Jonesboro Truck Accident Lawyer

Evidence Is Key. We’ll Help Protect It.

In the aftermath of an accident, the last thing you might be thinking about is calling a lawyer. However, if you or a loved one has been involved in a collision with a large truck, contacting a truck accident attorney is the best way you can begin to move forward. Having your entire life flipped upside down due to the negligence of another driver is a difficult experience, and though the clock can’t be turned back, you deserve legal representation who fights for compensation to meaningfully help you and your family cope with the accident’s effects.

Although it is an illegal practice to tamper with evidence, trucking companies have a reputation of sending aggressive accident “investigators” to the crash scene while it is still in progress. During this chaotic time, evidence can go missing. While some of it may be due to human error, it could also be due to investigators paid by large corporations who hindering evidence collection. By contacting Montlick Injury Attorneys right after a truck accident, you’re giving yourself the best chance of getting the compensation you need. Don’t be surprised by the insurance companies’ dirty tricks later – let Montlick protect the evidence and your financial future.

Here are steps Montlick truck accident attorneys might take after a collision in Jonesboro:

• Documentation and gathering footage: Photos taken as soon as possible after a catastrophic accident can be instrumental in helping prove what happened on the road. Montlick Injury Attorneys will document damage to vehicles and surrounding visible evidence such as skid marks.
• Finding and speaking with witnesses: Testimony from witnesses other than the driver of the vehicle you collided with is very persuasive in telling your side of the story. Your truck accident attorney will track down and speak to witnesses such as other drivers or first responders to help build your case.
• Handling communications with insurance company representatives: Following an accident, you should never speak directly with insurance representatives without a lawyer, even your own insurance company. They do not have your best interests at heart, and it’s best to go through an attorney whose goal is to get you maximum compensation.
• Keeping track of medical records: You and your family should be focused on healing and rehabilitation, and keeping track of medical records can sometimes fall by the wayside as you’re distracted by the tough realities of rehabilitation. We will make sure to preserve them along the way so your injuries can be described accurately and in full during legal proceedings.
• Protecting valuable black box data: Like those found on planes, large trucks can also contain black boxes with data that helps reconstruction experts understand what happened in the moments leading up to and during the accident. We’ll be aggressive in ensuring that data doesn’t get erased, so the court can hear the whole story.

Montlick Injury Attorneys can take charge of compiling and making sense of the evidence so you will be represented accurately. The difference between winning and losing your truck accident case is Montlick.

Be Wary of First Offers From Insurance

A collision with a truck can leave a much more complicated web of responsibility than a crash with another passenger vehicle. Liability cases can involve the truck driver, the company that hired the driver, the owner of the truck, and the cargo loaders or manufacturer and others. Going up against lawyers and insurers from one or many of those companies might have you feeling stressed and ready to take a lowball settlement for quick relief.

It is never a good idea to accept an accident settlement without consulting a personal injury attorney.
Having an attorney negotiate a settlement makes it much more likely that you receive fair compensation. One study from the Insurance Research Council found that personal injury victims who retained legal representation received insurance payouts that were 3.5 times larger on average. That could be the difference between a check for $25K and one for over $87,000 dollars!

A Good Lawyer Matters

Often Imitated, Never Equaled^®
Don’t let desperate, unscrupulous scammers deceive you. Seek quality representation with experienced and professional Montlick Injury Attorneys.

You might be surprised to start receiving mysterious calls and texts directing you to a legal representation or promising a settlement when you haven’t even started searching for a lawyer yet. Unfortunately, there are many bad faith actors out there looking to take advantage of the pain, confusion, and suffering that follows an accident with a large truck. Some deceitful law firms pay “runners” to obtain accident reports and solicit clients–this is illegal. They use people who are frequently closer to accident scenes like tow truck drivers, hospital intake employees, or 911 operators, and the resulting bombardment of messages is jarring for victims.

Montlick Injury Attorneys has always operated with unquestionable ethics. We represent you in a professional manner. Seeking representation with integrity will safeguard your peace of mind in this trying time.

What Damages Are Available To Truck Accident Victims in Clayton County?

