Savannah Truck Accident Lawyers
When an 80,000-pound semi plows into a 3,000-pound car, you can expect the car to sustain maximum damage, putting you at risk of catastrophic injury. Large trucking companies and their insurers may use their considerable resources to resist paying for your medical bills, lost wages, pain, and anguish. Our Savannah truck accident lawyers can stand up to powerful trucking companies and recover the compensation you deserve.
FREE CASE REVIEW
Table of Contents
Why Should You Trust Farah & Farah To Handle Your Truck Accident Case?
Hear From Our Satisfied Clients in Savannah
Most Savannah Truck Accidents Can Be Traced to Human Error
Damages You Can Recover in a Georgia Truck Accident Lawsuit
Who Can Be Held Liable in a Savannah Truck Accident?
How Does Insurance Work in a Truck Accident Case?
What Laws Are Unique to Cases Involving Tractor-Trailers?
What To Do and Not To Do After a Truck Accident
You Can Count on Us When It Matters the Most
If you’ve been injured in a truck accident in Savannah or the surrounding area, call our Savannah truck accident lawyers today at (912) 452-8110 for a free consultation.
Why Should You Trust Farah & Farah To Handle Your Savannah Truck Accident Case?
We are a family-centered law firm that puts clients first. We provide individualized attention and will treat you with honesty, respect, and dignity, yet we are large enough to stand up to trucking companies and win. Trucking companies use their vast assets to resist compensating accident victims, and it takes substantial skill, financial resources, and experience to take an effective stand.
We have been successfully standing up to trucking companies since 1979, and our experience makes all the difference. Our Savannah personal injury attorneys consistently get outstanding case results for truck accident victims, including the following:
These are just a few examples of the thousands of successful settlements and verdicts we have won for our truck accident clients. Our results are no accident. We get results by caring, working hard, and using what we have learned through 40 years of experience to defeat the tactics of large companies. Contact us today for a free case review.
Hear From Our Satisfied Clients in Savannah
Our commitment to treating every client with honesty, dignity, and respect sets us apart. Here are some of the things our Savannah clients have had to say about our exceptional services:
Most Savannah Truck Accidents Can Be Traced to Human Error
The Large Truck Crash Causation Study by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration identified the most common ways truck drivers and trucking companies cause big-truck accidents. They include the following:
- Loads exceeding the legal weight limits: When trucks are overloaded, they risk toppling or spinning out of control because of uneven or excessive weight.
- Illegal maneuvers: Reckless driving in a truck is even more dangerous than other vehicles.
- Speeding: Trucks can cause significant damage just based on their sheer size. Crashing at high speeds can be catastrophic.
- Inattentive and distracted driving: Truckers have rest and work hour requirements to combat fatigue, which can contribute to distracted driving and put drivers and others at risk.
- Following too closely: Failing to leave adequate space between vehicles can lead to a rear-end crash, which can be devastating when a truck is involved.
- Misjudging the speed of others: Turning when another driver is approaching might not give them enough time to avoid a truck collision.
- Failure to stop: Truck drivers must be careful to manage the momentum of their large vehicles.
- Brake malfunctions: Improperly installed or maintained brakes can lead to a destructive crash when a truck cannot slow down at high speeds.
- Failing to exercise care in extreme weather: Drivers in Savannah’s coastal climate must account for slippery roads, fog, and poor visibility and adjust their behavior accordingly.
When a passenger vehicle makes a mistake, it could result in a minor fender bender. The same mistake by a truck can crush the other vehicle and cause devastating or fatal injuries, even from a rear-end accident. When a truck driver loses control, the truck can jackknife or roll over, hitting or crushing cars caught in its crosshairs.
Damages You Can Recover in a Truck Accident Lawsuit
If you’ve been injured in a semi-truck accident in Georgia because of a careless truck driver, you may be entitled to compensation for various economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages cover financial losses like medical expenses, lost wages, and property damage, while non-economic losses compensate for mental anguish, pain and suffering, and other impacts on your quality of life.
