Truck Accidents
Fry | Goehring successfully helps the injured recover the compensation they deserve.
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Personal Injury
Common Truck Accident Injuries
Truck accident injuries often tend to be more severe than those from typical car-on-car collisions, often resulting in devastating consequences or even fatalities. Semi-trucks are heavier and larger than standard vehicles on the road. Large trucks, tractor-trailers, and 18-wheelers are taller, weigh 20–30 times more than passenger cars, and often require 20–40% more distance than passenger cars to stop. When such trucks get into an accident, their sheer size, weight, and reduced maneuverability can result in catastrophic damage to whomever and whatever they encounter.
If you or a loved one has experienced a truck accident injury due to someone else’s negligence, you may have a valid basis to seek compensation for your damages. Your future after an accident matters, and we’re here to help you get back on your feet after a truck accident.
Having witnessed the life-altering impact of semi-truck accidents, we genuinely understand the unique challenges victims and their families face. At Fry | Goehring, our Atlanta personal injury lawyers are highly experienced in taking on trucking and insurance companies and winning favorable results for our clients. We know too well how devastating a truck accident can be, and we are dedicated to fearlessly advocating for you to ensure you get the results you deserve.
Call our dedicated truck accident attorneys today at 404-969-1284 to schedule a free consultation and case review.
Common Causes of Truck Accidents in Georgia
The leading contributing factors of truck accidents are not so different from those of passenger car wrecks. Sadly, while these life-altering accidents are avoidable, driver error is often the leading cause of semi-trailer truck accidents in Georgia. The two most common causes of truck accidents in Georgia include:
Distracted Driving
Interruption and inattention behind the wheel can result in collisions for truckers just as they do for passenger cars. Truckers drive for several hours over long distances, so it’s not surprising that they might get bored. This boredom can see them engage in one of numerous things to keep their minds occupied. For instance, a driver may engage in alcohol consumption, daydreaming, eating, sending text messages, or other distractions.
A split second of inattention when driving a large truck can lead to catastrophic accidents and severe or even fatal injuries for other drivers involved.
Driver Fatigue
Truckers are generally paid in a way that encourages them to drive faster and for longer periods than what’s considered safe. Although federal law regulates and limits a trucker’s hours of service, trucking companies implement systems that incentivize their drivers to extend themselves, covering long distances with minimal rest and breaks to fulfill demanding schedules.
When truck drivers are exhausted or drowsy, their focus, coordination, and reaction time are substantially compromised. Fatigued driving impairs a trucker’s cognitive functions and increases the chances of slower reactions to unexpected situations on the road, which can end up causing tragic collisions.
Common Truck Accident Injuries in Georgia
In the aftermath of a semi-truck accident, you and your family may likely experience intense pain, hefty medical expenses, and a reduced quality of life. At Fry | Goehring, we understand the serious nature of common truck accident injuries and handle all catastrophic injury claims, including cases involving:
Back and Neck Injuries
In a truck accident, passengers and/or drivers of smaller cars may suffer a range of injuries focused on their back and neck, such as herniated discs, whiplash, torn ligaments and tendons, muscle strains, and other soft tissue injuries. Neck and back support are integral to your movements. Such injuries from trucking wrecks may hinder you from returning to work and fulfilling routine tasks until you recover.
Broken Bones
Given the massive size of trucks, the impact of collisions is powerful enough to result in several broken bones. While broken bones can heal, not all of them mend quickly, often requiring costly surgeries involving internal and external fixation, arthroplasty, and bone grafting.
Compound fractures have the potential to puncture the skin, and broken bones, like ribs, can lead to organ damage, internal bleeding, or nerve damage. Dealing with broken bones is not only physically challenging but also exceptionally painful, demanding a significant amount of time for a full recovery.
Internal Injuries
Truck accidents have the potential to inflict blunt-force trauma on any part of the body, leading to injuries to internal organs such as the kidney, liver, bladder, and spleen. These injuries, while severe, may not be immediately apparent following a truck accident. Always seek medical attention and care right away after a crash to ensure all injuries are diagnosed and treated.
