Sandy Springs Truck Accident Lawyer

The main reason you’ll want to reach out to a Sandy Springs truck accident lawyer is that they can help you learn more about your options for financial recovery after your crash. Georgia is an at-fault state when it comes to truck accidents, which means the at-fault party will be held legally and financially liable after a crash. 

Services Provided by a Sandy Springs Truck Accident Attorney

When you initially consult with an attorney, they’ll want to know more about the truck accident, your losses, and what happened after your crash. Using this key information, they’ll make an initial assessment about whether you have the basis to seek out an insurance claim or a legal claim. You can then use that information to make an informed decision on how to move forward after the accident. Here are a few other things an attorney can do for you:

• Helping you identify your losses
• Valuing your claim
• Documenting your losses
• Finding evidence that proves fault
• Filing the legal paperwork necessary to file a claim
• Negotiating with the other party, insurance companies, or insurance adjusters on your behalf
• Representing your claim in court
• Strengthening your case with experts and witnesses

With so much at stake in your case, you don’t want to hire just any truck accident law firm in Sandy Springs when you experience an accident. To find the right lawyer for your situation, you’ll need to do some research.

First, look for a lawyer that specifically deals with personal injury claims. It’s even better if the firm or lawyer specifically deals with car accidents or trucking accidents. You’ll also want to narrow your search down based on where you live. The closer your lawyer is to your town or city, the more familiar they will be with the local courts and court workers.

Next, check out the firm’s past case results and prior reviews. Case results will give you a better idea of how big of a claim the firm can handle, while prior reviews could potentially reveal red flags that help you avoid bad lawyers.

If your potential lawyer meets all these expectations, then you should schedule a consultation to learn more about the attorney’s availability, personality, cost schedule, and more. Afterwards, you can make an informed choice on who you want to represent you.

Before you even consider hiring a lawyer, your first thought is probably to contact your car insurance company about the accident. After all, the sole purpose of paying into your car insurance policy each month is to be able to rely on them to compensate you when an accident actually happens.

It’s true that your insurance policy could come into play after your accident, but things will likely get complicated fast.

One of the main reasons that your claim will be complex is because your insurance provider might not want to pay out your claim. For one, a trucking accident claim is usually very expensive because your losses are substantial. For another, the trucker or someone else might be at-fault for the crash. In these cases, your insurance company can deny liability and instead ask you to seek out a claim from a different insurance provider.

Types of Insurance Policies Involved in a Truck Accident Claim

Are you wondering what other type of insurance provider could potentially cover your claim? If so, then you’re in good company. Most people only consider their own car insurance policies after an accident and fail to realize that the trucker, the trucking company, and others also have their own insurance policies, too.

For that reason, it’s paramount to identify who was at-fault for the crash. Depending on the situation, the following types of insurance policies could potentially come into play:

• Your own no-fault car insurance policy
• The truck driver’s insurance policy
• A third party and at-fault driver’s insurance policy
• The truck driver’s company’s policy
• The truck manufacturer’s insurance
• The trucker’s loading company’s insurance
• A city or state government’s insurance policy

When you figure out which policy should carry liability in your situation, you’ll want to file a claim with them. It is possible to seek out compensation from multiple insurance policies, but you won’t be able to collect compensation that exceeds what you actually lost.

How to File an Injury Claim with an Insurance Company

So, how do you file an injury claim with an insurance company? Your first step is identifying which insurance policies you’ll be filing claims with. From there, you’ll want to collect all the documentation that proves the extent of your injuries and the medical care you’ve received so far. If you are likely to receive more medical care in the future, then be sure to provide documentation describing the severity of the injury and potential future healthcare costs.

Next, you’ll want to establish negligence by proving that the insured entity was responsible for your tucking accident. Whether that party is the truck driver, the trucking company, or someone else, you need to show that they failed to uphold their duty to provide for your care.

After you’ve compiled your case, you’ll file the official paperwork and serve a notice of the claim to the insurance provider. You’ll hear back from the insurer who will then begin to discuss your case with you.

Tips for Negotiating an Accident Settlement with an Insurance Company

At this point, you’ll be expected to be able to negotiate a good settlement with the insurance company. For this reason, it’s crucial that you compiled a strong case that outlines your losses already. If you didn’t, then the other party will have the upper hand. If you do have a strong case that documents your losses, then you’ll be in a better position to ask for more.

Negotiating with the insurance provider will be no easy task. If your trucking accident happened here in Sandy Springs or a surrounding city, then we recommend hiring a local truck accident attorney who can help field the negotiations for you. Otherwise, it will be up to you to push against the insurance adjuster’s claims. If you are not able to push the insurance company to pay you what you deserve, then you can’t be afraid to take legal action and file a lawsuit instead.

