Truck accidents are usually the most dangerous accidents on the road in Georgia and other states. Occupants of passenger vehicles involved in a crash with an 18-wheeler or even a smaller commercial truck typically suffer serious personal injury. In many situations, a truck accident is fatal. Anyone who has been injured or lost a loved on in a truck accident has the right to seek to hold the reportedly at-fault truck driver accountable through the legal system.
One common reason for a trucking accident is aggressive truck driving. This is characterized by a truck driver’s decision to drive erratically and irresponsibly, thus posing a risk to other drivers on the road. Examples of aggressive driving include running a vehicle off the road, cutting off a vehicle, failing to maintain one’s lane and speeding.
Improper lane change is another frequent cause of accidents involving semi-trucks. Changing lanes while not using the proper signals can easily endanger lives, and blind spots can also cause a car to be hit or run off of a road. Sometimes an unsecured load is the culprit in a vehicle accident involving a tractor trailer. Truck drivers have to abide by strict regulations concerning securing their cargo, the weight of their cargo and the equipment they use.
A person who ends up being injured in a truck accident caused by a truck driver’s carelessness has the right to file a personal injury claim against this driver as well as his or her employer. In the same manner, the loved ones of a person who has lost his or her life because of a truck driver’s negligence have the right to file a wrongful death claim, pursuing the reimbursement of monetary damages sustained in the accident. A successful outcome might lead to financial restitution that can help to cover medical costs, burial expenses and other losses tied to this type of accident in Georgia.