We know that compensation can’t undo how your injuries have changed your life, but recovering damages can help ease your financial burdens and hold those responsible for your accident accountable for their negligence. Contact our Savannah truck accident attorneys now for a free case review.
Who Can Be Held Liable in a Savannah Truck Accident?
Big truck accidents are one of the most complex types of motor vehicle crashes because so many variables come into play. In Georgia, employers can be held liable for employees’ negligence under the vicarious liability doctrine. If the truck driver is an independent contractor, the trucking company may still be liable if the company owns the truck or if you can prove negligence in the hiring, training, or scheduling of the driver.
Trucking companies generally carry larger insurance policies than individual drivers, which increases the available compensation in a truck accident claim. As a result, trucking companies may blame you for the accident, try to minimize your injuries, or use other tactics to evade responsibility for a commercial vehicle crash.
Holding a large trucking company accountable is enough to make these cases incredibly complex, but many other parties may be liable, including the following:
- The truck driver
- Companies that load or ship cargo
- Government entities that maintain roads
- Negligent mechanics and other third-party maintenance providers
- Manufacturers of defective truck parts
Identifying liability and holding these companies accountable is no small task. Our award-winning truck accident attorneys in Savannah have the financial resources, skills, and will to take an effective stand against all the companies responsible for your injuries.
Injuries May Be More Severe Than in Other Car Accidents
Truck accidents are more likely than other crashes to result in death or permanent disabilities from severe spinal cord injuries, crushed bones, and traumatic brain injuries. This increases the compensation the liable parties must pay, resulting in heightened resistance from these companies to do the right thing.
According to state data, 14 percent of all Georgia traffic deaths in 2021 involved a big truck. Additionally, more than 75 percent of all injuries and deaths in Georgia truck accidents that year were inside other vehicles. Our compassionate Savannah truck accident lawyers are committed to holding trucking companies accountable for dangerous practices and keeping our communities safe.
“Collisions with big trucks often have various serious and catastrophic consequences. In many cases, the trucking companies immediately deploy an accident reconstructionist and investigators to the scene. They have people who immediately get involved and do their own accident investigation, gathering evidence and talking to witnesses. In order to have a fair chance against a truck company, you need professionals on your side. At Farah and Farah, we've handled many large truck cases involving semi-trucks. Many serious, even catastrophic, and fatality cases involving commercial vehicles. We have a team that can be sent out within hours of your accident or as soon as you contact our firm. And we can have them on the ground to do the same thing that the semi-truck company is doing.”
How Does Insurance Work in a Truck Accident Case?
Commercial trucking companies are typically required to carry insurance coverage with much higher policy limits than average motorists because of the potential for greater damage and more severe injuries from truck accidents. Additionally, given the potential for multiple liable parties in a truck accident, multiple insurance policies might apply to the same claim.
This coverage makes it possible to seek sizable compensation in a Savannah trucking accident claim, but insurance companies will not be eager to pay victims what their injuries are worth. Insurers may try to negotiate in bad faith, delaying claims or shifting blame onto the victim to pressure them into accepting a lowball offer.
Our Savannah truck accident lawyers have been helping clients recover from their injuries since 1979. We understand how insurance companies operate and know how to counter their underhanded tactics to secure you the compensation you deserve.
What Laws Are Unique to Cases Involving Tractor-Trailers?
Federal trucking regulations aim to prevent accidents by ensuring drivers and trucks are fit for the road. When investigating Savannah trucking accidents, an effective truck collision attorney will investigate whether the trucking company or the driver violated these laws. The most important laws are discussed below.
Hours of Service Laws
Long-haul truck drivers are prohibited from working longer than 14 hours per day, with a maximum of 11 hours of driving time and at least a 10-hour break between shifts. The purpose is to prevent driver fatigue.
