The rules and regulations that commercial carriers and their truck drivers must follow are handed down by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. This branch of federal government dictates certain aspects of commercial carrier operations so that they are safer for truck drivers and other passenger vehicles. Included in their rules and regulations is a rule for hours of service. If the driver operates a commercial motor vehicle, including semi-trucks, they must comply with the FMCSA's hours of service rule. The FMCSA's rules regarding hours of service regulations are different for drivers carrying property than they are for drivers carrying passengers. These rules dictate how many hours a driver may operate a vehicle and how often and for how long they must take rest breaks. For example, a driver of a vehicle carrying property may drive for 11 hours so long as it follows 10 consecutive hours of the driver being off…

There are an overwhelming number of factors involved in a truck accident. In most cases, investigators will need to look at what each driver involved was doing leading up to the crash. This can determine any level of distraction, recklessness, negligence, or intoxication. These factors are common for almost all multivehicle accidents. However, when a truck is involved, investigators will now need to look at driver logs, whether the truck was properly maintained and whether it met all safety regulations set forth to maintain nonhazardous roadways for those commuting alongside these behemoths. If you were hurt or if you have lost a loved one due to an accident involving an 18-wheeler or another large commercial vehicle, you are likely struggling to function on an emotional level. Grief can be absolutely debilitating. Add to that the concerns of exploring all avenues of causation and pursuing compensation for that guilt, and you may…

At Dozier Law Firm, LLC, with offices throughout Georgia, we have years of experience representing injured victims of truck accidents. This experience has allowed us to build a reputation as a leading personal injury law firm in Georgia, which brings countless clients to our firm every year. If you suffered injuries in a truck accident, you, too, may benefit from the assistance of our experienced attorneys. Truck accidents can result from a number of different causes. Common causes are driver fatigue, reckless driving, speeding, lack of maintenance, and inadequate safety equipment. Regardless of the cause, we are prepared to help you pursue personal injury compensation, but first, we have to determine which party acted negligently. In an accident involving a tractor-trailer or other commercial vehicle, the fault can lie with either the driver or the company for which the driver works. When the cause of an accident is reckless driving…

Anyone who has driven through Georgia has doubtlessly passed hundreds of tractor-trailers on the state's interstate highways. The large number of trucks on the roads makes the chance of truck accidents increase even when conditions are perfect and drivers are alert. When driver fatigue becomes a factor, the chance of a truck accident increases exponentially. Drivers of semi trucks and other large commercial vehicles have the lives of the people with whom they share the roads in their hands. The size and weight of these trucks make them more hazardous to others than commuter vehicles, such as cars and pickup trucks, should they be involved in accidents. This knowledge alone should make drivers take special care; however, this is not always the case. Some drivers, pushed to the limit by deadlines and management, overextend themselves. Some even drive many more hours in a row than the federal guidelines allow, which…

Anyone who has driven down Interstate 75 knows how many tractor-trailers are on the roads in Georgia. Unfortunately, a large number of semi-trucks on the roads often means an equally large number of truck accidents. If you or someone you love suffered injuries in a truck accident in the Macon area, you can turn to Dozier Law Firm, LLC, for help pursuing personal injury compensation. Pursuing compensation after a truck accident is different from pursuing compensation after a car accident. The main difference lies in the insurance company handling the claim. As most trucks belong to large trucking companies, their insurance companies are large and have access to teams of attorneys whose only jobs are to limit the amounts paid to claimants. In addition to having teams of lawyers, large insurance companies also have networks of resources they use to try to diminish liability. At our law firm, we have…

Car-truck accidents can be gruesome to behold. You may have seen pictures of the aftermath of such encounters: the economy car that looks like it has been put a trash compactor; the sedan that has its side stove in; the pickup that not only got rolled over but ended up with the big rig that hit it resting on top of it. The circumstances under which you might find yourself involved in an accident with a truck can vary. Still, regardless of how it happens, a definite possibility is that you will suffer significant injuries as a result. Injuries from a trucking accident can take time to heal. They can even lead to long-term disability or prevent you from returning to work at all. Aside from the prospect of lost income, don’t forget the medical bills that can wipe out your savings, outstrip your insurance coverage, and leave you facing…

When a speeding truck slams into the rear of a car, the results can be catastrophic. Collisions caused by an inattentive truck driver, or by someone suffering from truck driver fatigue, failing to apply the vehicle’s brakes in time to avoid an accident is an all too common occurrence on Georgia highways. The existence of automatic braking systems that employ lasers and other technology to signal a truck driver of stopped or slowing vehicles up ahead, has prompted the federal government to consider requiring their installation in all trucks. According to government investigations into the causes of a typical 18-wheeler accident, 64 percent of them involved a frontal collision as the truck crashed into another vehicle. The automatic systems apply the brakes to slow or stop a truck in the event the driver does not do so after being signaled of a crash risk up ahead. Truck accident statistics show…

When an accident happens, a car or other passenger vehicle is no match for a fully loaded tractor-trailer traveling along at highway speeds. A distracted or inattentive truck driver who fails to react to slowing traffic up ahead can cause a collision resulting in serious injuries or death. Reacting to accidents this year on Georgia highways in which 10 people lost their lives when their vehicles were hit by big rigs, Congress is considering legislation to require every truck company to install automated braking systems on vehicles before putting them into service. The collision avoidance technology is designed to maintain a safe distance between the truck and other vehicles that are in front of them. The system works by automatically applying the brakes if an operator suffering from truck driver fatigue or an inattentive truck driver fails to take notice of slowing traffic. Legislators believe the law could eliminate situations…

A central characteristic commercial trucks is that if you find yourself involved in an accident with one, the odds are good that it was engaged in a business purpose. The significance of this observation becomes apparent when after the accident the time comes to identify the responsible parties against whom to pursue a legal claim for damages. Under Georgia law, the doctrine of vicarious liability can enable you to establish a cause of action against the business that owns the truck and not just the driver. Vicarious liability must be specifically alleged in a legal complaint, and you will need to include specific elements to prevail on this claim. These elements need to establish the existence of a business connection between the truck involved in the accident and the owner of the truck (or the company that has hired or contracted with the driver), as well as how the truck…