When people say they feel like they got hit by a truck, what do they mean? Sometimes they mean that they physically feel very tired and sore, and sometimes they mean that they are reeling emotionally from a shock and do not know where to begin to take action. Almost no one who uses truck accidents as a metaphor has ever been in one, although seeing them from a distance or on the news is enough to give you an idea of how much damage and devastation they can cause. Rarely does a car accident shut down multiple lanes of traffic in both directions, but truck accidents routinely do.
In order to prevent devastating accidents, the Georgia Department of Public Safety has strict regulations regarding truck operation and the trucking industry. Because there are so many things that can go wrong when driving a truck, the trucking industry often requires detailed documentation of every step of the process when drivers are transporting cargo in large trucks across the country. If you are a plaintiff in a truck accident lawsuit, the best way to make a strong case is to gather as much evidence as possible about anything that might have been amiss in the truck or the way the driver was operating it. Here are four things to consider when building your case for a truck accident lawsuit in Georgia.
The Dimensions and Weight of the Truck
If you have ever taken a road trip, you have probably seen signs on the highway marking truck weigh stations. There are 19 truck weigh stations in the state of Georgia, and the Department of Public Safety chooses trucks at random for weigh-ins to make sure that the trucks are in compliance with weight limits. The individual companies that oversee transportation by trucks might require the drivers to weigh the trucks even more often and to keep records. In addition to weight, there are rules about the length, width, and height of the trucks.
Mandatory Rest Periods for Truck Drivers
It is dangerous to drive a car when you are too tired to concentrate on the road, so imagine how dangerous it is to drive a truck when fatigued. Road trips sound like fun, but driving on the highway hour after hour and day after day is exhausting work. Federal and state laws govern the maximum amount of time that drivers can drive trucks in a day or a week, as well as how long their breaks between shifts must be.
Driver Preparedness
In the state of Georgia, as in every other state, the requirements for being licensed to drive a truck are much stricter than the requirements for getting a license to drive a car, motorcycle, or limousine, and for good reason. Most people who have never driven a large truck cannot imagine what it entails. The Long Haul by Finn Murphy does a great job of describing just how much skill, planning, and concentration it takes to successfully complete a trip in a large truck.
The Rules are Changing All the Time
How strictly to regulate the trucking industry is a matter of ongoing debate in the state and federal legislatures. When gathering evidence for your truck accident personal injury lawsuit, it is important to find out exactly what the rules were at the time the accident. They might have changed between the time the accident happened and the time you filed the lawsuit.
Contact Schneider Hammers About Truck Accident Lawsuits
Schneider Hammers has won more than $1.6 million for their clients in lawsuits related to truck accidents, including tractor-trailer accidents. Attorneys Jason Schneider, Robert Hammers, and Campbell Williamson know just what it takes to demonstrate the liability of truck operators or trucking companies in truck accident lawsuits. Contact Schneider Hammers in Atlanta, Georgia for a legal consultation if you have been injured personal injury from a truck accident. You might have grounds for a personal injury lawsuit if you can prove that negligence or violation of regulations played a role in causing the accident. The attorneys at Schneider Hammers can help you get the compensation to which you are entitled.
