Vehicle crashes involving tractor-trailers and other large commercial vehicles pose serious risks to Georgia residents.
The dangers associated with large trucks on Georgia roads cannot be emphasized enough. Drivers in smaller vehicles are vulnerable to serious injury and even death when they are struck by tractor-trailers that can weigh as much as 80,000 pounds. The causes and circumstances of these collisions can vary dramatically, as is seen in the following examples of real-life crashes in Georgia.
One crash, five lives lost
A stretch of Interstate 16 was the site of a tragic and completely unnecessary crash in the spring of last year. Five young women were traveling together in a sport utility vehicle. At the same time, completely unbeknownst to them a semi-truck driver was behind them, with a cab full of porn, possibly texting and perhaps viewing a woman’s nude pictures sent to him via text .
Sadly, the trucker was engaged in prohibited activities while driving so fast that his tractor-trailer went over the back of a Toyota Corolla and slammed into the back of a Ford Escape in front of the Corolla. The massive truck did not stop until it slammed into the back of a tanker truck three vehicles ahead of it. The horrific crash killed five young women who were studying nursing at Georgia State University. The driver’s actions robbed these women of their chance to provide care to others who are ill or injured.
Driver who stops after crash gets killed
Macon.com reported on a set of crashes that left dead one man who stopped after witnessing the first crash. A rear-end collision on Interstate 75 near mile post 131 was seen by two different truckers. Both of the drivers stopped, one on each side of the road.
While stopped on the side of the road, one of the trucks was hit by yet another tractor-trailer. The driver of the truck that was stopped and hit was outside of his vehicle at the time. He died in the crash. Weather was indicated as a factor in the incident but an investigation was to take place as well.
Trucker runs red light, hits other vehicle
According to the Moultrie Observer, a truck driver indicated that he was unable to see if a traffic light was green or red due to the sun’s glare. Despite not knowing the color of the light, he travelled through the light at the intersection of Highway 33 and Highway 133. The light was actually red. His actions caused him to hit a vehicle operated by a 26-year-old driver.
After striking the first car, the truck went over the highway’s median and almost hit another vehicle head-on. That collision was avoided by the actions of the third driver who drove into a ditch instead.
An ongoing problem in Georgia
Records from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration show that between 2009 and 2013, 796 people died in large truck crashes. When these collisions happen, victims and their loved ones are left to suffer in many ways. Cases involving large trucking companies and 80,000 pound vehicles are complicated and labor intensive. Typically the insurance companies do not want to pay the grieving family and send defense attorneys and expert witnesses to the scene within hours of a wreck to gather evidence to use against the injured party. Often the wreck happened because the trucking company or the tractor-trailer driver violated one or more of the safety regulations they are legally bound to follow. Finding the right pieces of evidence is crucial to a successful outcome against the well-funded defense industry. This makes working with an attorney very important so that those who are injured or lose family members have the best chance of obtaining appropriate compensation. Call (679) 766-1700 to speak with James Neuberger if you need help following a tractor-trailer crash.