More Types of Trucking Accidents
Handling Cases Throughout Georgia
The type of trucking accident in which you were involved can affect the seriousness of your injuries as well as the scope of the entire case. Some types of trucking accidents have very far reaching consequences and can harm people who were not even on the road. If you or a loved one has been the victim of a trucking accident, the trucking accident attorneys of the Law Offices of Wayne Grant, P.C. can help you get the compensation you need and deserve.
Underpass Accidents
Underpass accidents can affect vehicles under or on top of the underpass depending on the nature of the accident and whether it damages the structure itself. Some examples of underpass accidents include:
- Improperly secured load falls off a truck on the overpass and lands on vehicles passing under the underpass
- Top of truck or load strikes the structure damaging the road and causing vehicle on top to crash
- Truck is too tall and gets stuck in the underpass causing other vehicles to rear end the truck
- Truck explodes or catches fire, causing the structure to collapse and resulting in accidents on top of and underneath the underpass
- Top of the truck or load is sheared off onto other cars or the road
Underpass accidents can occur when the truck driver fails to observe a low-clearance sign or if the sign is missing, obscured, or inaccurate. When the problem is with the sign itself, the entity responsible for the road can be held responsible for the accident.
Hazardous Materials
Hazardous materials accidents can have far reaching consequences:
- Thousands of people can be hurt by toxic fumes
- Property can be permanently destroyed by contamination
- Explosions can injure or kill people in nearby buildings
- Evacuations of large areas are sometimes necessary
- Fires and explosions can cause overpasses and bridges to collapse
In order to haul hazardous materials, truck drivers must have extensive training and special licensing beyond the regular commercial driver’s license (CDL). There are very strict laws regarding where hazardous materials trucks may travel and even where they may park.
Tanker Truck Accidents
Tanker trucks sometimes carry hazardous materials, but many carry relatively harmless liquids such as milk or water. Even those carrying safe cargo can cause serious accidents. Tanker trucks have unique risks:
- If the tank is not full, the liquid inside can start to slosh back and forth, gaining momentum until it causes the truck to rollover or swing out of control.
- Different types of liquids have different densities and therefore, different weights at the same volume. That makes it easy to misjudge the weight of the load.
- Wetlines designed to break away in case of an accident can cause fires and severe burn injuries when the truck is carrying a flammable liquid.
If you have been injured or a loved one has been injured or killed in a trucking accident in Atlanta or anywhere in Georgia, please contact the trucking accident lawyers at the Law Offices of Wayne Grant, P.C. today. We handle trucking accident cases on a contingency fee basis. The State Bar of Georgia requires the following prominently displayed disclaimer regarding contingent attorney fees:
“Contingent attorneys’ fees refers only to those fees charged by attorneys for their legal services. Such fees are not permitted in all types of cases. Court costs and other additional expenses of legal action usually must be paid by the client.”
Our firm charges a reasonable percentage of the recovery if we win the case or obtain a settlement. If there is no recovery, you will not owe us an attorney’s fee. If we represent you in a truck accident case, we will also advance all court costs and other expenses necessary to pursue the case. If we obtain a recovery, we will be reimbursed for the advanced expenses from the recovery, but if there is no recovery, you will not owe us anything for the expenses or for attorney’s fees.
Let us review your case confidentially without charge or obligation.
