In recent years, the use of online retail has brought a marked increase in the number of FedEx and other delivery trucks on the roads. As a result, delivery drivers often rush to deliver their packages to their customers on time. Sadly, this led to many FedEx truck accidents in Roswell.
Due to the immense size and weight of commercial tractor-trailers and delivery vans, trucking accidents often cause tremendous property damage to other vehicles and serious personal injuries to anyone involved. If you suffered an injury in a FedEx accident, contact Roswell truck accident lawyer. We provide free initial consultations and case assessments. We can explain what legal options you could pursue and fight to ensure you get compensation and justice.
Why Is There an Increase in Truck Accidents in Roswell?
FedEx is the second-largest logistics company in North America, delivering about six billion packages each year. Their purple, orange, and white vehicles are ubiquitous on the highways and in neighborhoods throughout the United States, including North Fulton County. Unfortunately, with so many vehicles on the road, accidents often occur.
At the same time, these trucks do more than deliver packages around the City of Roswell. Many pass through the area because of the five major state highways in the cityβSR 9, SR 92, SR 120, SR 140, and SR 400βand the easy access to several interstates from I-285. This includes I-85, I-75, and I-20.
Like most other areas around Metro Atlanta, Roswell experienced significant growth beginning in the 1980s. This led to the nearby roads and other infrastructure becoming overburdened and congested. The major increase in traffic and difficulties navigating the busy roads mean more accidents, including those involving tractor-trailers and delivery vans.
Injuries Commonly Seen in FedEx Trucking Crashes
Because these trucks are much larger and heavier than most passenger vehicles, FedEx trucks can cause permanent, life-altering harm in traffic collisions.
Common injuries include:
- Broken bones that can cause lifelong mobility difficulties
- Burns and scarring
- Soft tissue injuries
- Internal injuries
- Back and neck injuries, such as herniated discs and paralysis
- Brain injuries that can result in permanent cognitive impairments
Many serious injuries require hospitalization, extensive inpatient treatment, surgery, rehabilitation, and ongoing therapies. Doctors may categorize some truck accident injuries as catastrophic. These injuries could kill victims or alter their lives forever.
Those with catastrophic injuries could require months to reach maximum medical recovery, if not longer. Some people never fully recover from them and learn to live with lasting injuries that could affect their everyday life.
Emotional Impact of a Delivery Truck Accident
In addition to physical injuries, many survivors of delivery truck crashes experience emotional trauma. They may be depressed, sad, anxious, stressed, or angry. A survivorβs physical and emotional injuries could prevent them from returning to work, making it difficult to pay for their medical bills and necessary treatments.
After a FedEx crash in Roswell, our team of attorneys helps injury victims pursue settlements that would cover their current and future physical, emotional, and financial losses. In the unfortunate event that a crash causes the death of a loved one, one of our compassionate attorneys may help their surviving family members seek justice and compensation for their loss in a wrongful death suit.
Recoverable Damages in a Roswell FedEx Truck Collision Claim
How much you may be able to recover through an insurance claim or lawsuit depends on the facts of your Roswell truck crash and injuries. Our attorneys investigate these collisions for our clients and develop a list of recoverable damages. Then, we use the documentation of these expenses and losses to put a fair settlement range on the case and demand an appropriate payout from the insurer.
We may also use this evidence in court to show the jury the value of our clientβs damages resulting from the negligent driverβs actions.
Each case is different, but the types of damages we frequently recover for clients include:
- Medical bills and related costs to date
- Future treatment and care costs estimated by experts
- Lost income from all sources missed during treatment
- Diminished earning capacity if the client cannot return to their job
- Property damages, including repair or replacement of the car
- Miscellaneous related expenses
- Pain and suffering damages
- Emotional distress
- Other intangible losses
Occasionally, juries award punitive damages in these cases if they believe the FedEx driver or company acted negligently or intentionally.
For example, imagine the driver was drinking or using drugs at the time of the crash. This shows in their post-accident screening, which federal law requires. Positive drug tests among workers and professional drivers are increasing nationwide. A drugged or drunk driver in your case could support a punitive award.
Wrongful Death Damages
Catastrophic accidents with 18-wheelers and delivery vans can lead to fatal injury collisions. Our lawyers hope you never have to deal with this reality, but we can help if you do. Our team assesses your familyβs options after a preventable accident and your loved oneβs death.
