contributed to the accident. An Atlanta truck accident lawyer has access to resources such as mechanical experts and accident reconstruction specialists. While the insurance company investigates the accident with the goal of protecting their profits at the injury victim’s expense, a truck accident lawyer’s sole priority is to protect their client’s best interests. This begins with identifying the liable party—typically, one of the following:
In some cases, other entities could be at fault, or partly at fault, such as a negligent road maintenance agency or a third-party driver. An experienced attorney is essential for conducting an investigation and documenting evidence of liability.
When a truck accident attorney represents a truck accident victim, they also carefully examine the medical bills and injury report and then consult with medical experts to determine the full extent of the medical costs the injury victim is facing and the level of pain and disability they’ll suffer until reaching their maximum medical improvement. They total the injury victim’s lost earnings and the wages they will lose while undergoing further treatment. In some cases, they may be unable to return to work in their previous capacity or at all.
An experienced Atlanta injury attorney specializing in accident cases explores all avenues to recover the maximum compensation available to their client.
Insurance companies are not on the injury victim’s side. They assign an adjuster whose job it is to minimize the amount of compensation they pay out on claims. By hiring a truck accident lawyer, the client’s best interests are safeguarded by an attorney who argues for the highest possible amount of compensation in a settlement. When an accident victim has legal counsel, the claim ends with a settlement for the injury victim in up to 93% of cases.
Most truck accident claims end with a settlement, but if an insurance company undervalues, disputes, denies, or delays a settlement, a truck accident attorney files a lawsuit petition within the state’s statute of limitations and litigates the claim in court for a jury to decide. Presenting arguments in court is a longer process, but juries often sympathize with injury victims, and their verdicts include large monetary awards for damages.
Finally, a truck accident victim does not pay anything upfront for an attorney’s services. A truck accident personal injury lawyer assumes all financial risks and only receives payment for their legal services after the client obtains a settlement or court award for their damages.
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