Brunswick Truck Accident Attorneys
Truck Accident
What are some relevant Georgia truck accident laws?
Truckers in Georgia must simultaneously obey the guidelines stipulated in The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRS) and the transportation rules of the Georgia Department of Public Safety (GDPS).
Trucking Regulations
First of all, Georgia uses a measure call the Gross Vehicle Weight Reading (also known as the GVWR) to determine the maximum rig weight allowed on state roads. Typically, this weight includes not just the weight of the truck itself, but also the weight of the truck's cargo and fuel.
The state has very different rules for trucks with GVWR values of less than 10,001 pounds than it does for trucks between 10,001 pounds and 26,001 pounds. If your vehicle is above five tons, you may drive on Georgia's roads, but you must take extra precautions and fill out special paperwork. For instance, you need a medical examiner's certificate and a USDOT number associated with your tractor-trailer, and you may be limited in terms of how many hours of service you can log per day. You may also need a commercial driver's license. If your vehicle is over 26,001 pounds (13 tons), additional stipulations may apply.
Drivers who either willfully or by dint of ignorance ignore or flout either Georgia or National Trucking Regulations can be held liable for negligence in the event that they cause a tractor trailer accident or injury, either directly or indirectly.
If you have been the victim of a truck accident in Georgia, you may not be able to ascertain whether or not the trucker or the trucker's company violated any of these statutes or regulations -- not only because you don't know them, but also because you haven't looked at the trucker's logs and the trucking company's training protocols.
In other words, even though a trucker may have made a seemingly "honest mistake" in hitting your car or otherwise causing damage to your person or property, an investigation may turn up facts that show that the trucker, the trucker's company, or another party was in fact negligent and therefore can be held liable for damages and penalties.
Contact Us
The firm of Farah & Farah – 1.912.466.8896 – provides free, confidential, zero obligation consultations to truck accident victims in Georgia. Call us now, or find out more about the record and reputation of our Georgia truck accident injury lawyers on our Georgia personal injury website.