18-Wheeler Accidents Are Not The Same As Car Wrecks

Atlanta, GA (Law Firm Newswire) July 17, 2013 – Two cars colliding can result in serious injuries. A car and an 18-wheeler meeting on the road is often fatal.

“I see far too many 18-wheeler accidents each year and the results are depressing and distressing for all those involved. Every 16 minutes someone dies or is seriously maimed by a big rig. Every year there are at least 110,000 people killed in commercial vehicle accidents,” said Stephen Ozcomert, an Atlanta personal injury lawyer.

There are a number of ways other drivers on the road may be involved in a collision with an 18-wheeler, including, but not limited to a shifting load that topples off the truck, a fatigued driver, careless driving, abrupt lane changes, driving under the influence and tires that come off the truck while it is doing up to 60 miles per hour. “One of those tires can do an enormous amount of damage,” indicated Ozcomert, “and may even end up killing someone.”

Those who have been involved in an accident with an 18-wheeler need to be aware that each truck carries a commercial insurance policy with a limit of one million dollars. In most cases, within an hour or two after a crash, the trucking company has a complete team of lawyers, accident re-constructionists and insurance personnel at the site.

“They stop at nothing to put the other driver in a bad light and that often includes hiding or altering evidence,” Ozcomert said. “The trucking company’s goal is to reduce or diminish their liability to avoid a large payout.” Roughly 40 percent of all big rig crashes are the result of driver fatigue, but after a crash, when log books are inspected and compared to the on-board monitoring system, it often turns out the log books have been doctored.

Eighteen-wheeler accidents are not the same as car crashes, because there are federal regulations involved that are intended to govern the trucking industry. Anyone involved in trucking accidents needs competent legal counsel with experience handling commercial vehicle crashes such as this.

To learn more, contact Atlanta personal injury lawyer Stephen Ozcomert by visiting http://www.ozcomert.com.

Stephen M. Ozcomert, PC
215 North McDonough Street
Decatur, GA 30030
Call: (404) 370-1000

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