Truck Accident Lawyer in McDonough, GA

Trucks where they were never meant to be

The interstate is built for trucks. The roads around the distribution centers often are not. Around McDonough, tractor-trailers turn off I-75 onto state routes and local roads to reach warehouses. They make wide turns across two lanes, pull slowly into fast traffic, and stop on shoulders and ramps with nowhere else to park.

The crashes that result have their own patterns:

• Wide-turn crashes, when a truck swings left to make a right turn and a car moves into the gap.
• Slow-merge crashes, when a loaded truck pulls onto a highway well below traffic speed.
• Parked-truck crashes, when a car strikes a trailer stopped on a shoulder or ramp at night.
• Underride crashes, where a car goes under the back or side of a trailer — among the most dangerous crashes on the road.
• Jackknife and rollover crashes on I-75, often in rain or sudden slowdowns.

A company, not just a driver

When a commercial truck hits you, the driver is rarely the only one responsible. The trucking company is generally responsible for its driver’s conduct on the job. It may also be responsible in its own right, for hiring an unqualified driver, pushing a schedule past federal hours limits, or skipping maintenance.

Sometimes others share responsibility. It could be the company that loaded the trailer badly, a broker that hired an unsafe carrier, or a warehouse whose layout forced trucks onto the road. Commercial policies are typically much larger than personal auto policies, which matters when the injuries are serious.

Carriers must also check drivers in the federal Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse before hiring them, and those records can matter after a crash.

Why fast action matters in truck cases

Trucking companies often have investigators at a serious crash within hours. The evidence that decides these cases is controlled by the company: electronic logs, engine data, camera footage and inspection records. Some of it is only kept for limited periods. Sending a demand to preserve it early is one of the most valuable things that can happen in the first week.

Where the case stands

Crashes on I-75 are usually worked by the Georgia State Patrol; crashes on local roads by the McDonough or Henry County police. Generally you have two years from the crash to file suit (O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33).

If you were working when the truck hit you, there may be a workers’ compensation claim alongside the claim against the trucking company. See McDonough work-related car accidents.

Talk to Jeff Snell

Consultations are by phone or video. The office is in Alpharetta, but Henry County is where most of the firm’s clients have always come from.

Our McDonough accident lawyer page covers the rest of Henry County, and our truck crash lawyer page explains these cases in depth.

More: truck accidents · McDonough personal injury · catastrophic injuries

Common questions

Why are there so many truck crashes around McDonough?

Tractor-trailers leave I-75 for state routes and local roads to reach warehouses, making wide turns, pulling slowly into traffic and parking on shoulders and ramps.

Is the trucking company responsible, or just the driver?

Usually the company too. It is generally responsible for its driver's conduct on the job. It may also be responsible in its own right for hiring, scheduling or maintenance failures.

What is an underride crash?

It is when a car goes under the back or side of a trailer. It is among the most dangerous crashes on the road.

Who investigates truck crashes in Henry County?

The Georgia State Patrol usually works crashes on I-75. Crashes on local roads are handled by McDonough or Henry County police.

Why does acting in the first week matter?

The trucking company controls the key evidence, including logs, engine data, camera footage and inspection records. Some of it is kept only for limited periods. A preservation demand should go out early.