While all car accidents have the potential to be devastating, truck accidents often have more severe consequences. This is due to several factors, including the size and weight of the truck, the speed at which the truck was traveling, and the fact that the truck driver may not have followed proper safety procedures. If you or someone you love has been involved in a truck accident, it is vital to seek experienced legal help as soon as possible. If you have any more concerns, please contact The Super Lawyer Legal Group and get a one-on-one consultation session with an experienced Georgia truck accident lawyer for your case.
Are Trucks More Secure Than Cars?
While standing more than 13 feet off the ground, a fully loaded tractor-trailer can weigh several times more than an ordinary passenger car. This means that their centers of gravity are substantially higher than those of ordinary vehicles. As a result, they are more susceptible to momentum changes. Trucks may utilize many of the same safety measures as cars to keep drivers safe, but the truth is that these vehicles are among the most hazardous on the road.
What You Should Know About Truck Accidents
A collision with a tractor-trailer is far more hazardous than a collision with a passenger car. The size and weight of a truck are two of the primary elements contributing to fatal truck accidents. Other elements, such as a truck driver’s skills and the vehicle’s maintenance, may also contribute to a significant accident. We have identified four critical characteristics between a road car and a truck that make truck accidents more deadly than any other vehicle.
#1) Truck Size And Weight
First, trucks are much larger and heavier than passenger vehicles, so they can cause more damage when they collide with smaller cars. Trucks are substantially bigger than passenger vehicles; an 18-wheeler is typically 70 to 80 feet long. In comparison, the typical length of a small automobile is between 10 and 14 feet, while the average length of a truck is between 18 and 19 feet. The length of a passenger car and that of a semi-truck varies significantly; this discrepancy in size leads to severe injuries and damage to property during a truck accident versus a crash involving passenger vehicles solely. Because of a truck’s height, it is more likely to override passenger automobiles, and a car can slide under a truck during an accident, resulting in catastrophic and possibly fatal injury.
#2) Truck Speed Can Cause A Collision
Second, trucks typically travel at higher speeds than other vehicles on the road, which means that they have more kinetic energy and can cause more damage in a collision. Some truck drivers are subjected to rigid work restrictions that demand them to travel for extended periods, whatever the weather, traffic, or other road conditions may make their employment risky. Some truck drivers may be putting their lives in danger by driving sleepy to achieve their rigorous deadlines. According to studies, driving when tired is precisely as risky as driving under the influence of alcohol. A tired driver may take longer to react to a traffic hazard or fall asleep behind the wheel, causing an accident. Drowsy and inattentive driving is also one of the most prevalent causes of truck accidents, according to personal injury attorneys in Atlanta, Georgia
#3) Dangerous Cargo
Because large cargo adds weight, increases braking time, and reduces driver sight behind and beside the rig, accidents involving trucks can be more severe. Cargo can complicate truck accidents since the driver may not be entirely at blame if the cargo is not correctly loaded and secured.
Truck drivers may not follow proper safety procedures, such as securing their load correctly. This can lead to accidents in which the truck’s load falls onto the roadway, causing severe damage to other vehicles and injuring the people inside them.
#4) Truck Accident Cases
The number of people killed in truck accidents is increasing. The number of truck accident deaths has nearly doubled in the last 10 years, rising from 3,380 in 2009 to 5,005 in 2019. Furthermore, statistics collected by the (NHTSA) National Highway Traffic Safety Administration revealed that the number of heavy truck passengers killed in truck accidents rose from fewer than 500 in 2009 to almost 900 in 2019.
Seeking Compensation Following A Truck Accident
Insurance companies aren’t in the business of providing accident victims with the total amount of compensation they deserve. They are in the business of preserving their bottom line by only paying out what they can get away with or what is mandated by law.
This becomes considerably more problematic in truck accidents, which frequently include many cars, as insurance companies each seek to deny or minimize responsibility. They may also assign partial blame to you, which, under Georgia’s contributory negligence legislation, can dramatically diminish the amount you earn.
How A Georgia Personal Injury Attorney Can Help You
After a truck accident, an insurance company will make you an instant offer. Accepting it may be tempting to pay your medical fees and focus on your recovery. This is reasonable, but it may be a fatal error.
A Georgia personal injury lawyer who has handled truck accident cases can perform a comprehensive investigation, identify who is accountable and what insurance policies are at stake, and fight to obtain the complete and reasonable compensation you are due.
Hire A Team Of Competent Personal Injury Attorneys In Atlanta, Georgia For Legal Representation!
A car or truck collision might result in property damage and long-term injury. Unfortunately, because of a truck’s size, weight, and driver workload, an accident with one of these motor vehicles is generally more severe than with a car. When driving near a huge truck, whether you’re a truck driver, a passenger vehicle driver, or a biker, make sure you safeguard yourself and other drivers.
If you or someone you love has been involved in a truck accident, it is of the utmost importance to seek experienced legal help from The Super Lawyer Legal Group’s personal injury attorneys in Atlanta, Georgia as soon as possible. Our competent Georgia truck accident lawyers can help you understand your rights and options and will fight to get you the compensation you deserve.
Consultation is free, call us now!