What to Do When Your Losses Exceed Your Policy Limits

Sometimes, negotiations won’t fall through, but you still won’t be able to negotiate a settlement amount that matches your losses. This can happen due to the insured’s policy limits or for other reasons. When that’s the case, it becomes even more crucial to talk to a Sandy Springs truck accident lawyer about your situation. An attorney can help you determine whether a lawsuit is appropriate.

Both DHL and other truck accidents usually result in serious injuries, and unfortunately, that’s not the end of an injured person’s losses. More often, the injured person experiences a whole host of losses. By filing a claim, you should be able to recover damages in the form of:

• Medical costs (current and future)
• Property damage
• Lost wages
• Lost career opportunities
• Pain and suffering

You’ll have to prove and document each loss that you want to seek recovery for, though. If you need more help determining how to prove your losses, then your best bet is to consult with a Sandy Springs truck accident attorney. While a lawyer can give you a clearer view of what documentation to collect, we’ll go over a brief overview of the types of evidence you’ll want to collect below.

Gathering Evidence for a DHL Truck Accident Claim

While you may know how much you’ve lost after your truck accident, you’ll have to prove and document each loss in order to receive compensation for it. Unfortunately, this is a lot easier said than done, especially when it comes to non-economic damages like pain and suffering. The best way to determine how to value and prove each claim is to speak with a Sandy Springs truck accident lawyer. In general, though, you’ll want to collect evidence like medical bills, any medical diagnosis papers, a letter from your employer regarding how much work you’ve lost, and pay stubs that prove your average wages prior to the accident.

If you’ve ever paid attention, then you’ve likely noticed DHL trucks operating on the roadways before. DHL is a global logistics company that specializes in international shipping, transportation, and courier services. Since they often transport cargo in trucks, trucking accidents sometimes involves dealing with DHL’s legal team.

Since DHL is such a large company, their lawyers and insurance adjusters know how to minimize injury claims. If you experienced your accident in Georgia, then it makes the most sense to hire a Sandy Springs truck accident lawyer to help level the playing field.

Common Causes of Delivery Truck Accidents

Trucking accidents happen for many reasons, and it’s absolutely necessary that you identify what caused your crash. This factor will determine your legal options for recovery. If you have questions about how to determine what caused your accident or you want to dispute the official police report’s designation of fault, then your best option is to speak with a truck accident lawyer in Sandy Springs.

Driver Negligence

The number one cause of trucking accidents is driver negligence. Under the law, negligence is defined as a breach of one’s legal duty to provide for the care of someone else. In Sandy Springs, everyone who gets behind the wheel automatically assumes a legal duty to provide for the care of other motorists and pedestrians. Here are a few examples of driver negligence:

• Distracted driving
• Texting while driving
• Fatigued driving
• Eating, drinking, smoking, or listening to music while driving
• Intoxication
• Reckless driving
• Speeding

When a truck driver’s negligence caused an accident, liability may fall directly on their shoulders, their insurance provider’s policy, or on the company who hired the truck driver.

Adverse Weather

Another common cause of trucking accidents is adverse weather. Since truckers are expected to still transport cargo despite the weather, it’s inevitable that they will go through rain, snow, ice, lightning, and even worse storms over the years. Adverse weather can impact every driver’s ability to see, their traction on the road, and more.

Mechanical Failure

Trucks can also experience accidents when they have mechanical failure while on the road. If a defective part caused the crash, then it might be possible to seek out a claim against the truck part’s manufacturer.

Poor Maintenance or Maintenance Failure

Truckers should regularly maintain their vehicles to ensure they are safe. If a trucker has been negligent in keeping up with the truck, then that can lead to tire blowouts, multi-vehicle collisions, and more. Similarly, if the maintenance company performed poor or faulty procedures that cause an accident, then they might also share liability for the losses.

Poorly Maintained Roads

Some truck accidents are the direct result of poorly maintained roads. When a state or city owned road has serious potholes, cracks, or other dangerous hazards, you might be able to seek out a claim against the governmental agency.

If you plan on seeking out this type of claim in our state, then you should speak with a truck accident attorney in Sandy Springs, GA. The government will do their best to avoid accountability and financial liability.

Improperly Loaded Cargo

Truckers are often carrying very heavy loads. This cargo is often loaded by a third party, and it’s important that specific protocols are followed. An unbalanced load can cause a truck to tip over when they go around a curve or turn.