When a commercial truck driver gets behind the wheel after drinking, the people sharing the road pay the price. If you were injured in a drunk driving truck crash, you’re probably in pain, going through costly medical treatment, and wondering how you’ll cover vehicle repairs. You don’t have to go through this by yourself.
At Jones & Swanson, our Marietta truck accident lawyers understand the emotional and financial stress that follows a serious drunk driving trucking accident. We will pursue the damages you deserve, handling the legal side so you can focus on healing.
We have more than 50 years of combined experience and have recovered over $50 million for our clients. Unlike larger firms that push you to accept a quick settlement, we take the time to get the best results possible. With personalized, client-centered service from our Marietta drunk driving truck accident lawyers, you’ll have everything you need to recover.
Why Choose Our Drunk Driving Accident Lawyers in Marietta
A drunk driving truck case is not a routine car accident or personal injury claim. These cases require extensive knowledge of Georgia law, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration regulations, and hours of service rules for truck operators. Our Marietta personal injury lawyers have spent decades doing exactly that kind of work.
When you call our firm, you reach a real personal injury lawyer, not a call center or a junior associate. We are a smaller, hometown firm by design, so the people who walk through our door in Cobb County are never handed off and forgotten.
Here is why injury victims choose our drunk driving truck accident lawyers in Marietta after serious crashes:
- Our legal team returns calls, keeps you informed, and treats you like a neighbor.
- We connect clients who don’t have health insurance to trusted medical providers who treat injured patients on a lien basis.
- We will travel to your home or hospital if your injuries make coming to our office difficult.
- We deal directly with the trucking companies and insurance companies, so you do not have to.
- Our personal injury law firm takes a detailed and personalized approach to each case.
- We aren’t afraid to file a personal injury lawsuit on your behalf and take your case to court if insurers fail to offer the compensation you’re owed.
Damages We Will Pursue for You After an Impaired Driver Truck Wreck
A drunk driving truck crash can leave you and your family with medical bills, lost paychecks, and emotional damage all at once. Our Marietta drunk driving truck accident attorneys will calculate exactly how much compensation you should receive from a claim and pursue all damages you deserve, including:
- Cost of emergency medical care, hospital stays, and surgery
- Future medical bills
- Physical therapy costs
- Lost wages
- Loss of earning capacity if your injuries keep you from returning to your job
- Property damage to your vehicle and personal belongings
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Loss of enjoyment of life
Our attorneys take the time required to document all your damages and find out what you need to support your recovery well into the future. We won’t agree to a settlement offer if it doesn’t truly meet your needs. We’ll keep fighting until we’ve recovered the damages you need to get back on your feet.
How Our Truck Accident Attorneys Will Help You After a Drunk Driving Crash
From the moment you call our firm, our team will start building the strongest possible case, giving you the time you need to focus on your physical recovery. A drunk driving truck wreck involves regulations, evidence gathering, and questions about liability that don’t usually come up in a standard car accident case.
We have extensive experience handling truck crash claims and know exactly what you’re up against. We’ll draw on our knowledge of federal trucking laws, act quickly to preserve important evidence, and pin down liability so you aren’t left paying bills out-of-pocket.
Here is what our skilled Marietta drunk driving truck accident attorneys will do to get you the best results possible:
- Launch a full investigation into the crash, the truck driver’s history, and the trucking company’s safety record
- Work directly with you to identify all your economic and non-economic losses
- Review post-crash drug and alcohol test results required under federal law
- Pull the driver’s hours of service logs, CDL file, and any records that show prior violations
- Request Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) compliance records from the trucking company
- Identify every liable party, including the driver and the trucking company
- Calculate the full value of your damages
- Handle every call with the insurance companies on your behalf
- Negotiate a settlement that accounts for all of your economic and non-economic losses
- Pursue compensation in court if insurers refuse to offer what you deserve
Understanding the Dangers of Truck Operators Who Drive While Impaired
It’s well known that the consumption of alcohol can impair a driver’s ability to be safe on the road. This is especially true for commercial truck drivers who must be specially trained to operate tremendously large and heavy trucks and rigs safely. A driver under the influence of alcohol can experience:
- Drowsiness & fatigue
- Impaired focus
- Reduced reaction times
- Impaired vision
- Overconfidence
Additionally, some truck drivers turn to substance and/or prescription drug abuse to endure long hours and fight fatigue. These substances and alcohol can lead to impaired decision-making and inhibited performance behind the wheel.
