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Truck Accidents

What Is a Tractor Trailer’s So-Called “Black Box”?

By Butler Prather LLP on January 5, 2024

Whenever an airplane crashes, you will hear reports in the media about efforts to recover the plane’s flight recorder, which is commonly referred to as the “black box.” A flight recorder contains crucial information about how the plane was operating at the time of the crash, and investigators use the flight recorder data to help determine what caused the crash.

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How Heavy Winds Cause Big Rig Truck Accidents

By Ramsey Prather on November 5, 2023

Because of their enormous size and awkward shape, big rig trucks are particularly susceptible to heavy winds. That’s why truck drivers must remain alert to the hazards of traveling through high-wind corridors. It’s also important for drivers and dispatchers to pay attention to local weather conditions when they plan their routes.

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How Amazon Trucks and Vans Cause Severe Injuries

By Ramsey Prather on October 20, 2023

Amazon is a very profitable business. The company makes over 1.6 million deliveries in America every day, shipping over $7 billion packages throughout the world each year. In a recent year, they generated almost $470 billion in sales. The key to Amazon’s success is fast shipping. When surveyed, over 80 percent of Amazon customers said that free and fast shipping was the number one reason why they chose the company, but this puts a heavy burden on their drivers.

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The Top 4 Causes of Fatal Truck Accidents

By Ramsey Prather on July 10, 2023

A truck driver yawns while driving.

A fully loaded big rig truck weighs about 20 times as much as the average passenger car. With so much mass, a truck has a devastating impact when it crashes. Most fatalities in semi-truck collisions are occupants of smaller vehicles. In fact, 83 percent of the people killed in truck accidents are motorcyclists, bicyclists, pedestrians, and people traveling in regular motor vehicles.

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Big Rig Braking Practices That Prevent Tragedies

By Ramsey Prather on May 31, 2023

A red truck runs on a mountain road. 3d render and illustration.

A fully loaded big-rig truck weighs over 40 tons. Under the best circumstances, trucks are awkward, bulky, and difficult to stop. And when a truck crashes into a pedestrian, a motorcycle, or a regular passenger vehicle, it causes devastating injuries and fatalities.

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Unsafe Trucking Industry Practices Can Cause Serious Injuries

By Butler Prather LLP on May 15, 2023

A commercial truck, especially one loaded with cargo, can weigh tens of thousands of pounds.  When a commercial truck crashes into pedestrians, motorcycles, or regular passenger vehicles, devastating injuries and fatalities can result.

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4 Parties Who May be Liable in a Trucking Accident

By Butler Prather LLP on October 22, 2022

The aftermath of an accident with a larger commercial truck can be a chaotic and confusing experience. Individuals involved in these incidents often struggle to recover compensation from insurance carriers and the trucking company, but that should not be the case. Here, we want to discuss four different parties who may be held liable after a trucking accident occurred in Georgia. The Truck Driver One of the most obvious liable parties for a commercial truck accident is the driver. Commercial truck drivers are required to obtain and carry their commercial driver’s licenses, and they should be trained to operate each…

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What Happens if a Truck Company Erases a Driver’s Tracking Data After an Accident?

By Butler Prather LLP on August 29, 2022

There are various types of evidence that could be gathered and used in the aftermath of a truck accident to help prove liability for the incident. Some of this evidence revolves around the truck’s “black box” and GPS data. GPS systems are fairly common on larger commercial trucks these days, and they are often requested as part of an investigation into a truck accident. But what happens if the truck company erases the black box or GPS data before the investigation can begin? Spoliation of Evidence Related to the Crash One of the first things that an attorney will do…

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What is an Overloaded Truck Accident?

By Butler Prather LLP on August 24, 2022

Large commercial vehicles on the roadway operate under strict federal and state guidelines. Many of these guidelines surround the weight limits of the vehicles, including how much load semi-trucks can carry at a time. Anytime a vehicle is overloaded beyond its weight capacity, this significantly increases the chance of an accident occurring. Accidents involving commercial trucks often lead to major injuries and property damage on the roadways of Georgia. Commercial Trucking Weight Limits When we examine information available from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), we can see that there are various weight limits for commercial trucks on the…

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Can I Seek Compensation if Injured by Cargo on Georgia Highways?

By Butler Prather LLP on August 10, 2022

Trucking carriers are responsible for ensuring that all cargo on their vehicles and trailers is adequately secured. Failing to do so could lead to the cargo coming loose and falling off of the truck and onto the roadway. Cargo accidents can lead to significant injuries or property damage for those on Georgia roadways. It is important to understand whether or not individuals can seek compensation from the trucking company if they are injured by unsecured cargo on Georgia highways. Types of Cargo That Can Cause an Accident Any type of object that falls off of another vehicle could present a…

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