Federal regulations prohibit truck drivers from driving more than a certain number of hours before they are required to rest. These regulations are not only for the safety of the truck drivers, but for others who are also on the road. Sometimes truck drivers do not comply with the federal hours of service regulations, and as result driver fatigue can contribute or cause an accident. Driver fatigue can also lead to a truck driver’s inattentiveness which can result in a severe or deadly wreck with other vehicles.
Big trucks can cause big accidents and injuries, requiring experienced truck wreck attorney assistance. Fulton, Dekalb and Cobb counties have some of the busiest roadways in Georgia with extremely heavy tractor trailers lined up among cars crowding the interstates and roads. Some of the worst wrecks are due to the speed and enormous impact of tractor trailers carrying heavy loads of cargo when they collide with smaller vehicles.
Always consult an experienced trucking attorney if you’ve been injured in a tractor trailer wreck because tractor trailer cases can be complicated to resolve. Trucking companies and their drivers not only have to comply with state traffic laws while on the road but must also abide by a multitude of federal and state trucking regulations that apply specifically to the trucking industry.
Injuries can be long-lasting, keeping you from work and totally deplete your finances. Recovery due to bodily injury may take months or years or, for some, may be permanent or end in death. The experienced attorneys at Wheeler & Watson, PC provide zealous personal injury representation for those whose lives have been impacted by a tractor trailer wreck.
If you or a loved one has been in a trucking accident,
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Types of Truck Accidents
Due to the high traffic volume on Georgia’s highways and roads, especially on Atlanta’s interstates and super highways, having a wreck with a tractor trailer is not an uncommon occurrence. In fact, Atlanta’s super highways are considered to be some of the most dangerous roadways in the United States due to the volume of auto and tractor trailer traffic. Consequently, a variety of different types of trucking accidents take place on and around Atlanta’s roads and highways.
Although truck drivers are required to inspect their tractor trailers before setting out to drive, all kinds of issues can occur once the driver heads out onto Georgia roads and highways. Operators of large trucks and other vehicles can quickly and easily lose control of their vehicle due to driver error, driver fatigue, equipment failure or a combination of these factors. Weather conditions can also play a part in truck wrecks.
Risks with Truck Wrecks
When traveling alongside an 18-wheeler, you can just feel the considerable size difference with the roar of the engine as it barrels down the road. Larger semi-trucks with one or more trailers can easily weigh 40,000 to 80,000 pounds.
With the average weight of a car in the U. S. approximately 3,000 to 4,000 pounds and smaller compact cars weighing as little as 2,000 pounds, the average automobile is no match for the size, weight and force of a semi-truck. Further, semi-trucks stand much higher off the ground and in many instances, injuries sustained by the truck driver are typically much less than the devastating effects to the car driver. A tractor trailer weighing 10 to 20 times of an average car can have catastrophic consequences for the car driver when these vehicles collide.
Contact the trucking accident attorneys at Wheeler & Watson, today with your trucking accident claim.
Many Different Types of Big Trucks on Georgia’s Roads
If you or a loved one has been involved in a truck wreck with any of the vehicle types below, the experienced attorneys at Wheeler & Watson, PC can provide legal assistance to handle your truck wreck claim.
Also called a tractor trailer, or 18-wheeler, even though they may have more than 18 wheels. These trucks pull a trailer that may travel across the country for deliveries and pickups.
These tractor trailers are the same as the Semi-Truck, but they pull two and sometimes three trailers instead of one. These trucks are used for longer hauls across the country but pass through major cities along the way. These tractor trailers are also sometimes called longer combination vehicles.
Commercial delivery services use trucks to deliver express and overnight packages. Delivery drivers are often under time constraints and deadlines for meeting delivery times. Letter or package mail service drivers are under an express deadline for fast delivery and may be tempted to speed to deliver their packages on time.
Businesses use delivery trucks for all kinds of business. Food, beverage delivery, dry cleaning and supply trucks of all types are used for customer drop offs where product is taken to business establishments or used for residential delivery.
These trucks vary in size. They can be large tractor trailers to move a family from one home to another. They can also be smaller. These are used for the purpose of moving for both residences and businesses.
These trucks have a cement mixer with a large round drum that rotates and mixes concrete gravel, sand and water and are used in construction. Cement mixer drivers can be under time constraints to deliver the concrete they are hauling.
Garbage trucks pick up and haul Atlanta residential and commercial trash and debris in a dump style truck. Many of these trucks have a compacter built into the back with a lift unit on the front of the truck to dump larger dumpsters.
Dump trucks have a large, open cargo area on the back of the truck and are used for hauling various materials such as dirt, mulch and gravel.
These trucks deliver mail, postal letters and packages to mailboxes throughout Atlanta to both residences and businesses.
Tow trucks are used to rescue and tow all types of vehicles to a repair shop for service after they have broken down or been involved in an accident.
Fire engines and fire trucks are different sizes and are used throughout the city of Atlanta for emergency services, rescue or putting out fires. They are also often used to respond to automobile and truck wreck scenes.
These tractor trailers have a tanker on the trailer and haul fuel to various locations. They travel both long distance and short distances and carry highly flammable fuel to gas stations throughout Atlanta.