How Is a Truck Accident Case Different From a Regular Car Accident Case in Georgia?

A truck accident in Georgia is not simply a larger version of a car accident.

The basic questions are similar: What happened? Who was at fault? What injuries resulted?

But commercial trucking cases can add layers of evidence, regulations, corporate responsibility, and insurance issues that do not exist in the same way in an ordinary two-car collision.

Trucking Regulations Matter

Commercial truck drivers and trucking companies operate under state and federal requirements.

Those rules can become relevant when investigating a crash.

Potential issues include:

Hours-of-service violations
Driver qualification
Driver training
Vehicle inspections
Maintenance
Cargo loading
Weight restrictions
Distracted driving
Drug and alcohol violations

Glass & Robson specifically identifies these types of issues as common areas of investigation in its truck accident cases. (Georgia’s Premier Trial Attorneys)

There May Be More Than One Defendant

A typical car accident might involve two drivers and their insurance companies.

A commercial truck accident can involve several corporate entities.

The driver may work for a trucking company. The truck may be leased. Cargo may have been loaded by another company. A freight broker may have arranged transportation. Maintenance may have been performed by a separate business.

The investigation has to account for those relationships.

There Is More Evidence to Investigate

Truck accident cases can involve evidence that would not normally appear in a standard passenger vehicle collision.

That can include:

Driver logs
Electronic vehicle data
Maintenance records
Inspection records
Training records
Employment records
Cargo records
Dispatch information
Surveillance footage
Trucking company policies

The earlier that evidence is identified and preserved, the better.

The Injuries Can Be More Severe

Commercial trucks are substantially larger and heavier than passenger vehicles.

Glass & Robson notes that commercial trucks can weigh up to 80,000 pounds when loaded and that occupants of smaller vehicles are particularly vulnerable in collisions. (Georgia’s Premier Trial Attorneys)

Serious truck crashes can result in traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, permanent disabilities, surgeries, and wrongful death.

That can make the damages investigation considerably more complicated.

The Insurance Company May Be Preparing Its Case Too

One important difference is timing.

A trucking company and its insurer may begin investigating the crash almost immediately.

That can include collecting evidence, interviewing witnesses, inspecting vehicles, and evaluating potential liability.

Glass & Robson emphasizes early investigation and evidence preservation in truck accident cases because important evidence can be lost or destroyed. (Georgia’s Premier Trial Attorneys)

A Truck Accident Requires More Than Looking at the Police Report

The police report is important, but it is not necessarily the complete investigation.

A serious commercial truck accident may require looking at the driver, company, vehicle, cargo, records, electronic data, witnesses, regulations, insurance coverage, and medical evidence.

That is what makes these cases different.

Glass & Robson maintains a small caseload and focuses its practice on serious personal injury and wrongful death matters, including trucking and tractor-trailer cases. (Georgia’s Premier Trial Attorneys)