Head Injuries
The force of impact from a crash involving a semi-truck can lead to trauma to your head, resulting in a brain injury. Head injuries can also occur even if you suffer a direct blow to the head due to whiplash. Neck, brain, and head injuries aren’t always immediately noticeable, and suffering a head injury doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll go unconscious. Symptoms may manifest days to weeks later after a truck crash.
Symptoms of mild brain damage and other head injuries, such as concussions, to keep an eye out for after a truck accident may include:
- Vomiting or nausea
- Confusion
- Loss of consciousness
- Headache
- Dilated pupils
- Slurred speech
- Dizziness
- Seizures
- Sensitivity to sound or light
- Memory problems
Spinal Cord Injuries and Paralysis
If an individual suffers an unexpected blow to their spinal cord in a traffic accident that crushes, dislocates, fractures, or compresses their vertebrae, they may suffer a traumatic spinal cord injury. These injuries, even if categorized as non-traumatic, can result in debilitating injuries and can result in complete or incomplete paralysis, depending on the location of the spine injury.
Common symptoms of a spinal cord injury may include:
- Loss of sensation
- Loss of movement
- Loss of bowel or bladder control
- Persistent pain
- Spasms
- Difficulty breathing
- Numbness or weakness of the extremities
- Difficulty walking
- Loss of balance
- Full or partial paralysis
Spine injuries never completely heal and will likely need lifelong medical care, including costly surgeries, lengthy hospitalizations, physical rehabilitation, medication, and assistive moving equipment.
Amputation and Disfigurement
Amputation and disfigurement mainly occur as a direct result of the impact alone. Other times, they can result from injuries sustained from the accident, such as severe burns.
Amputation injuries are catastrophic and can happen instantaneously due to the forces involved in a truck collision. In most cases, injuries to the limbs are so severe that medical amputation becomes necessary.
No matter the situation, permanent disfigurement can take a toll on the victim. An amputation permanently disfigures a person and may cause emotional distress, diminished quality of life, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The financial implications of an amputation can be heavy, too, with medical bills and ongoing rehab and therapy costs piling up.
Wrongful Death
Unfortunately, thousands of people are killed in truck accidents every year. If you’ve lost a loved one as a result of a truck accident, you should consider filing a wrongful death claim. Even though no sum of money can turn back the clock, a successful wrongful death claim can provide bereaved families with the justice and closure they deserve.
When the negligence of a trucker or trucking company results in the death of your loved one, turn to our skilled and compassionate truck accident lawyers to fight for the justice you deserve. Our attorneys at Fry | Goehring understand this isn’t easy for you, and we know there’s no substitute for what you’ve lost. But we offer powerful legal representation and will aggressively pursue compensation for your wrongful death claim.
What To Do After a Truck Accident in Georgia
Given the traumatic nature of truck accidents, it’s natural to be confused and in shock in the moments following the crash. However, if possible, it’s important that you remain calm after getting involved in a truck accident. The steps you take following a wreck can help you build a strong case against any liable parties. Here’s what to do after a truck accident:
- Call 911.
- Check on the safety of other drivers and passengers. In case somebody is injured, don’t move them.
- Gather information from everybody involved in the crash, including the driver’s names, license numbers, and insurance information.
- Obtain witness information, including their phone numbers and names.
- Take photos or videos of the truck accident scene.
- Get medical attention immediately, even if you don’t feel injured.
- Obtain a duplicate of the police report.
- Obtain police officer information, including their names and badge numbers.
- Notify your insurance company about the accident.
- Call an experienced truck accident attorney to speak with insurance companies and protect your rights.
Get Help From Attorneys Who Win for Georgia Truck Accident Victims
For many truck accident victims, work, relationships, and many aspects of their lives may never be the same again after a semi-truck accident. There’s no time to delay after a truck accident. If you or a loved one has been involved in a wreck with a big rig, you need an Atlanta personal injury law firm with experience winning similar cases to help you.
At Fry | Goehring, we have the experience, knowledge, background, and tenacity needed to go toe to toe with negligent trucking companies and win. We don’t let insurance companies dictate what’s best for our clients. Our Atlanta truck accident lawyers know the physical pain, financial strain, and extreme emotional distress that result when you or a loved one is hurt in a truck accident. Talk to us for free online or call us at 404-969-1284 to schedule a free consultation.
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