If a drunk or impaired driver was responsible for the commercial truck accident that hurt you or your loved one, we invite you to contact Jones & Swanson today. We know what it takes to develop a compelling case on your behalf and ensure that maximum relief is diligently pursued.
Seeking Justice After a Fatal Drunk Driving Truck Accident
Losing someone you love to a drunk driving crash is a kind of pain no family is prepared for. The fact that the crash was preventable can make the grief even worse. If you are reading this after the loss of a spouse, parent, child, or sibling, please know that our deepest condolences go to you and your family, and that you don’t have to handle this alone.
Georgia law allows surviving family members to bring a wrongful death claim against the driver, the trucking company, and any other party that shares responsibility. Our Marietta wrongful death lawyers will pursue every form of damages your family deserves, including the following:
- Funeral and burial expenses
- Medical bills incurred between the crash and your loved one’s passing
- Loss of your loved one’s future income and benefits
- Loss of care, companionship, and guidance
- The pain and suffering your loved one endured before their passing
- Punitive damages tied to the impaired driving that caused your loss
Who Can Be Held Liable After a Drunk Driving Truck Collision?
A drunk driving truck wreck rarely comes down to a single mistake by a single person. Behind nearly every impaired commercial driver, there is a hiring decision, a supervision failure, or another serious error.
Our Marietta drunk driving truck accident lawyers will take a close look at the individuals and entities involved in your crash and determine who is to blame. Depending on the facts of your case, any of the following parties may share liability:
- The truck driver, for operating a commercial vehicle while impaired
- The trucking company, for failing to properly screen the driver before hiring them, skipping required drug and alcohol testing, or ignoring obvious red flags
- The safety director or fleet manager who looked the other way on past violations
- The bar, restaurant, or vendor that served the driver while visibly drunk, under Georgia’s dram shop law (O.C.G.A. § 51-1-40)
- The maintenance contractor, if poor upkeep contributed to the severity of the crash
- Any other driver whose actions added to the collision
Evidence We’ll Use to Build Your Claim for Compensation
Strong drunk driving truck cases are built on strong evidence. Our team moves quickly to gather and preserve every piece of proof before the trucking company has a chance to bury it.
Our drunk driving truck accident attorneys in Marietta will gather the following forms of evidence to support your claim for damages:
- Police reports
- Blood alcohol test results from the post-crash mandatory testing
- Trucking company files showing compliance with vehicle maintenance requirements and federal hours of service rules
- Black box data from the truck
- Witness statements from drivers, passengers, and bystanders who saw what happened
- Surveillance and traffic camera footage of the crash
- Medical records tied to your injuries and treatment
- Testimony from expert witnesses, including accident reconstructionists
Trucking companies often move quickly after a crash to delete records and hide evidence that could be used against them. Getting in touch with our firm soon after your wreck will allow us to collect and preserve evidence before it is lost or destroyed.
How a Truck Driver’s DUI Case Can Help Your Claim
When a commercial driver gets behind the wheel impaired, they break one of the most basic driving safety laws. A violation of Georgia’s impaired driving law can make for powerful evidence of negligence in a personal injury case. A DUI citation, a positive post-crash blood alcohol test, or exceeding the 0.04 BAC limit for CDL holders can all strengthen your claim.
It’s important to note that the criminal case and your civil case are separate, and you do not have to wait for a guilty verdict in criminal court before pursuing damages. Civil claims are decided by a lower burden of proof, and a citation, a refused breath test, dash cam footage, or witness testimony of impairment can be enough to establish liability on its own.
Our drunk driving truck accident attorneys in Marietta will gather every piece of that evidence, present it cleanly, and use documentation of the trucker’s impairment to push for the settlement or court verdict you truly deserve.
What You Should Do After a Drunk Driving Truck Wreck
Our Marietta drunk driving truck accident law firm has handled many cases like yours in the past. We know that the steps you take soon after your crash can have a major impact on how your case unfolds.
We strongly recommend taking the following actions right away after a truck crash with an impaired driver to protect your claim and aid your physical recovery:
- Call 911 right away and ask for both police and EMS at the scene.
- Tell the responding officer if you smelled alcohol, saw open containers, or noticed slurred speech from the truck driver.
- Get medical attention immediately, even if your injuries seem minor.
- Take photos of the truck, the trailer, the DOT number, and the license plate.
- Write down the trucking company name and any markings on the cab or trailer.
- Collect names and phone numbers from witnesses, especially anyone who saw the driver’s behavior before the crash.
