Truck Accident Lawyer Macon: Truck Accident Injury Lawyer

By: Macon truck accident lawyer Jordan Josey, Georgia Super Lawyer, and Partner in McArthur Law Firm

Due to their substantial size and weight, truck accidents can result in severe injuries or fatalities for individuals in smaller vehicles. A fully loaded tractor-trailer rig can tip the scales at over 80,000 pounds, which is 20 times the weight of an average car or truck.

The latest data from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) indicates that close to 14 million big commercial trucks are registered in the the United States, carrying billions of tons of goods daily. These large numbers are anticipated to increase in the future, as the demand for truck-related transportation is expected to increase following the COVID pandemic.

The FMCSA says that 17% of deadly crashes in the US involve big trucks or buses. These crashes don’t just kill truck drivers, but also put other drivers, walkers, and bikers in danger. About 71% of the people who die in these crashes are in other vehicles or walking.

The substantial dimensions and heaviness of commercial buses and trucks render them especially hazardous in case of a crash. Their immense size and weight can lead to disastrous destruction and serious injuries during accidents. Elements like driver exhaustion, over-speeding, inattentive driving, and inadequate upkeep can all play a part in the elevated frequency of deadly collisions involving these large vehicles.

It’s vital for everyone using the roads to be careful and obey traffic rules to avoid these devastating incidents. Furthermore, truck and bus drivers need to comply with stringent safety rules and receive appropriate training to guarantee their own safety and that of other road users. By collectively advocating for safe driving habits and awareness, we can contribute to decreasing the frequency of fatal accidents involving large trucks and buses in the United States.

Check out this blog post on large truck accident lawyer to understand the common reasons for these accidents and the strategies our eight truck accident lawyers at McArthur Law Firm in Macon employ to gather evidence and manage these important cases. Jessica Edmonds (show above) is a truck accident attorney in Macon who joined Mrs. McArthur’s legal team after law school over a decade ago.

One of our newer attorneys, Quintesha Reynolds, is fully involved in preparing these trucking cases at McArthur Law Firm for all stages of the litigation process. The Mercer University School of Law honors grad has immersed herself into trucking rules and regulations, to know when a driver has violated federal standards.

Different Types of Impacts in Trucking Accidents

• Making a right-hand turn: Truck drivers should be cautious when making right turns because they are tighter than left turns. If there isn’t enough room, trailers can swing the wrong way and hit other vehicles nearby. In addition, many of the pedestrian deaths occur during right turns, while the trucker’s visibility is altered, during these maneuvers.
• Back-end crashes: If a large truck hits a smaller vehicle from behind, the latter can be severely damaged due to the impact. Big trucks require more time and distance to decelerate, particularly in adverse weather conditions or at high velocities.
• Overturning: Heavy-duty commercial vehicles have a higher center of gravity than regular passenger vehicles, necessitating careful handling during sudden swerves or sharp turns. An incorrect maneuver could result in the truck tipping over and rolling onto its side.
• Direct Impact Crashes: These types of accidents can occur when hefty trucks veer off their designated lanes and move towards the oncoming vehicles. Other instances include not yielding the right of way at crossroads and traffic lights.
• Jackknife trailer accidents involving tractor-trailers occur when the front cab brakes or skids, causing the trailer to swing sideways, like a large squeegee. Many of these crashes occur on wet roadways or icy highways.
• Sideswiping another vehicle: A sideswipe happens when two vehicles, moving in the same direction and parallel to each other, collide. This can be particularly hazardous when it involves large trucks, as the impact can thrust the other vehicle into a different lane or into the path of approaching traffic.
• T-Bone crasheshappen at intersections when one vehicle hits another from the side, forming a “T” shape. These violent accidents, also called broadside crashes, can be particularly dangerous, when a smaller vehicle is impacted by the much larger truck.

The size of the trucks and lack of a protective barrier make injuries more likely in these types of crashes. Drivers and passengers should be cautious at intersections to avoid T-Bone accidents.