Roads are always filled with different vehicles, including heavy trucks, and other commercial vehicles in Atlanta. Here, the trucking industry plays an important role in transporting goods to ensure a smooth flow of commerce across the nation. It is, therefore, essential for people to understand the trucking regulations in Georgia to ensure safety for everyone.
Dealing with the aftermath of accidents can be tough, as there are multiple factors to evaluate and decide who’s at fault. So, to make the process easy, you can take the assistance of a trusted semi-truck accident attorney in Atlanta. A lawyer specializing in truck accidents brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the table and helps you find the optimal outcomes for your specific case.
Trucking Regulations in Georgia
1. Hours of Service Regulations (HOS)
One of the fundamental trucking regulations in Georgia is HOS. This regulation dictates the maximum time a truck driver can drive without taking breaks. It plays an essential role in avoiding driver fatigue and ensures the driver gets enough rest.
2. Training, Qualification, and Licensing
Truck drivers are provided comprehensive training to ensure they have the required skills and knowledge to operate heavy vehicles. Drivers reduce the risks of accidents by sticking to these standards. Also, truck drivers in Georgia must have essential licenses and qualifications.
3. Weight Limit Regulations
There is also strict weight regulation in Georgia for trucks and other commercial vehicles. If drivers fail to maintain this weight limit, this can be a risk for compromised braking capabilities and control. Understanding these regulations is important for truck drivers and residents also to ensure the safety.
4. Vehicle Maintenance Guidelines
Trucks should be maintained properly to avoid accidents caused by equipment malfunctioning. Trucking regulations outline the inspection and maintenance procedures to ensure that commercial vehicles are in optimal state. Ultimately, keeping the trucks in the best condition and updated with regulations reduces the chances of any breakdowns that can lead to serious injuries.
5. Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs)
ELDs play an important role in improving accountability in the trucking industry. These devices record and track driver’s hours and help to be compliant with HOS regulations, contributing to safe driving practices.
Regulatory Compliance and Legal Implications
Truck companies and truck drivers have a duty of care to follow legal trucking regulations to ensure the safety of everyone on the road. In case of personal injury case, non-compliance with trucking regulations can be stated in these ways to determine the liability:
1. Legal Duty of Care
The legal system imposes trucking regulations to establish a duty of care on trucking companies to stick to these standards. If they fail to meet these standards, it can be a breach of the duty of care. It can be an essential element in proving liability in personal injury cases.
2. Negligence and tort liability
If a truck company or its employees fail to comply with any regulations, which results in an accident, it may be determined as negligence. Negligence is a key concept in tort law and it provides the basis for deciding the fault in personal injury cases.
3. Presumption of negligence
In some cases, breaking certain rules can suggest negligence. This means if a trucking company is found to have broken a rule, the jury may assume the company was careless. It then becomes the company’s job to prove they were not negligent.
Get the Resources You Need To Recover
Road safety includes a collaborative effort from drivers, residents, trucking companies, regulators, and legal professionals. Each one has to play its role in stopping accidents and keeping everyone on the road safe.
We at Karma Injury Law firm offer legal support to the people who have been injured in a trucking accident in Georgia. We have a team of expert semi-truck accident attorneys in Atlanta who will give individual attention to your case and build a strong strategy to win the case.
