Georgia Trucking Accident Lawyer at Van Sant Law, LLC can assist you in taking legal action against the trucking company or truck driver who may be required to pay for your losses. Give us a call to schedule a free consultation and learn more.
Underride Accidents are Dangerous Atlanta, Georgia Truck Accidents
Trucks are much larger than the average passenger vehicle, which makes them much more dangerous on the road. One of the risks presented by trucks is that they are higher up from the road, which allows for a car to literally slide underneath the body of the truck or its trailer. When a car slides under the body of a truck or its trailer, it can become wedged underneath the rig and the driver and passengers inside of the vehicle can be badly hurt. This type of accident is called an underride accident and the injuries that are suffered by passengers can range from broken bones or fractures to brain injuries to death.
The Risks of Underride Accidents
Trucks are supposed to have guards on the back of the vehicles in order to prevent cars from sliding underneath them. Unfortunately, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has indicated that the current guidelines on underride guards are not sufficient. Underride guards are steel bars that hang down below the body of the truck and prevent cars from going underneath. The IIHS is concerned that the guards are neither strong enough nor large enough to prevent an underride accident from occurring. The IIHS is also concerned that only certain types of trucks are currently mandated to have underride guards. Others, such as dump trucks, do not need to have these steel bars under the current regulations – but an underride accident could still occur. Unfortunately, the absence of strict regulations only serves to exacerbate the dangers of an underride accident occurring.
An Atlanta, Georgia Trucking Accident Lawyer Can Help
If you or a loved one is involved in an truck underride accident, you may have significant medical expenses and other financial losses caused by missed work. In especially tragic cases, the underride accident may even cause the death of someone you care about. When an truck underride accident occurs, it is important to understand the cause of the crash. If your car slides under the truck because the truck stopped short, because the driver of the truck was careless in some way, or because the driver of the truck broke safety rules, then you may be able to take legal action against the truck driver. You may also be able to pursue a claim for compensation from the trucking company if the company was negligent in installing underride guards or in any of their other safety obligations. Trucking companies can also be held legally responsible for the actions of their drivers if those drivers did anything wrong on the job. To obtain compensation after an underride accident, it is advisable to get help from an experienced Atlanta, Georgia Trucking Accident Lawyer. The caring and professional attorneys at Van Sant Law, LLC, have extensive experience with underride accidents and other types of truck accidents and we are here and ready to help.
