What is a Preservation Letter?
Making lives better with honor, strength, and results. Our mission is to improve lives through the practice of law. One way we do this is by sending preservation letters when necessary.
Continue ReadingWhat is a CDL?
To operate a tractor-trailer, a driver must obtain a Commercial Driver’s License commonly called a CDL. The rules for each state vary slightly. In Georgia, a CDL has several more stringent requirements than a regular license. Age: The driver must be 18 years of age to drive a tractor trailer, dump truck, bus or other commercial vehicle. Even then, the driver is limited to driving in the State of Georgia. To drive interstate, a person must be 21 years of age. Written Exam: Similar to a regular license holder, a Commercial Driver’s License Holder must submit to a written knowledge exam. The written knowledge exam is based on information in the Georgia Commercial Driver’s Manual. Medical Certification: Unlike a regular license, a commercial driver’s license requires a medical certification. This is based on a Federal Rule that requires a commercial driver be physically and mentally fit to operate a big rig. The questions that typically appear on a medical certification include: (a) hear/brain injuries; (b) seizure issues; and, (c) fainting or passing out, among many others. Road Skills Test: A CDL driver, like a regular driver, must demonstrate that they are capable of operating a commercial vehicle through passing a skills test. This includes parallel parking, backing, using the clutch, turning, and other road skills—all while operating a tractor-trailer. In addition, even after a CDL is obtained, a driver may need an endorsement in order to operate a particular type of commercial vehicle. A truck hauling hazardous material, such as gasoline, will need to pass an endorsement exam. Having a CDL is just one of the basic differences in truck accidents and why hiring an Atlanta truck accident lawyer is important if you have a tractor-trailer wreck claim.
Continue ReadingWhy do we represent both plaintiffs and defendants?
We think our clients are benefited by our experience representing both plaintiffs and defendants. While there are many good attorneys who focus solely on representing plaintiffs or defendants, we choose to practice on both sides of the aisle and we think our clients are better for it. We think it helps our clients in a few ways. Our experience gives our client’s insight. We regularly work with adjusters on reviewing cases, so we know what will cause an adjuster to increase their “reserve” (also known as the “value” that they place on a case.). We also regularly try cases on the plaintiffs and defense sides, so we know how juries are seeing cases and what plaintiffs and defendants care about. Our experience gives our client’s credibility. When we are working on cases, our experience on both sides of the aisle gives us credibility with the parties and their counsel. We can sit across from a plaintiff and tell them that we understand, from our experience, what they’re going through. We can tell an adjuster about cases we’ve defended and how they turned out. We can relate to the opposing attorney through shared experiences representing plaintiffs and defendants. It helps, and it gives us a unique credibility with all parties and clients. Our experience gives our client’s perspective. Law is filed with arguments from different angles. Even when the facts are seemingly perfect for your case, the other side will make arguments to weaken your position. You can see how different sides can view the law by looking at the U.S. Supreme Court. The Supreme Court regularly divides 5-4 with each side arguing strongly that they are “right.” By regularly dealing with issues from the plaintiff and defense perspective, we are able to quickly see all the issues that may be raised, prepare for battle, and make the strongest argument for you. Our goal is to represent reputable folks dealing with Georgia truck accidents, fatal accidents, catastrophic injury, and class actions. While there are certainly more than one way to practice law and do it effectively, we are proud of the way we’ve chosen to be lawyers: fighting for clients with dignity, efficiency, and strength. We’ve recovered over $1 billion for our plaintiffs, and we’ve defended some of the top companies in the world. All our clients benefit from our experience.
Continue ReadingHow common are truck accidents?
There are few things more intimidating than driving past a large truck on a highway. These big tractor-trailers are an integral part of the economy, transporting over $700 billion of goods in the U.S. alone. But, we all know that a vehicle that can weigh 33,000 pounds or more can do some real damage when it impacts a car. Statistics support this. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (“FMCSA”) is the branch of Department of Transportation that oversees big rigs for the U.S. Government. The FMCSA compiles an annual report on “statistics about fatal, injury, and property-damage-only crashes involving large trucks and buses.” These are the statistics that stand out the most, from the most recent released report in 2017: There were 4,889 truck and bus fatal accidents in 2017. There were 116,000 tractor trailer and bus accidents with injuries in 2017. The amount of truck and bus accidents with deaths or injuries has increased each year since 2009. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (“IIHS”) is an independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to traffic safety. IIHS analyzed the data provided by the Department of Transportation and provided some important insights. This includes that “eleven percent of all motor vehicle crash” fatalities in 2017 involved a tractor trailer. It is clear that we need to improve road safety with tractor-trailers. There are a number of ways to help. First, proper regulation is important. The FMCSA issues detailed regulations that apply to trucks. With regulations this big, improvements are always available. Second, there are a number of organizations that fight for safe driving and advocate for education. While improving regulation may not be your expertise, you can support organizations, like the National Safety Council and others, to help improve the safety of our roadways. Truck driving is important to us because we represent folks in tractor-trailer wrecks. We have represented seriously injured victims, and we have represented truck companies. By representing folks on both sides, we are able to tell our clients what the other side is thinking and planning based on our actual and recent experience. This gives our clients a distinct advantage.
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