Duluth Truck Accident Attorney

40-ton commercial vehicles can leave devastation in their wake when they collide with much smaller passenger vehicles. Truck accident victims may be left with unexpected medical expenses, totaled vehicles, and an uncertain future. 

If you were injured in a truck accident in Duluth, Georgia, Bridger Law Group is ready to fight for you. Our team has secured over $35 million for our personal injury clients. Let our Duluth personal injury lawyers put our experience and knowledge to work for you. Call our truck accident lawyer or fill out our contact form for a free consultation.

Why Choose Bridger Law Group?

Choosing the right law firm can make a major difference when you’re going through one of the hardest experiences of your life. Finding a group that understands your needs and has the resources to help you truly matters. Bridger Law Group has helped many clients get proper compensation and guidance throughout the legal process. Here are a few reasons so many people trust our team to fight for them: 

• We’ve been handling personal injury cases for more than 20 years, helping more than 4,000 clients. 
• More than $60 million recovered in settlements and verdicts reflects a long history of results for people injured by someone else’s negligence.
•  Our legal staff speaks English, Spanish, and Portuguese to make sure our clients can always get the help they need. 
• We make ourselves available around the clock, so never hesitate to reach out with questions or concerns. 
• We work on a contingency fee basis, so you only pay us if we recover compensation for you.  

At Bridger Law Group, clients get tireless representation from local lawyers who care. When you need answers, support, and someone to stand up for you, we’re the right choice.

State and Federal Regulations Truck Drivers and Trucking Companies Violate That Cause Accidents

Commercial truck drivers and trucking companies are required to follow strict laws and regulations that were put in place to prevent accidents. When they violate these laws, they can cause truck accidents that result in serious injuries and fatalities. Some of the most commonly violated regulations that can result in Duluth truck accidents include the following:

• Driving beyond hours of service limits – Hours of service rules limit the number of hours truck drivers can work and when they must take mandatory breaks. Federal regulators know that fatigued driving is a leading cause of crashes and strictly enforce these rules. 
• Hiring unqualified drivers – Truck driving is a hard job, so it’s hard for trucking companies to keep adequate numbers of drivers to make all their deliveries. This may lead to them hiring unqualified or dangerous drivers or failing to provide proper training before sending them on the road. 
• Distracted driving – Federal law prohibits truck drivers from using handheld phones, but some blatantly violate this rule. Drivers can also be distracted by dispatch radios, 
• Failing to follow drug and alcohol testing rules – Federal regulations require drug and alcohol testing before employment, after accidents, and at unannounced intervals. Skipping these tests can allow dangerous truck drivers to remain on the roadway. 
• Poor vehicle maintenance – Commercial trucks have many moving parts, and accidents can occur if problems arise with any of them. However, trucking companies may rush or defer maintenance in the interest of profits, leading to brake failure, tire blowouts, and suspension issues. 
• Improperly loading trucks – Trucks must be loaded carefully so that cargo is properly fastened and does not become loose during transit. Loads must also be carefully balanced to prevent accidents caused by maldistribution. Rushing this process can lead to serious accidents. 
• Skipping inspections – Trucks must be properly inspected before a trip and periodically throughout a trip. This is because cargo can shift, or mechanical issues can arise that make it unsafe to continue the trip without intervention. Skipping these inspections can cause serious accidents or death.

Our dedicated truck accident attorneys in Duluth know the evidence to gather to help prove these rules were violated. If you lost a loved one in a trucking accident, speak to our wrongful death lawyers in Duluth to discuss your legal options.

Financial Compensation for Truck Accidents

If you were injured in a truck accident, car accident, or another type of auto accident in Duluth, you may be able to recover compensation for the damages you’ve sustained, including:

• Past, current, and future medical bills
• Lost income and earning capacity
• Costs to repair your damaged vehicle 
• Pain and suffering
• Lost quality of life
• Disfigurement
• Permanent disabilities and impairment

Our Duluth truck accident lawyers fight for the compensation you deserve.