We may help you pursue damages for:
- Funeral and burial expenses
- Accident-related expenses and losses
- Lost household income previously earned by your loved one
- Lost benefits
- Loss of services handled by the deceased
- Intangible losses suffered by surviving family members
Common Causes of Roswell FedEx Trucking Crashes
As with most automobile accidents, driver error constitutes the primary reason for many FedEx truck accidents.
Many FedEx drivers feel pressured to meet unrealistic deadlines and may speed, ignore traffic signals, or drive aggressively. They might also work longer hours than they should without taking a break, which could cause them to make poor driving decisions or even fall asleep behind the wheel. Delivery truck drivers also sometimes operate their vehicles while distracted by their phones.
Additionally, delivery trucks frequently make sudden stops and starts that can lead to crashes with unsuspecting motorists on the road. These large trucks can pose a risk to smaller cars and pedestrians when they travel down narrow roadways to make residential or commercial deliveries.
FedEx and other delivery companies must train their drivers to handle commercial trucks. Large tractor-trailers have blind spots, making seeing oncoming passenger cars or pedestrians challenging. Trucks also make wider turns, and they take longer to slow to a complete stop. If a person gets hurt by a FedEx truck driverβs negligence, our attorneys can use our experience and knowledge to investigate the crash and determine who bears legal responsibility.
Building a Case Based on Your Roswell FedEx Truck Crash
You generally have two ways to hold an at-fault party legally responsible and recover compensation following a crash in Georgia:
- Negotiating a settlement with their insurer
- Suing them and asking a jury to award a fair payout
Whether the responsible party is a semi-truck driver or a package delivery person, you have these options. However, remember that Georgia law allows victims to hold the driverβs employer vicariously liable. To this end, we can pursue claims against FedEx and its insurer. If necessary, we sue them in a Fulton County civil court.
This requires us to investigate what happened, show the driver acted negligently and caused the crash, and document our clientβs recoverable damages. We know how to support these claims and are not afraid of FedEx, their corporate lawyers, or the insurance companies.
Why Choose Atlanta Personal Injury Law Group?
At Atlanta Personal Injury Law Group, we fight for justice for our clients. Preventable injuries should not occur. For example, when a commercial driver acts carelessly or recklessly behind the wheel, the driver and/or their company deserve to pay. Likewise, victims of serious collisions deserve compensation for the injuries someone else caused.
Negligence on Fulton County roadways often happens, especially for commercial drivers held to a higher standard under state and federal law. We provide support, advocacy, and representation to our clients throughout the claims process, fighting for their rights. We can handle your injury case while you work to heal physically and emotionally.
Our team works based on contingency fees. We do not ask for any upfront costs or fees from our clients. Our attorney fees comprise a portion of the overall payout we recover in the case. We provide free case reviews where potential clients can learn more about our team, our cost, and the legal process.
What Is the Deadline for Suing FedEx or Another Liable Party?
Under Georgia law, you likely have only two years from the accident date to file a lawsuit against FedEx in a Fulton County civil court. You must meet this deadline as a key part of preserving your right to pursue compensation in your case. While it only applies to filing a lawsuit, your ability to sue provides essential leverage during settlement negotiations.
In addition to ensuring you reach a settlement or sue before this deadline, acting quickly is essential for preserving evidence in these cases. Much of the evidence our attorneys subpoena and analyze in truck accidents comes from the defendant.
Federal trucking laws create a wealth of evidence that could prove your case, including:
- The truckβs βblack boxβ
- Driverβs rest logs
- Post-accident drug and alcohol test results
- The driverβs records and qualifications
- Dashcam video, if equipped
- Maintenance records
- Information about the cargo
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Roswell Delivery Truck Accidents
Below, you will find several commonly asked questions our attorneys address for clients and other crash victims. We offer more detailed responses based on the specific aspects of your case during your free, confidential case review.
How Much Is My Roswell FedEx Accident Case Worth?
The value of a truck accident case depends primarily on the facts of that crash and the damages suffered by the victim. This makes it impossible to calculate an average settlement value or tell you how much your case might be worth during your initial consultation.
