CALL NOW

Semi-Truck Accident Lawyers in Dallas, GA

We Make Those Who Have Hurt You "Pay" By Getting Justice and Getting You Compensation for Your Injuries

FREE CONSULTATION

Contact Form

Do You Need to Speak With Semi-Truck Accident Lawyers in Dallas, GA?

If you or someone you know has been a victim of a semi-truck accident, get an experienced semi-truck accident lawyer in Dallas that will understand your rights. Call Lonati Law Firm today for a free initial consultation at 678-363-3500.

When truck drivers handle their jobs in an irresponsible manner, it puts your life at risk. When you have been in a semi-truck accident, protect your rights and get compensated for that accident. Get a semi-truck accident attorney that understands your needs and rights in a semi-truck accident.

Contact Lonati Law Firm to talk to a semi-truck accident attorney today.

Free Consultation
Dallas, GA Semi Truck Accident attorneys at Lonati Law

Semi-Truck Accidents in Dallas, GA

Semi-trucks are all around us. You can't travel anywhere without seeing several big rigs on the road. And, unfortunately, you can expect the number of semi-truck accidents to increase over time.

Did you know that there are about 16 million big trucks on the road, including vehicles such as cement trucks, delivery trucks, construction trucks, commercial carriers, oversize carriers, buses, coal trucks, logging trucks, 18-wheelers, and more? It's a fantastic fact to contemplate. And of those 16 million big trucks on our highways, about 2 million are considered "tractor-trailer" type trucks.

Georgia Law + Commercial Truck Drivers

In the state of Georgia, vehicles that weigh 10,001 pounds or more and are used in a commercial business are subject to strict regulation. For trucks used in commercial business that exceed 26,001 pounds, there are additional regulations.

All commercial truck drivers must submit to a medical examination and must carry a medical exam certification in their trucks at all times. These certificates are only valid for up to 24 months. Drivers who suffer from certain medical conditions--such as high blood pressure--may need to update their medical certifications more frequently.

Additionally, semi-truck drivers must adhere to Georgia's hours-of-service regulations.

Commercial truck drivers must also submit to regular drug testing and inspection of their vehicles.

The truck driver's employer is responsible for maintaining meticulous records of each driver's working hours and drug testing results.

If a truck driver causes an accident, and their employer cannot produce a record of their hourly driving activity, it may be assumed that the driver was not abiding by the state's hours-of-service regulations.

Dallas, GA Truck Accident Fatalities

Thankfully, number-wise, there aren't as many semi-truck accidents as car crashes overall. However, when they do occur, they are almost always so much worse than car accidents.

When you think about semi-truck accidents, fatalities or catastrophic injuries are common. Why? The main reason is simply because of the immense size of the trucks involved, the considerable difference in weight of the vehicles involved in the accident, and whatever cargo the big truck might be hauling. Sadly, the rate of semi-truck accidents is on the rise.

Hiram-Dallas-Georgia-Personal-Injujry-Attorneys-at-Lonati-Law-Firm

Have Questions? Give Us a Call.

678-363-3500

ALWAYS 100% FREE TO CALL

MEET THE ATTORNEYS

Why You Need a Personal Injury Lawyer After a Semi-Truck Accident in Dallas, GA

If you've been involved in a semi-truck accident, you can't rely on the truck driver or his or her employer to responsibility for the accident.

Corporations and their lawyers have huge financial incentives to minimize their employee's responsibility. Many may try to place the blame for the accident on you.

It is vital that you hire a Georgia semi-truck accident lawyer as soon as possible after the accident. Keep track of your accident-related medical expenses. Keep a log of any time you have to take off work to address accident-related legal or medical issues. Click here to learn more about semi-truck accidents.

Contact an Experienced Truck Accident Lawyer in Dallas, GA, Today

If you, or anyone you know, has been involved in a semi-truck accident in Douglasville, Dallas, or Hiram, GA, please don't hesitate to get in touch with a law firm specializing in semi-truck accidents such as the Lonati Law Firm. Contact us now for a free consultation at 678-363-3500.

Common Questions About Dallas, GA Semi-Truck Accidents

Semi-truck accident lawyers in dallas ga

Here are some of the most common truck accident questions our clients ask us here at Lonati Law Firm in Dallas. Have more questions for our truck accident lawyer? We are happy to give you answers during a free consultation.

What are the most common reasons for semi-truck accidents in Dallas?

The majority of semi-truck accidents can be credited to two main reasons - long stopping distances and the total weight of the vehicles involved. Big trucks, on average, need almost twice the braking length of cars if they need to stop while going at the same speed as a passenger car.

And when you consider vehicle weights, there is no comparison between the two. Most cars average about 5000 pounds or less in weight. Now consider a fully stocked semi-truck. They can easily weigh up to 80,000 pounds. So if an accident occurs between a car and a semi-truck, there is no way that the smaller vehicle will come out of it unscathed.

Speeding is another common cause of accidents. For example, trucks often cause accidents by going around curves way too fast and cross the lanes, lose the loads they are hauling, etc. Other truck accidents can be credited to things such as mechanical failure, following too closely, defective brakes or other equipment, driver fatigue, DUI, improper loading, and poor vehicle maintenance.

What should you do if you are in a semi-truck accident in Dallas, GA?

Indeed, one of the first things you should do after getting involved in an accident is consider your injuries. Are you in shock? Do you have broken bones or injured passengers? First, wait for paramedics to assist you with your accident. Then get medical help asap.

