Carrollton Trucking Company Negligence Attorneys
If you’ve been in an accident in Carrollton that was caused by a trucking company’s negligence, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries. A truck accident is not always the truck driver’s fault. The trucking company is obligated to make sure their trucks are safely maintained and that their drivers have the appropriate qualifications to be behind the wheel of a big rig. If the company failed at either of those tasks, they may be liable for the injuries you got in an accident with their truck.
Don’t go through the aftermath of your accident alone. The Carrollton truck accident attorneys of Jonathan R. Brockman, P.C. may be able to help you get monetary compensation for medical bills or lost time at work. Call 770-205-0933 today for a free, no-obligation consultation, and let us help you and your family get justice and the compensation you deserve.
What Is a Trucking Company Negligence Accident?
Often, there are several responsible parties in a truck accident. The driver may have their own insurance, but there may also be a freight handler, trucking company, truck manufacturer, and truck owner to consider. An accident due to a trucking company’s negligence occurs when the trucking company that employs the driver behaves in a way that endangers anyone sharing the road with the truck.
This endangerment can take several forms, such as hiring a driver with a poor driving record, inadequately training drivers, demanding drivers drive for longer hours than allowed by federal law, or neglecting to perform regular maintenance on key vehicle systems such as brakes. If we can prove that a trucking company’s negligence was the cause of an accident that inflicted injuries on you or a family member, we can help you file a personal injury claim for compensation.
Do I Need an Attorney for My Truck Accident?
Though Georgia law does not require you to retain legal counsel before you file a personal injury claim, doing so can have significant benefits. Here are a few reasons why hiring a lawyer for your trucking company negligence accident can help:
Leave the hard work to us. An accident with a truck is never a simple fender bender. The large size and weight of 18-wheelers mean that even a small impact can total a normal passenger vehicle and cause severe injuries to anyone inside. So while you’re recovering from a traumatic accident, you’re required to deal with insurance companies, fill out claim forms, and deal with insurance adjusters whose sole purpose is to minimize your injuries and protect their clients from liability. Having an experienced attorney to assist you in filing your claim will lift the burden of doing the legwork off your shoulders and leave you to concentrate on more important tasks like recovering from your injury or taking care of injured family members. We will investigate the accident, gather evidence, and work tirelessly to build a claim that is complete and fact-based.
Knowledge and experience. We will use our knowledge and familiarity with the personal injury claims process to get you just compensation for your accident. We know the ins and outs of Georgia personal injury law, and we can put that experience to work for you. We know how to build a claim, how to negotiate with insurance companies, and how to avoid pitfalls and novice mistakes that could get your claim denied on a technicality.
We may be able to get you more compensation. Research has suggested that accident victims who retain counsel to assist with their claim may get 3.5 times more monetary compensation than those who choose to represent themselves. There are a few reasons for this. Insurance companies are more likely to pay attention to a demand letter from a reputable personal injury attorney than they are to a letter written by an individual representing themselves. Also, attorneys know how to calculate the amount of damages you should request for your accident. Damages for losses like pain and suffering or mental anguish can be hard to quantify, and an experienced attorney can help you choose a number that correlates with your accident and injuries.
Why Choose Jonathan R. Brockman, P.C. for My Trucking Company Negligence Accident?
Since 2001, Jonathan R. Brockman, P.C. has been representing personal injury clients in Carrollton and elsewhere and helping them obtain millions of dollars in compensation. We work tirelessly to get positive outcomes for our clients, and we have the record to prove it. Our firm’s founder, Jonathan R. Brockman, has been practicing personal injury law for over 30 years and is a lifetime member of both the Million Dollar Advocates Forum and Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, two organizations whose membership requires acting as lead counsel on cases where a settlement, verdict or award totaled over a million dollars. He also spent the early part of his career representing trucking companies and insurance companies, so he is intimately familiar with how they work and the best way to fight them.
Jonathan R. Brockman, P.C. will take the time to get to know you and listen to the details about your accident and injuries to make sure we request the maximum amount of compensation possible to cover your losses, material or otherwise. We treat our clients with respect and compassion because we fully understand the difficulties you’re facing and want to help in any way we can.
What Kind of Damages Can I Recover for My Negligent Trucking Company Accident?
The amount of damages you might be able to obtain depends on the severity of the accident and injuries and the circumstances surrounding how it happened. Generally, the more severe your accident or injury, the more you should request for monetary compensation. There are two types of damages: compensatory and punitive.
Calculating the exact amount of compensatory damages can be tricky, as not all losses suffered after a debilitating injury are material in nature. Damages from a settlement or lawsuit can cover the following losses:
- Medical bills. Because truck accidents can be more dangerous than accidents involving only passenger vehicles, medical costs can be higher as well. Obtaining compensation for current and future medical bills can cover losses for hospital stays, ER visits, medication costs, rehabilitation, or emergency transport for anyone injured in the accident.
- Lost wages. A truck accident can often mean lost income because of time away from work. Compensation for lost wages can cover any income you lose because you missed work while recovering from your injuries or for a family member that had to miss work to care for an accident victim.
- Long-term disability. If a truck accident leaves you or a family member with a debilitating injury from which you cannot recover, you can be compensated for the costs of home health care and equipment such as wheelchairs or prosthetics.
- Pain and suffering. “Pain and suffering” refers to the trauma and stress that follows a severe accident or debilitating injury. Experiencing this level of trauma can often leave you with feelings of depression, anxiety, or distress. Compensation for pain and suffering is designed to make up for the non-material losses suffered after an accident that are hard to quantify.
- Wrongful death. If a trucking company’s negligence leads to the worst possible outcome, you can recover compensation for close family members or anyone who was financially dependent on the deceased.
The other type of damages, punitive damages, can only be recovered if we can prove that the defendant in your case acted with egregious negligence or intentional malice. Punitive damages are different from compensatory damages in that they are not designed to cover any particular monetary loss. They are designed to punish the defendant for their misconduct and to deter anyone else who might act in the same manner from doing so. Punitive damages require a much higher burden of proof, can only be awarded along with compensatory damages, and per Georgia state law, 75% of any punitive damages awarded go into the state treasury.
Common Injuries from Negligent Trucking Company Accidents
An 18 wheel truck can be over 70 feet long, 13 feet tall, and weigh upwards of 80,000 pounds. They are 8 feet wide, a foot wider than the average passenger vehicle, and have a turning radius of 55 feet, fully five times the width of a traffic lane. They are ungainly, difficult to maneuver in traffic, and are surrounded by no-zones where the driver has zero visibility. They are dangerous even under the best conditions. When you add a trucking company’s negligence into the mix, the possibility of injuring yourself or a loved one in an accident with a truck can be very high.
Some common injuries from negligent trucking company accidents include the following:
- Broken bones
- Spinal cord injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBI)
- Lacerations
- Neck injuries
- Burns
- Whiplash
- Internal injuries
- Amputations
- Disfigurement
- Sprains
- Coma
- Death
Call Jonathan R. Brockman, P.C. Today for a Free Consultation
Don’t wait any longer. Jonathan R. Brockman, P.C. is standing by 24 hours a day to take your call. Let us help you and your family get compensation for your accident. Call today at 770-205-0933 for a free, no-obligation consultation, and start down the road to recovery.