Our attorneys investigate each case we manage and determine the fair settlement range based on its facts. Only then can we tell our clients what they may expect during settlement negotiations. We use the same evidence to show the jury our clientβs losses if we take the case to trial.
How Long Will It Take to Recover Compensation?
All cases are different, and the time it takes to resolve an insurance claim settlement or Fulton County personal injury lawsuit will vary. In general, settlements resolve faster. However, this is not always true. Claims can settle within weeks, but some drag on for months or even years.
A two-year deadline exists for suing the liable parties in these cases. We must settle the claim for our client before this deadline or file the complaint and begin the lawsuit.
Will My Settlement Cover My Future Medical Needs?
Our attorneys consider the clientβs future care costs when determining the fair settlement range of the case and present evidence of their ongoing medical needs. FedEx and other logistics companies generally have at least $1 million in liability coverage available, which is often enough to cover our clientβs expenses.
However, we sometimes need to sue and ask the jury to consider covering these costs if the insurer will not.
Why Shouldnβt I Accept Their First Offer?
When an insurance company offers a quick settlement following a crash, they know you will have a strong case against their policyholder. They want to hurry and get you to agree to a lowball offer so they do not have to pay more once you realize the value of your case and the expenses you face.
You do not want to settle until you understand the full costs and losses. This requires reaching maximum medical recovery or understanding your prognosis and future care needs. It could take weeks or even months before you know for sure. Costs and losses will continue to add up during this time. Accepting a settlement now will not compensate you for these damages.
We recommend connecting with our team if FedEx or its insurer offers you a settlement. We can assess your options and help you understand when a settlement offer could meet your needs and reflect your caseβs value.
Do I Have to Hire an Attorney to Handle My FedEx Truck Accident Claim?
Yes. The law is too complicated and the stakes are too high to do this yourself.
Our attorneys know how to navigate these processes, develop strong claims, and protect our clientβs rights. Working with an attorney may allow you to seek the best possible financial results for your case.
At the same time, our lawyers handle all aspects of the clientβs claim or lawsuit. We use our knowledge and experience with previous cases to fight for the best possible outcome on their behalf. Our clients continue to undergo treatment and focus on healing from their physical and emotional injuries during this time.
When future care costs and ongoing expenses are likely, our team has the resources to call on experts to estimate the compensation needed to cover them. Covering future care needs can prove crucial for many crash victims who suffered injuries in a serious FedEx collision.
What Options Do I Have for Getting the Money I Need to Pay My Bills?
Most truck accident cases have two options for recovering compensation. Both require investigating what happened, developing a strong argument to show negligence and liability, documenting the resulting damages, and going head-to-head with FedEx, its lawyers, and its insurer.
These options include:
- Filing a claim with the insurer, demanding a fair payout, and negotiating a settlement
- Suing the company and/or the driver in a Fulton County civil court, presenting evidence to the jury, and asking them to award just compensation
Which of these options you should pursue depends greatly on the circumstances and details of the case. Our attorneys can often negotiate an out-of-court settlement with the insurer in truck accident cases. However, our trial lawyers can go to court with a case when necessary to get justice for our client.
What if My Loved Oneβs Injuries Prevent Them From Calling?
If your spouse, child, or parent cannot call our team for a free consultation, our attorneys can discuss the options with you. We can seek compensation and justice if they are undergoing treatment for catastrophic injuries or cannot make the phone call themselves.
We understand how emotionally challenging this time can be for family members of accident victims, and our compassionate team handles cases like this frequently. We work with medical experts to better understand our clientsβ prognoses, future abilities, and ongoing care costs.
Connect with us today if your loved one lives with a traumatic brain injury, a coma, or has other injuries that affect their cognitive ability. We believe they deserve justice.
Let Our Roswell Truck Accident Attorneys Assist With FedEx Truck Accidents
If a collision with a delivery truck injured you, contact our lawyers at Atlanta Personal Injury Law Group today. One of our Roswell personal injury lawyers with experience in FedEx truck accidents in Roswell will review the details of your accident and let you know if pursuing a civil claim could offer a viable option for you and your family.
If you decide to proceed with a legal claim, our dedicated team of attorneys could stick by your side throughout the complicated legal process and aggressively stand up for your rights. Contact our firm today at (404) 609-1724 to learn more.
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