From a legal standpoint, truck accidents and normal car accidents are apples and oranges. Recovering compensation for your injuries and vehicle damages following a truck accident in Georgia typically takes longer and requires more work than a regular car crash.
Truck accidents involve multiple parties
Truck drivers are a part of a commercial enterprise. Other parties, such as the maintenance team, cargo loaders, the employer and the manufacturer of the truck itself, also have roles to play in ensuring safety on the road. And so, in case of an accident, the court or the insurance company would want to know who exactly was responsible for the accident before awarding damages. This can create a complex legal situation.
Collecting evidence may take time and a team of experts
Given the multiple parties involved in truck accidents, the plaintiff must collect evidence pointing to the one responsible. This may include researching when the car was last serviced and its condition before the accident; checking the employee’s logbook to determine how long the driver had been operating and if they were under any fatigue or drug influence; and having experts evaluate the accident scene and all pertinent documents. This process can be quite long since it requires collaboration with different professionals, such as lawyers, police officers, medical personnel, etc.
Different types of insurance come into play
In general, there are two types of insurance policies involved in truck accidents: one from the driver’s employer and another from the driver himself. Additionally, cargo companies may also have their own insurance policy. Each insurer has its own processes and procedures for handling claims, which can further complicate the process.
Georgia’s comparative fault rule
Under this rule, if the judge finds that both parties were at least partially responsible for the accident, they will reduce each party’s compensation by their own percentage of responsibility. Meaning after investigating the other party and finding them liable, the court may also examine you to see if you partly contributed to the crash.
Truck collisions can be incredibly costly, as the combination of wrecked vehicles, medical costs and other damages could amount to a large sum of money. Therefore, it’s important to understand your rights under the law and the steps to take to get the compensation that can help you.