Atlanta Truck Accident Lawyer: Distracted Truckers

Kathy McArthur | 888-511-3130 | Free Consult

“The driver of a tractor-trailer has to be always on top of his game, always watching for the unexpected, and ever-vigilant about inspecting that vehicle and keeping up with the maintenance.”

When truck drivers are exhausted or distracted, they put everyone on the road at risk. This may not be exclusively the truck driver’s fault, as their employers often force them to work long hours to meet tight deadlines.

Kathy McArthur is an injury lawyer with McArthur Law Firm, which has offices in Atlanta and Macon, Georgia. She was named by Super Lawyers as one of Georgia’s Top 10 Lawyers. Kathy has recovered more than $250 million for her clients.

To learn more, contact the attorney directly by calling 888-511-3130 or by submitting a contact form on this page. There is no charge for the consultation, and you never owe any out-of-pocket attorney fees.

Key Takeaways From Kathy McArthur:

The most common cause of collisions and accidents for both big-rig drivers and passenger car drivers is inattentiveness. However, the cause of that inattention might be varied.

Here are some common causes of trucking accidents:

Exhaustion or fatigue of the driver.

This can occur when a driver does not take the required amount of breaks between driving for long periods of time. This can be due to the driver’s own negligence or pressure from a trucking company to increase profit by keeping the truck on the road. In this case, both the driver and the company could be liable for damages incurred in an accident.

Lack of maintenance of the truck.

If maintenance inspections and repairs are not done on a regular basis, it can result in severe malfunctions of the equipment and dangerous situations for both the driver and anyone sharing the road with them.

Faulty loading of the truck.

Overloading a truck and/or faulty placing of goods inside or on the truck can result in dangerous situations in which the driver loses control of the vehicle and because of the weight disbursement is not able to regain control.

Medication or medical problems the driver is struggling with.

While this is not extremely common, medical problems or problems caused by a driver’s medication do occasionally occur, resulting in unsafe conditions for the driver and those around them.

Cell phones present a significant risk for driver distraction.

Many trucking companies are instituting rules that do not allow drivers to access their phone except through hands-free methods. The goal is to avoid ever having a truck driver use their own hands to access their phone.

Consequences of a truck accident are severe and often fatal.

Basic physics make trucking accidents far more dangerous than those dealing with standard passenger cars, due primarily to the difference in mass between the two. While all drivers are required to exercise safe driving practices, drivers of big rigs have a higher level of responsibility to safety since they are responsible for operating an enormous vehicle that can cause devastating damage.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, regulations regarding how long truck drivers may work before stopping to rest have been halted.

Due to the increased need for goods and food to be delivered by those in the trucking industry, rules created to ensure drivers do not drive under fatigue are not currently being enforced. While at first glance this seems like it would create a greater level of danger on the roads, due to the number of people required to shelter at home, there are so few passenger cars on the road that truck drivers are having an easier time driving without hazards so far.

It’s important to contact an attorney as soon as possible after an accident.

Insurance companies working for the trucking company will arrive on the scene of an accident immediately after it occurs and could alter evidence to hide the truck driver’s or company’s liability. This is why it’s imperative to contact an attorney immediately after an accident so they can get to the scene before evidence might otherwise be lost or damaged. If you are able to collect evidence in the form of pictures, videos, and witness information from the scene yourself this is also highly recommended. If you or a loved one were injured or killed in a trucking accident, contact an attorney to see what kind of compensation you may be eligible for.

To learn more, contact Kathy McArthur directly by calling 888-511-3130 or by submitting a contact form on this page. There is no charge for the consultation, and you never owe any out-of-pocket attorney fees.

Disclaimer: This video is for informational purposes only. In some states, this video may be deemed Attorney Advertising. The choice of lawyer is an important decision that should not be based solely on advertisements.