Truck and Trailer Accidents
Accidents involving large trucks and trailers have increased approximately 20% over the last decade, and although trucking accidents are responsible for less than 5% of injuries and/or deaths from automobile accidents, the damages in trucking accidents are often catastrophic.
The cause of these trucking accidents can be the driver, the owner of the truck, the company who leases the truck, the manufacturer of the truck, or even the shipper.
Georgia has its own specific trucking laws. However, there are also federal laws and agencies that regulate the trucking industry, such as FMCSA, and the USDOT.
Accordingly, determining who is responsible for a trucking accident and getting compensated for your injuries can be very complicated, so it is important that you seek prompt legal representation. The Sullivan Law Firm has been representing truck and trailer accident victims for almost 20 years, and we are committed to aggressively representing you in your fight to be fully compensated.
Bus Accidents
Whether you were a passenger on a bus, a pedestrian, or in a motor vehicle involved in a collision with a bus, bus accidents usually cause severe injuries. As a “common carrier” a commercial operator owes a heightened duty of care to their passengers. In certain circumstances, the government is the entity operating the bus and may be protected by “sovereign immunity” and the statute of limitations to file your claim may be as short as 6 months.
Since bus accident cases pose so many issues, it is necessary for you to be represented by a competent bus accident attorney. The Sullivan Law Firm has been representing bus accident victims for over 20 years, and we are committed to aggressively representing you in your fight to be fully compensated.
Motorcycle Accidents
Motorcycle accidents, like automobile accidents, happen every day in Georgia. However, the percentage of serious injury and/or death in motorcycle accidents is severely increased due to the lack of protection for motorcycle operators.
There are approximately 3,000 motorcycle accidents a year in Georgia and an average of 1/20 motorcycle accidents cause death. Insurance companies will typically contact a motorcycle accident victim soon after the accident in order to settle their claim even before their injuries have been diagnosed, so it is important that you seek prompt legal representation. The Sullivan Law Firm has been representing motorcycle accident victims for over 20 years, and we are committed to aggressively representing you in your fight to be fully compensated.
Bicycle Accidents
Bicycles are considered vehicles under Georgia law. However, operators of motor vehicles view cyclists as an obstacle rather than a fellow vehicle. The Georgia Department of Transportation formed a bicycle and pedestrian task force in December 2006 to develop safer roads for cyclists and pedestrians. Despite this initiative, bicycle accidents are still a leading cause of many of the injuries and deaths on our roads.
Insurance companies also adjust bicycle accident claims that have been involved in an accident with an automobile, for a lesser value than automobile accident claims, so it is important that you seek prompt legal representation. The Sullivan Law Firm has been representing bicycle accident victims for over 20 years, and we are committed to aggressively representing you in your fight to be fully compensated.
Pedestrian Accidents
According to the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, every 2 hours a pedestrian will die from injuries sustained in a traffic crash. Pedestrians of all ages are at risk, but people aged 10 to 21 are most susceptible to being injured, because the highest number of pedestrian injuries and deaths occur in the hour right after school lets out.
Pedestrian accidents occur on crosswalks, sidewalks, parking lots, and other areas where pedestrians have the right-of-way. However, many insurance companies will attempt to shift some responsibility for the accident to the pedestrian, because they know that a pedestrian accident case is hard to prove. Pedestrian accident cases are very complex. As such, it is important that you seek prompt legal representation. The Sullivan Law Firm has been representing pedestrian and bicycle accident victims for over 20 years, and we are committed to aggressively representing you in your fight to be fully compensated.
Head-On Collisions
Our accident attorneys are experienced in these types of cases and have witnessed the damage and devastation that can be wrought by a head-on collision for an injury victim as well as his or her family.
The U.S. Census Bureau reports that head-on collisions are some of the most deadly and dangerous of all automobile accidents. The injuries resulting from these kinds of accidents frequently result in death or lasting disability for their victims.
Side-Impact Collisions
These are very common and serious accidents. Approximately 8,500 people die per year from side-impact collisions.
A side-impact collision takes place whenever the front part of an oncoming car strikes the side of your car. It is also referred to as being “T-boned.” A majority of those incidents take place at intersections and are the result of a driver failing to yield at a red light or stop sign.
How serious a side-impact collision is will depend on several different factors, including the weight and speed of the oncoming car, and where the oncoming car collides with your automobile.
Fatalities caused by side-impact collisions may be reduced if a car has side airbags installed. It is very important for you to understand that children who are younger than 12 years old should not ride in a car’s front seat. When an airbag deploys, the force of the airbag deployment can cause serious injury and even death to a child, no matter how severe the impact is.
Asleep-at-the-Wheel Accidents
It is unfortunately common for a driver to fall asleep at the wheel – especially along the long and “boring” highways in rural Georgia, such as Interstate 16. Sleepy drivers are involved in almost four percent of nationwide deadly crashes, and hundreds of more people are injured each year from drivers falling asleep at the wheel.
Accidents involving fatigued drivers are preventable. However, some drivers make the decision to drive when they are tired, putting other motorists at risk.
One major concern is regarding the large tractor trailer truck drivers since they often drive when they are fatigued. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) of the U.S. Department of Transportation has fortunately implemented rules that limit the number of hours that a truck driver is allowed to be on the road. It is estimated by the FMCSA that the new rule may save as many as 75 lives as well as prevent up to 1,326 accidents every year that are a result of the driver being asleep at the wheel.
Rollover Accidents
If a family member of yours has been injured or killed due to an automobile rollover accident, the accident may have been caused by either the vehicle or tires.
In order to prove that there was a tire defect or a vehicle manufacturing or design defect, it is important to have the assistance of an experienced personal injury lawyer who has worked on this type of case. At the Sullivan Law Firm, we handle all types of motor vehicle accidents every day. It’s all we do. We don’t take cases involving any other areas of practice because we concentrate our energy and attention and expertise on accident injury cases only.
You must retain a competent and experienced auto accident attorney to represent you in your case!
In many situations, there may be a time limit on how long you can wait before filing a claim for any damage and injuries you have suffered. The Sullivan Law Firm specializes in this area of the law and is your best chance for obtaining a fair settlement or victory in court.
Reckless Driving
In 2010, Georgia created the Reckless driving code 40-6-390, which states that a person who drives any type of vehicle in a reckless manner or with disregard for the safety of others or their property is in violation of the law. Reckless driving convictions can carry a hefty fine and possible imprisonment. If you feel you have been a victim of a possible reckless driver, contact our auto injury attorneys today.
