Alpharetta truck accident lawyer

If you have been involved in a wreck with a large commercial vehicle, you have rights and need a skilled truck accident lawyer by your side. Mike Rafi is an Alpharetta personal injury lawyer who has dedicated himself to the plight of victims. You can trust that Mike understands these accidents are catastrophic and that your family may be experiencing overwhelming emotions.

You and your family deserve expert representation from a skilled Alpharetta truck accident lawyer and are entitled to a fair and equitable outcome. The person responsible for your accident should be held accountable. We will work to make that happen.

Steps to take after being hurt in a truck crash

Being involved in a truck accident is obviously horrible. But if you can keep these tips in mind, you’ll not only help protect your health but also your chances of getting the money you deserve.

1. Move to a safer location

Don’t assume your car is destroyed and won’t run. You might be able to move it to a parking lot close by or at least to the shoulder of the highway. If you can’t, try to get yourself off of the road and away from traffic.

2. Call 911 and ask for police and an ambulance

Call 911 as soon as you get to a safe spot. The dispatcher should immediately send an ambulance and police officer once they know there are injuries involved, but make sure they do so.

3. Tell your side of the story to the responding police officer

The officer will likely ask you some questions as part of their accident investigation. Tell the truth, of course, but don’t accept any blame. Let the investigation determine who was responsible.

4. Notify your insurance company

You’ll also need to speak with your insurance company to report the accident. If you delay notifying them, they’ll use that against you in an effort to reduce your compensation.

5. Gather evidence at the scene

If you feel that it’s safe to do so, get pictures of the vehicles involved in the accident, as well as your injury. Take photos of skid marks, damaged road signs, and anything else you think is essential. This evidence will be critical to your chances of winning your case.

6. Visit Urgent Care or your primary care physician

After being in a truck accident, you should first seek medical attention and receive a thorough physical exam. You may have suffered internal injuries or other injuries without apparent symptoms.

7. Speak with an Alpharetta truck accident lawyer

Speak with a lawyer as soon as possible. They’ll investigate to gather evidence on your behalf. If you do not do this immediately, key evidence could disappear.

Make sure you meet the deadline to file a claim.

Georgia law establishes a two-year statute of limitations in personal injury cases. If you miss the deadline, you’ll probably lose your chance to obtain compensation.

What are possible damages you can claim?

Damages are the financial losses associated with the accident. These include the following:

Economic damages

Economic damages are tangible. They include lost wages, property damage, and medical expenses.

Non-economic damages

Non-economic damages (pain and suffering, emotional distress, lost quality of life, etc.) are much harder to prove because they’re subjective. You’ll need the help of a skilled Alpharetta truck accident attorney.

Punitive damages

There are rare instances where a jury will award punitive damages to punish a defendant and dissuade others from committing the same type of negligence. Punitive damages are typically much higher than the ones mentioned above.

We fight trucking insurance companies to get you the maximum compensation

Commercial truck insurance policies can be worth millions of dollars. Insurers will employ skilled adjusters and lawyers to deny your claim. A skilled Alpharetta truck accident lawyer with the Rafi Law Firm knows how to defeat formidable opposition. We do it on a regular basis.

Which parties may be liable for the crash?

Several parties might have contributed to the accident. These include the truck driver, the company that loaded the truck, the trucking company, and many others.

How can your Alpharetta truck accident lawyer prove liability?

Your Alpharetta truck accident lawyer will investigate the accident to determine who owes you compensation. We can obtain surveillance camera footage, driver phone records, electronic data recorder (EDR) information (more on this below), and other robust evidence.

What is the length of time I can expect to wait for my claim to settle?

No ethical attorney will ever promise your case will settle within a specific timeframe – it could stretch for months or even years. But the more substantial the evidence, the sooner your case can end.

Semi-truck “black boxes”: What they are and how they may be used in your case

Your lawyer should ensure the truck’s “black box,” or EDR mentioned above, is saved so it can be downloaded and analyzed. The EDR records speed, braking, and other critical information. Often, the black box is crucial in learning whether the truck driver was operating their vehicle unsafely.

What are common truck accident injuries?

If you sustained severe injuries after a truck accident, your medical bills may pile up quickly. Don’t wait until your debt threatens your financial security to call an Alpharetta truck accident lawyer and seek compensation.

Below are some of the most common truck accident injuries.

Back and neck injuries

The vulnerable position of the human body, combined with the tremendous forces involved in a truck accident, creates a recipe for disaster. Because of their vulnerable position in the human body, back and neck injuries are unfortunately widespread in truck accidents.

Broken bones

The force that is present in an accident between a passenger vehicle and a semi-truck will likely cause the car’s metal chassis to bend, perhaps even crushing it.

Also, the passengers inside the car could be crushed, pinned, or thrown against the door, windshield, dashboard, or any other area of the vehicle. This trauma can cause limb, rib, skull, or vertebral bone fractures.

Head and brain injuries

Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are one of the most dangerous consequences of truck accidents.

TBIs occur when sudden trauma (such as being hit by a semi-truck) causes your head to shake violently, hit an object, or be impaled by an object. Depending on the type and severity of the injury, your skull or brain could be damaged.

Depending on which part of your head was damaged, you could suffer a wide range of symptoms: some on the mild side, such as bruising and slight swelling, and some severe, like skull fractures, brain herniation, or even death.

Burns

Semi-trucks can hold an average of 125-300 gallons of fuel. That’s an enormous amount of flammable liquid, which presents a severe risk of burn injury. A collision between a truck and a passenger vehicle could cause the fuel or flammable cargo to catch on fire and spread to nearby cars.

Internal injuries

Internal injuries can occur in a truck accident when the force of the collision causes the person to slam into the steering wheel, dashboard, or windshield or be restrained forcefully by their seatbelt.

Some of the internal injuries associated with truck accidents are rib fractures (broken ribs), internal bleeding, and liver or kidney damage.