In Georgia, the victims of a truck accident can seek compensation for the following types of damages:

• Economic Damages: This is the most self-explanatory type of compensation. Victims of truck accidents may be able to recover monetary compensation for losses they incurred due to the accident and their injuries, such as property damage, medical bills, and lost wages.
• Non-Economic Damages: Victims can also sometimes seek compensation for less concrete losses after an accident. The categories include pain and suffering, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life. To maximize this type of compensation, it’s important that victims have an injury attorney skilled at communicating their emotional narrative.
• Punitive Damages: If a truck driver acted egregiously or with gross negligence in causing an accident, victims may be able to pursue punitive damages as a way of punishing the at-fault party. Much like with non-economic damages, your legal representation can greatly affect how much these punitive damages will be.
• Wrongful Death Damages: If a victim was killed due to the negligence or recklessness of another party, their family may be able to seek wrongful death damages.
• Loss of Consortium Claims: If a truck accident victim is unable to provide love and companionship to their spouse due to debilitating injury or death, the spouse may have a claim for loss of consortium against the party at fault.

How compensation works if you’re partly at fault for an accident

If you share some blame in a truck accident in Georgia, you and any other parties involved will be assigned an approximate percentage of fault.  If you are found 50% or more at fault, you may not be eligible for damages. However, if you are found less than 50% responsible, you could still recover damages in proportion to your responsibility for the accident.

How Truck Companies’ Negligence Makes Accidents More Likely

Truck drivers’ grueling hours on the road are getting longer as trucking companies push their overworked employees amid a trucker shortage. Though its workforce is stretched, demand for trucking is still strong, and there are a rising number of big rigs on the road alongside smaller vehicles. The National Safety Council points to this increase in trucks as a major reason for the 33% increase in fatal trucking crashes in just an 8 year period.

Drowsy drivers

The American Trucking Associations reported the truck driver shortage at an all-time high in recent years, with trends indicating that the problem will only worsen. Their report also found that while there are many reasons for the shortage, worker conditions are greatly contributing to burnout and low recruitment numbers. Thus, a vicious cycle of overworked drivers finding other work leads to more exhaustion for the drivers who are left.

Drowsiness behind the wheel of such large machinery can have devastating results. Being fatigued can impair drivers in a similar way to alcohol. One study found that staying awake for 18 hours straight is an equivalent impairment to having 0.05% blood alcohol content (BAC), while staying awake for 24 hours is equivalent to a 0.10% BAC.

Violations of weight and load requirements

Another consequence of the trucker shortage is a tendency to overload trucks. Exceeding the legal weight requirements makes large trucks more difficult to control and bring to a stop, creating conditions that are more likely to result in an accident. Improperly loaded trucks can also launch flying debris into the air in the event of a collision, multiplying the damage of the accident.

We Won’t Let Trucking Companies Deny Their Responsibility

Our Attorneys Know What it Takes to Win^®
The Department of Transportation reported that 71% of people killed and 69% of people injured in large truck collisions were occupants of other vehicles.

If you or a loved one have been injured or killed in a traumatic truck accident, speak to a Montlick Injury Attorney as soon as possible. Our attorneys will look into the finer details of your case, making sure to expose what trucking companies and their high-powered lawyers seek to minimize.

Here are some more common irresponsible practices of trucking companies that can contribute to accidents:

• Failing to adequately train drivers
• Hiring drivers with records of dangerous driving or without a proper license
• Violating hours of services limitations
• Failure to keep up maintenance and inspection reports for equipment

What should I do after a truck accident in Jonesboro?

Here are the smart steps to take if you have been involved in a collision with a large truck, if you are well enough to do so:

1. Call 911: Not only does Georgia law require you to report a road accident that has caused over $500 in damage, but a police report is a key first step to establishing the facts of your case.
2. Gather evidence & information: Take photos of the scene, your vehicle and obvious injuries. Get the license plate, contact and insurance information from the big rig driver, as well as other drivers or witnesses to the accident. Do not speak very much about the accident with other parties or admit any fault. These comments could be used against you.
3. Focus on your healing: Even if you do not immediately feel injured, it’s still important that you are assessed by medical professionals following an accident. Common injuries in truck accidents such as whiplash or internal bleeding might not be immediately apparent at the scene.
4. Protect your interests: Report to your insurance company only that the accident happened, but do not discuss liability with them. Contact a personal injury attorney right away to discuss your options.

Real Help Begins Here^®

You deserve a truck accident lawyer that will treat you with care and fight on your behalf. Montlick clients focus on healing and rebuilding while we do everything we can to make sure they get the compensation they need. Call Montlick nationwide 24/7 at 1-800-LAW-NEED (1-800-529-6333) to get a free consultation.