Unrealistic schedules can pressure drivers to exceed these limits. Our truck accident attorneys in Savannah will hold a trucking company liable if our review of driver logs reveals that the company pressured or knowingly allowed a driver to exceed these limits.
Mandatory Background Screening
Trucking companies are required to perform pre-employment screening on truck-driving applicants that includes the following:
- A review of employment history
- A motor vehicle record inquiry
- Drug and alcohol screening
- A criminal background check
- Verification of a valid commercial driver’s license
Trucking companies must repeat the motor vehicle record inquiry annually. It may be liable for negligence if it hired a driver without performing these mandatory screenings or knowingly hired a driver with a criminal history, DUI record, or drug habit.
Weight Limits
State and federal laws regulate the maximum weight of all types of commercial trucks. These limits vary based on the number of axles and the type of freight. Georgia allows some trucks to exceed federal weight limits.
Exceeding the weight limits can make the truck more difficult to control and increase the pressure on the tires, potentially leading to a dangerous tire blowout accident.
Truck Maintenance Requirements
Trucking companies are responsible for inspecting and maintaining their vehicles. Drivers must perform a post-trip inspection at the conclusion of each day. If safety issues are discovered, the trucking company must repair them before allowing them back in service.
Trucking companies must also perform annual inspections and maintain records of all inspections and repairs. Our dedicated truck accident attorneys in Savannah will thoroughly review these records to look for evidence of negligent maintenance.
What To Do and Not To Do After a Truck Accident
When faced with the possibility of paying significant compensation, trucking and insurance companies will scrutinize your actions and statements to find evidence they can use against you. The following dos and don’ts will help you preserve your case:
- Do not talk to the insurance company without a lawyer.
- Do not apologize for the accident or admit fault to anyone.
- Do not discuss your case with friends, family, or on social media.
- Do not skip any medical treatment.
- Do not wait to file your claim or seek legal assistance.
- Do promptly report all new symptoms to your doctor.
- Do complete all of your medical treatment.
- Do keep detailed notes of any communications with insurers or liable parties.
- Do contact Farah & Farah’s experienced Savannah truck accident lawyers as soon as possible.
Never accept an initial settlement offer from an insurance company, as they have no incentive to freely offer you what your injuries are worth. Reaching out to our attorneys immediately after your accident will help us access evidence like driver logs that may be lost over time, giving us the best chance to build you a strong case and maximize your compensation.
Count on Our Savannah Truck Accident Attorneys When It Matters the Most
Our big-truck accident lawyers in Savannah will handle all the details of your truck accident claim, and we will provide caring support to help you through this difficult time. Call us today at (912) 452-8110 to schedule a free consultation with one of our Savannah truck accident lawyers.
Answers to Your Frequently Asked Truck Accident Question
Below are answers to questions we often receive about big truck accidents in Savannah.
How Long Do I Have To File a Truck Accident Case in Georgia?
Georgia’s personal injury statute of limitations is two years from the accident date. However, waiting to contact an experienced GA big truck lawyer could be a mistake.
Unscrupulous trucking companies may attempt to remove important evidence, which can impact your compensation. Contact us now to talk to one of our semi truck accident attorneys in Savannah for free.
How Much Does It Cost To Hire a GA Big Truck Lawyer in Savannah?
We work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you only pay if we successfully recover compensation for you. We do not charge upfront fees.
What Are My Options If My Family Member Died From a Commercial Truck Accident?
In the tragic death of a loved one, our caring wrongful death lawyers in Georgia can help you file a wrongful death lawsuit to recover damages for your loved one’s pain and suffering, the funeral costs, and your family’s losses.
You Can Count on Us When It Matters the Most
Our big-truck accident lawyers in Savannah will handle all the details of your truck accident claim, and we will provide caring support to help you through this difficult time. Call us today at (912) 452-8110 to schedule a free consultation with one of our Savannah truck accident lawyers.
12016 Abercorn St
Savannah, GA 31419
FREE CASE REVIEW