Articles Posted in Truck Accidents

When you have an accident with a tractor trailer, you are dealing with a different situation than when you have an accident with a non-professional driver. As a result, it’s important that you get an attorney involved right away and that depositions are taken as soon as possible from both the driver who was responsible for the accident and his or her safety director.

Over the road truckers have safety requirements, not only for how they drive, but for how their trucks are serviced. In the interest of getting in “one more load,” it is not uncommon for driver to skip a safety inspection or “minor” maintenance issue to get another load delivered. Since the maintenance on a big rig is critical to how it handles on the road, and since sleep deprivation is a major hazard affecting professional truck drivers, getting the facts of the case, under oath, from those involved is critical.

A deposition is a formal statement taken under oath. While it can feel like an informal process, it is anything but. The deposition provides the facts of the case from the responsible party’s point of view. The point is to get their side of the story for use by your attorney, either in court, or when proposing a settlement. It provides the “story” from each person’s perspective. Details are important, and your attorney may ask for your assistance in preparing questions related to the accident.

According to the 2011 Georgia Crash Analysis Statistics and Information Report (CASI), one quarter of all roadway fatalities in the state are alcohol related. The fight against drunk drivers does not rest solely in the hands of the authorities, though. Reporting a suspected impaired driver is considered an emergency and is classified as an appropriate use of 911 services.

In Georgia, the CASI reported that the most likely vehicle for an impaired driver to operate is a truck. Perhaps the most common behavioral red flag in identifying an impaired driver is raised when a vehicle weaves back and forth across the road way, but there are many other indicators that could signify an impaired driver.

Signs of Drunk Driving

When clients come to me because they have been injured in a truck accident, one of the first things we do in the investigation is look at the driver’s recent history, log books, and potential violations.

The economy has forced many hard working drivers to take on additional jobs, log incredibly long hours, and rely on energy drinks or artificial stimulants to keep them awake. This type of schedule will quickly lead to sleep deprivation, which is a top reason truck drivers fall asleep at the wheel.

Whether a driver was at his or her full capacity when an accident occurs has a lot to do with the outcome of the case. Car accidents and truck accidents do happen in Georgia for many reasons, from road conditions to faulty brakes to driver inattention.

An accident in Forsyth County left the operator of a scooter dead. The driver of the truck that struck the scooter, John Stephen Simone, has been charged with one count of second degree vehicular homicide, in connection with a fatal wreck last week. The wreck occurred about 8:40 a.m. Nov. 3 at Hwy. 20 and Windermere Parkway. Carey James Abee, 52, of Dawsonville, died of injuries he suffered after his Taizhou Meiduo scooter was struck by a 2006 Isuzu box truck driven by Simone. Authorities have said Abee was traveling east on Hwy. 20 when the truck, headed west on the road, failed to yield the right of way and turned left onto Windermere Parkway. The truck drove over the scooter, hit the Windermere entrance sign and toppled over on its side. Abee, House said, was trapped under the truck up to his waist. A group of people lifted the truck and pulled Abee out from under it. House said Abee was taken to Northside Hospital-Forsyth, where he later died.
If you have been injured in a motorcycle or scooter accident, it is imperative to contact a Georgia personal injury lawyer, such as David Van Sant, immediately to ensure that a proper investigation is conducted and your rights are protected. Call today to speak with David Van Sant regarding your case.

There’s nothing worse than to hear of victims who have been left holding the bill for repairs to their auto or medical expenses after having an accident with a delivery truck.

One recent example involved a senior citizen who was following a delivery truck out of her neighborhood. The driver most likely was looking for an address, and was not paying attention to the traffic moving behind him. After stopping in the middle of a residential street, the driver began to back up. He did not see the Cadillac sitting behind his truck, and as he backed up, the elderly woman driver began honking her horn.

Before the driver could stop, he had backed over the front end of the woman’s car. He quickly pulled forward, ripping a large hole in her hood, got out of the truck to see what happened, and began berating the woman for following too close.