As soon as you can, contact the Police. Be aware of traffic where you are concerning your vehicle and the road, and be safe. First, get out of the roadway so that you don't get hit by ongoing cars. Next, when you can, exchange your insurance information with the other driver.

Take lots of pictures or videos of your injuries. It would help if you also photographed the accident scene and the damage to your vehicle or any passengers involved. Photograph everything that you can now because this will be a part of your case later on. And it is a better idea to take too many pictures of everything than not enough since you will not be able to recreate these photos later.

Write down or text yourself details concerning the accident right away because, over time, you may forget some vital points. Also, get the names of witnesses and phone numbers, too, if any are available. 

Before speaking with ANY insurance companies, contact a truck accident lawyer in Dallas, GA, like Lonati Law Firm. This may be the most crucial step because not only are these types of truck wrecks typically much more severe than car accidents in Douglasville, Dallas, and Hiram, GA, but they are also much more complicated. This is mainly due to all the different parties involved - the truck driver, the trucking company, and the insurance company, to name a few.

So, you will want to have a knowledgeable Dallas Truck Accident Lawyer on your side who knows how to protect your legal rights and make sure the insurance companies don't take advantage of your inexperience. After all, insurance companies are for-profit organizations, and they only care about one thing: making money. The last thing they want to do is pay you a fair settlement, and they have many tactics to get away with paying injured victims less than they deserve.

Check Out These Semi-Truck Accident Statistics

Semi-trucks are large, commercial vehicles that weigh over 10,000 pounds or more and transport goods. These massive trucks can be called by many different names. You'll probably see quite a few of them throughout the body of this article. For example, you've probably heard us refer to them as big rigs, commercial trucks, semi-trucks, 18-wheelers, transfer trucks, or tractor-trailers.

In Georgia's overall scheme of motor vehicle-related accidents, about one out of six accidents that occur involve some type of significantly oversized "big rig" or semi-truck. But, even scarier in general, consider this fact: a semi-truck accident happens about four times per hour.

In 2017 alone, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) found that of all the accidents that occurred that year, 72 percent of all fatal truck accidents could be attributed to tractor-trailer-type trucks. And remember, for 2017, there were fewer large trucks on the road than today.

At that time, tractor-trailers were well under 20% of all the big trucks on the road. So, considering this data, it can easily be construed that tractor-trailers, aka semi-trucks, are one of the most dangerous truck types on our highways and roads.

Let's take a moment to review some interesting significant semi-truck statistics you may not know. Here are a few interesting statistics about truck accidents:


  • Over 60 percent of all semi-truck accidents involving big rig trucks happen in rural areas.
  • Over 25 percent of all semi-truck accidents occur on interstate highways, and the remaining 15% happen on interstate highways in rural areas.
  • 80+ percent of semi-truck wrecks happen during the week, while 20 to 35 percent happen at night, sometime between 6 pm and 6 am. 
  • When considering fatality numbers, over 80% of the fatalities happened to the people in the car, not the truck.

Tips for Driving Near Semi-Trucks From Our Dallas, GA Accident Attorneys

Semi-trucks are everywhere on the roads these days. Nowadays, it is so common to see them on minor roads, but especially on highways and interstates, that most people take their immense presence for granted. However, if you are driving or riding in a passenger vehicle or passenger truck, here are a few tips to help keep yourself safe whenever you are in close proximity to any kind of 18-wheeler big truck.

Check out our top 8 tips for semi-truck safety from a truck accident lawyer in Dallas:

Don't pull out in front of a semi-truck

Don't pull out in front of a semi-truck when there is not much room. Remember, these big trucks need a large area to stop, so don't zip too close in front of them while changing lanes in traffic, or you might get hit.

Stay in their line of vision

Make sure that the big truck driver can see you at all times. Tractor-trailer trucks have substantial blind spots. One big thing to remember is that if you can't see the side-view mirrors of a big truck when you are near one, then they can't see you at all.

Watch for Turning Signals

Be aware of the semi-truck drivers' signal lights. Please do not attempt to pass a truck when its signal lights are on as they are about to switch lanes themselves.

Look out for wide turns

Watch out for wide turns in large trucks. Due to their immense size, big rigs need vast amounts of space to turn in. So, if you are the first car stopped at any traffic light, make sure that you are well behind the white line so that the big trucks have plenty of room to turn without hitting you.

Keep your distance

Don't drive beside an 18-wheeler for extended periods of time. Either speed up to pass it or slow down and follow it at a safe speed and distance.

Be Patient

Be patient and stay focused on the road. Do not text, use the cell phone, concentrate on GPS, kids, the radio, or anything else that might take your focus off the road ahead and all around you.

Never tailgate a truck

You shouldn't tailgate any vehicle, but to tailgate, an 18-wheeler might be the worst decision of your life. If you happen to be rear-ended or can't stop while tailgating a big truck, you may be pushed underneath the truck, which could be a catastrophic accident for you and all your passengers.

Drive Safely at all times

Don't drive if you are too sleepy or intoxicated.

Most people don't know it, but driving fatigued is considered just as dangerous as driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol is. If you have been drinking alcohol or taking drugs of any kind, even prescription drugs, then do not get behind the wheel.

GET YOUR

FREE CASE EVALUATION

QUICK, EASY, AND FREE

Contact Form
menuchevron-downcheckmark-circle linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram