Articles Posted in Truck Accidents

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Securing Compensation for Bus Related Injuries

While many passengers see bus transportation as a safe alternative to cars, the fact is that many bus accidents occur every year, and 15 out of every 19 accidents are due to avoidable error on the part of the bus driver. In other cases, bus accidents may be due to improper maintenance, the lack of seat belts, or mechanical failures to systems such as the brake system.Unfortunately, due to the common lack of seat belts or other restraints, bus accidents are actually more likely to produce traumatic injuries, especially to the head and brain, than accidents involving passenger vehicles. For this reason, bus accidents have a higher rate of passenger fatalities than other forms of vehicular accidents and can require the services of a skilled Atlanta bus injury attorney.

Types of Bus related Transportation and Bus Accidents

The most common types of bus related transportation include tour buses, charter buses, and for children, school buses. All of these methods have been involved in severe accidents that have resulted in both injury and death to their passengers. Other examples of buses that are prone to accidents are the smaller vans used for commuter lines and airport shuttles.In many cases, these buses are active during rush hour or other peak traffic periods, increasing the risk to their passengers. In most cases, the cause of a tour bus accident is the failure of the driver to adequately react to changing conditions. Additionally, when the accident occurs, many of the passengers are sleeping, standing or otherwise unprepared for the collision. Since bus passengers are not required to wear seatbelts, they can be thrown from their seats, striking walls or other passengers, drastically increasing the chance of serious injury. In other cases, luggage or other unsecured cargo will fly around the passenger compartment, causing severe injury or death.

 School buses and Vehicular Accidents

Unfortunately, school buses are especially prone to serious accidents. Because students are not required to be secured by either seatbelts or child seats, the potential for injury is very high should an accident occur. In addition, school bus drivers are often distracted and as a result, can become involved in serious accidents.
In addition to accidents occurring during the transport of students to the school, traffic accidents can occur during any of these other activities:• School field trips.
• High School sporting events.
• After School Activity Events.

In many cases, schools will hire charter bus companies rather than use their own buses, which may expose students to the risk of drivers who are not fully experienced with driving in the area. This fact, combined with long distance sporting or school event trips, has often resulted in tragic and avoidable school bus accidents.

Charter and Inter-City Transport Accidents

Many accidents occur while utilizing charter buses or inter-city bus transport lines. In fact, over 1,000 people are injured every year while utilizing these services. As with school buses, the lack of seat belts and unsecured cargo can result in severe injury to the passengers.Finally, as with school buses, in many cases the drivers of charter buses are either tired or distracted and unable to dedicate their full attention to ensuring that they are driving in a safe manner. This can be especially true when drivers are expected to drive for long periods with little in the way of rest breaks. Because of this, nighttime bus accidents are especially likely to result in severe injuries to passengers.

What to do After a Bus Accident

A bus related accident is always a traumatic event, but it is important to obtain effective and knowledgeable legal assistance immediately.  A victim of a bus related accident should never sign any documents or come to any agreement with the representatives of the bus company until he or she has had time to confer with a qualified Atlanta bus accident attorney.Effective legal representation will allow the victim to ensure that all of his or her rights are fully protected and the maximum possible compensation is arrived at. The Angell Law Firm’s skilled attorneys will be able to effectively evaluate the following factors:

• The at-fault party in the bus accident.
• The nature and severity of the client’s injuries.
• If the victim was killed in the accident, the nature and amount of damages that will be due to his or her next of kin.
• The best legal strategy to use to obtain the maximum possible compensation for the victim and his or her family.

By securing the assistance of a skilled Atlanta bus injury attorney the client can be put at ease, knowing that they are no longer alone in attempting to obtain the compensation deserved for their injuries, pain and suffering. In many cases, the bus company will be liable not simply for the medical expenses of the victims, but also for lost wages due to the injury, compensation for the victim’s pain and suffering, and in some cases, punitive damages.

Winning Without Entering the Courtroom

Furthermore, a skilled Atlanta bus accident lawyer at the Angell Law Firm may be able to obtain a settlement without ever having to subject the victim to entering the courtroom. In many cases, when confronted by a skilled and knowledgeable attorney, bus companies will be eager to come to an acceptable settlement. However, only a highly experienced Atlanta bus injury attorney will be able to effectively negotiate such a settlement while protecting the best interests of his or her client.

Resting Easy With the Angell Law Firm

By securing the services of one of our dedicated Atlanta bus accident attorneys, a victim of a bus accident, or the guardian of a child involved in a bus accident can rest easy. With extensive knowledge and experience in bus related personal injury cases, our lawyers can effectively represent the victim’s interests, while ensuring that the injured party is fully aware of their options at every step in the case.If you have been involved in a bus related accident, contact the Angell law firm at (770)217-4954 for an immediate consultation with an Atlanta bus accident lawyer. We offer a Free initial case evaluation to help you understand your rights.

Furthermore, our no fee promise ensures that if our law firm does not recover anything, you will not owe us anything. Remember that the bus company will certainly have their own lawyers, and for that reason, you need legal representation as well.

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Since January 1, 2010, HB160 has been the law of the land, and especially the highways, in Georgia. This law is known as the Super Speeder law, and anyone who violates it is designated a Super Speeder, and is subject to a $200 fine. If you ask an Atlanta speeding accident lawyer, he or she will probably tell you that the Georgia Super Speeder Law is a good thing. Attorneys know that Georgia averages one death in which speeding was a factor every day. They will also tell you that the trauma care costs due to speeders are tremendous. Vehicle crashes account for 69 percent of the people admitted to trauma care hospitals. Fees collected from Super Speeders will help fund these hospitals. Hopefully, Super Speeder fees will also save lives by getting people to slow down.

The Consequences of Super Speeding

You should consult with a state official or an Atlanta speeding accident attorney if you need specific information, but in general the Super Speeder law applies to anyone caught speeding at over 75 miles per hour on any two-lane road, or 85 miles per hour anywhere. The Super Speeder fee is $200. This fee is paid to the Department of Driver Services (DDS). This is a state fee, and is in addition to any fines or other penalties imposed by the municipality in which the speeding occurred. This fee does not add points to your driver’s license.

Because this is a state fee, you will not be able to pay it when you go to court, or with other fines that you might get. Youatlanta super speeder law will be told by mail that you owe the fee. If you don’t pay it within 120 days of the notice’s date, your driver’s license will be suspended. You can pay your fee on the DDS website, at any DDS office or by mail.

Atlanta speeding accident lawyers are often asked how someone can get their license back once it has been suspended. You have to pay your fee, plus an additional $50 dollar reinstatement fee.

You may need to talk to an Atlanta speeding accident attorney is if you are an out-of-state driver and are caught speeding in violation of this law. This is especially true if you are involved in an accident. You will be liable for the fee just as  a Georgia driver would be. If you do not pay it on time, your Georgia driving privileges will be suspended and this violation will be reported to your state authorities.

Why Did Georgia Create The Super Speeder Law

The Super Speeder law is a response to known dangers of speeding. Atlanta speeding injury attorneys see the results of speeding every day. The faster you are going, the less time you have to react to a dangerous situation. Every ten miles per hour that you travel above 50 means a doubling of the potential crash force. Speeders that refuse to slow down, even after repeated warnings, are putting themselves, their passengers and other drivers at unnecessary risk.

Georgia is serious about speeding and the Super Speeder law proves that.  Atlanta speeding injury attorneys hope that the law will encourage drivers to slow down and save lives.

If you have been injured by a super speeder find out how it could help you in your case .  Call the Angell Law Firm for a FREE consultation at (770) 217-4954.

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Thousands of delivery trucks deliver millions of packages to people and businesses each day. Unfortunately, this means that accidents involving deliver trucks happen fairly regularly. Most of the time, damage is minor in nature, such as scratches or dents, but sometimes, serious injuries do occur.

Our experienced Georgia deliver truck accident attorneys are extremely knowledgeable in liability cases involving deliver trucks such as FedEx, UPS, freight shipping trucks, and service trucks.

We understand that many accidents happen because these companies put so much pressure on their drivers to deliver as many packages as possible. It is understandable, the more packages they deliver, the more money the company makes. However, all this pressure sometimes forces drivers to make poor driving decisions. Ultimately, these poor decisions are the direct cause of a large majority of delivery truck accidents.

There are five major causes of FedEx and UPS truck accidents. They are:

1. Failure to set parking brake on a decline or incline
2. Driver backing into a car when passing the destination
3. Driver making quick and sudden stops
4. Inadequately trained drivers
5. Drivers failing to yield when merging into traffic

Have you been injured in an accident involving a delivery truck? Do you want to know if you possibly have a legal case against a driver or company? Get a free consultation from one of our Georgia delivery truck attorneys and find out if you can receive compensation for your injuries. The worst thing that could happen is that you do not have a case. The best thing that could happen is that you receive monetary compensation for your injuries, pain and suffering, and lost income while recovering from your injuries. Do not hesitate to call us, it is free, and we will ensure that our licenses attorneys will best represent you if you have a case.

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Thousands of American businesses and people rely on FedEx for the transportation and delivery of goods each day. Normally, products are delivered on time and unharmed by FedEx. However, due to the large number of FedEx trucks on the market, accidents involving FedEx, UPS or other delivery trucks are not an uncommon thing. Here are a few recent serious incidents involving FedEx trucks:

- In March of 2009, a FedEx truck driver fell asleep at the wheel and collided with two other trucks, causing three people to be injured.

- In Orlando, FL, A FedEx truck collided with two tractor-trailers. This accident caused one fatality and several other people to be seriously injured.

- In Maryland, a FedEx truck collided with another vehicle, seriously injuring two people.

- In Saylorsbury, PA, A FedEx tractor-trailer hit a guardrail then rolled down an embankment. It eventually crashed into a local winery. The passenger and driver of the truck sustained major injuries.

There are many reasons that accidents involving FedEx trucks occur. They include:

  • Driver fatigue

  • Intoxication of the driver

  • Inexperienced Drivers

  • Failure to obey traffic and safety laws

  • Poor weather conditions

  • Vehicle equipment failure

  • Poor road conditions

  • Poorly loaded goods in the truck

FedEx trucks are considered big trucks along with semis, big rigs, and 18-wheelers. The U.S. department of Transportation publishers accident statistics each year and here are a few statistics about big trucks:

  • About 13 percent of all accidents involve a big truck in some way, shape or form.

  • Almost 5,000 people die each year as a result of an accident involving a big truck

  • Truck drivers only account for about 25 percent of all accidents involving big trucks.

  • Most fatal big truck accidents occur in rural areas during the mid part of the day.

  • Texas, Florida, and California are the three states with the highest number of big truck fatalities.

If you or a loved one has been involved in a big truck accident, get a free consultation from one of our truck accident attorneys. Our attorneys represent victims and families of victims to ensure that justice is served. We understand that financial compensation will not bring a loved one back, but at least it can help provide financial assistance in a tough time.

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Tractor Trailers represent an incredibly important way to transport goods throughout the United States. Every time a truck driver enters his truck, he takes a huge risk that he might not come home. With the sheer amount of trucks on the road, accidents are bound to happen. There are two types of truck accidents: trucking accidents with a collision and non-collision accidents such as jackknifing and rollovers.  Below is some information on non-collision accidents involving trucks.

Atlanta Area Jackknifing Accident Attorneys

Technical Services says that there are normally three breaks in a tractor trailer: the steering axle brakes, the drive axle brakes, and the trailer axle brakes. If the steering axle breaks lock up, a truck driver cannot steer and the truck will move straight regardless of the wheel angle of the truck. If the truck’s axle breaks lock up, the truck will jackknife. If the trailer axle breaks lock up, the trailer will swing and lower the stability of the truck.

Anti-lock brakes should prevent these incidents from occurring. However, many older trucks are missing at least one set of anti-lock brakes. If you are a truck driver who was injured in a jackknifing incident or other similar incident, contact an experienced Georgia truck accident lawyer for a free consultation to discuss your options.

Georgia Truck Rollover Accident Lawyers

Larger trucks, from tractor trailers to smaller commercial vans are very easy to rollover. The likelehood of a vehicle to rollover is related to the amount of g-force needed to roll the vehicle. When a vehicle corners a g-force is created. Technical services says that the g-forces required to roll a car are 1.3 g’s, pickups are about 1.1 g’s, full loaded semi-trucks only require close to .4g’s or lower. A car cannot generate the need g-force to roll but a commercial van or semi-truck can easily create the g-force require to roll over.

Many truck rollovers occur when a truck driver tries to return onto the road. Rollovers also often occur because the truck was improperly loaded, or loaded to high. The truck becomes top-heavy and is more likely to rollover around a sharp corner or bend. If you were injured in a truck rollover accident in Atlanta, contact one of our Atlanta Truck Accident Lawyers, to see if we may be able to help you.