- Decline to give a recorded statement to the trucking company’s insurance representatives.
- Do not post about the crash or your injuries online.
- Save every medical bill, repair estimate, and document tied to the wreck.
- Call our truck accident lawyers ASAP.
The sooner you get our team involved, the more we will be able to do to lock down important evidence before it disappears. We will deal with the insurance companies, build your case using all available evidence, and pursue the full damages you and your family deserve.
Statute of Limitations for Drunk Driving Truck Accident Lawsuits
Georgia gives you a limited amount of time to take legal action after a drunk driving truck crash. Under Georgia Code § 9-3-33, you have two years from the date of the crash to file a personal injury lawsuit. The same two-year window applies if your loved one was killed and your family is pursuing a wrongful death claim.
If you don’t file a civil suit in time, you’ll be stopped from recovering the compensation you need to support your recovery. If you get in contact with our team soon, we’ll have time to gather important evidence, build a strong case, and meet the state’s filing deadline.
Schedule a free consultation today to learn more about this important rule and how our personal injury attorneys can ensure your suit is filed on time.
Common Drunk Driving Truck Crash Injuries
When an impaired commercial driver does not brake or react in time, the impact at full highway speed can be devastating for someone in a smaller vehicle. The injuries that result from these wrecks tend to be more severe than those from a sober truck crash and almost always require expensive, long-term medical care.
Our drunk driving truck accident lawyers in Marietta will document all your medical needs, review records, and work with medical professionals to document your future care needs. We’ll calculate exactly how much compensation you need to treat your injury now and manage related conditions in the future.
Our personal injury attorneys will fight for the resources you need to deal with any of the following injuries after a collision:
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
- Spinal cord injuries
- Internal organ damage
- Internal bleeding
- Crush injuries
- Multiple broken bones and compound fractures
- Severe lacerations
- Permanent scarring
- Amputations
- Whiplash and lasting neck and back pain
- Post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression
- Other types of catastrophic injuries
You Pay Nothing Unless Our Marietta Drunk Driving Truck Accident Attorneys Recover Damages
Worrying about legal fees on top of medical bills, funeral costs, or a totaled vehicle is not something any family should have to do after a drunk driving truck wreck. Our attorneys remove that worry entirely by taking every case on a contingency fee basis. You pay nothing up front, nothing along the way, and nothing if we do not recover damages for you.
Our firm fronts every cost of investigating the crash, including the accident reconstruction work. Our fee comes only as a percentage of what we recover for you, so our team and your family are on the same side from the first phone call to the final settlement offer.
If your case does not result in a recovery, you owe us nothing. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation, learn more about our contingency fee policy, and get started on your case with the help of a trusted Marietta drunk driving truck accident lawyer from Jones & Swanson.
How Long Will My Drunk Driving Truck Crash Case Take?
There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. Some drunk driving truck cases conclude within months, while others take a year or more to reach an outcome. These cases can drag on when the trucking company refuses to deal fairly.
The honest answer to this question depends on the specific facts of your wreck, your injuries, and how aggressively the other side fights against you. Here are the biggest factors that contribute to how long your case takes:
- The severity of your injuries
- The number of liable parties involved in your case
- Whether the criminal DUI case against the trucker is still pending
- The amount of evidence that must be gathered, including post-crash drug and alcohol tests and FMCSA compliance records
- The need for expert witnesses, including accident reconstructionists and toxicologists
- How quickly the trucking company’s insurance carriers respond, and whether they offer a fair settlement or stall your case
- Whether multiple insurance policies are involved
- Court scheduling, if your case has to be taken to court
Our team will give you an honest read on what to expect once we have reviewed your case. We will not push you to settle quickly just to close the file, and we will not let your case drag on without reason. We work as efficiently as the facts allow while still fighting for the damages and justice that you and your family deserve. If we have to file a lawsuit to get a fair result, we will.
Schedule a Free Consultation With Our Experienced Marietta Drunk Driving Truck Crash Lawyers
You should not have to figure out the legal side of a drunk driving truck wreck on your own. At Jones & Swanson, our legal team is ready to listen to your story, answer your questions, and walk you through the steps ahead without any pressure to sign on the dotted line.
We have spent decades standing up for accident victims and their families across Cobb County, and we are ready to do the same for you. Contact our firm today to schedule a free consultation and get started on your case.
We’ll meet with you to listen to your story, address your questions, and walk you through the steps our drunk driving truck accident lawyers in Marietta will take to get the damages and justice you deserve.