How to Prove Liability in a Duluth Truck Accident Case

If you’ve been hurt in a truck accident in Duluth, figuring out who is at fault can feel overwhelming. Proving who is responsible is not always simple. Here are some things to consider when going about this:  

Understanding the Role of Negligence

To prove liability, you need to show that another person or company acted negligently and that this caused your injuries. This means showing someone failed to act with reasonable care. Examples could include a trucker ignoring rest breaks or speeding. It could also be negligence from the company itself, which could include failing to train drivers appropriately or check their qualifications.  By proving another party did not follow safe rules, you begin to build your claim. 

Gathering Evidence from the Crash Scene

Evidence helps establish liability. After the accident, photographs of all vehicles, marks on the road, and injuries become valuable. It’s also crucial to obtain police reports, witness statements, medical records, and any video footage that exists of the accident. Additionally, your lawyer can help you collect black box data from the truck and driving logs. The more evidence you have that someone else caused the crash, the stronger your claim will be. 

Examining Regulations Specific to Trucking

Trucks operate under more rules than standard vehicles. These include driver hour limits, drug testing, maintenance protocols, and cargo-loading procedures. If the driver or trucking company broke any rules set by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), that violation could show fault. 

Looking into Other Responsible Parties

Sometimes, more than one person is to blame for the accident. For example, if a truck part was defective, the manufacturer may be partly at fault. If a loading company packed the truck in a hazardous way, responsibility could be split. Sometimes another vehicle started the chain of events that led to the accident. Your truck accident lawyer in Duluth lawyer can help investigate all parties so you can hold the right one accountable.

Thanks to Gerardo Briceño, Anderlane Sánchez, and the entire team at Bridger Law Group! You all are the best! Thanks a lot for the support during all this time! – Leonella S.

Common Causes of Truck Accidents

Duluth trucking accidents often cause life-changing injuries. It helps to know the main reasons these collisions happen, especially if you or a loved one has been hurt. Common reasons include: 

Driver Fatigue

Truck drivers usually travel long miles. Many push past their limits, ignoring rules about rest breaks. Driving while tired slows reaction times and leads to careless decisions behind the wheel. 

Distracted Driving

Anything that takes a driver’s eyes or mind off the road is dangerous. This can be checking a phone, eating, or looking at a GPS. At highway speeds, a truck covers the length of a football field in just a few seconds of distraction. 

Improper Cargo Loading

Large trucks need to be balanced and for their cargo to be secured. If items shit or become loose,  it makes it harder for the driver to control the vehicle. This increases the risk of rollovers and hazardous spills onto the road. 

Poor Vehicle Maintenance

Brakes, tires, and lights on commercial vehicles wear out like on any other car, and the consequences are severe if this happens and it isn’t taken care of quickly. 

Speeding and Reckless Driving

Pressure to make deliveries on tight schedules leads some truckers to drive above the speed limit or skip safety steps. Large vehicles need more time and space to stop, making speeding especially risky. 

If you believe someone else’s carelessness played a role in your accident, you have a right to ask questions and seek compensation.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a Duluth truck accident lawyer cost?

Many truck accident lawyers in Duluth work on a contingency fee basis. This means you don’t pay upfront costs. The attorney is paid a portion of the financial recovery if they win the case and obtain compensation for you. If not, you don’t have to pay anything.  Sometimes other expenses, like filing fees or costs related to hiring experts, can be taken from your settlement or verdict as well, but this is typically only if your case is successful. Make sure you talk to your lawyer and get a full picture of their payment policy before you agree to sign anything and move forward with them. 

Why hire a truck accident lawyer for my accident case?

A truck accident attorney guides you through the legal process and speaks up for you when dealing with insurance companies. They can investigate the accident and gather the strongest facts to help your case. Having a lawyer on your side tends to level the playing field with insurance companies and large trucking corporations – they’ll know they are less likely to be able to take advantage of you. A lawyer can focus on all the legal challenges while you focus on healing.

How Long does a truck accident settlement case take?

The amount of time it takes to settle a truck accident case is different in each situation. Some can be handled in a few months, while others take longer, especially if details are complex or there’s significant dispute about who is at fault. Other factors  that affect the length include the amount of evidence, medical treatment still going on, investigations by experts, and negotiation between parties. Your lawyer can keep you updated as things progress.

Contact Our Truck Accident Attorneys in Duluth, GA Today for Legal Assistance

The Duluth, Georgia truck accident lawyers at Bridger Law Group are here to assist you throughout the legal process. Contact us at (404) 482-3330 for a free, no-obligation case review.