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Cumming/Forsyth County
Suwanee/Gwinnett County
Commerce/Jackson County
The State of Georgia sees its fair share of trucks hauling massive logs, and when these trucks are involved in accidents, the results are often devastating. Because many log hauls stay within the state, they aren’t subject to federal safety regulations but instead are governed by state rules that exempt them from many safety provisions. In other words, the opportunity exists for dangerous log trucks to cause accidents which often carry catastrophic consequences. If you or someone you love has been injured in a log truck accident, an experienced Cumming log truck accident attorney can help.
Log loads often travel in darkness, which is more dangerous in general, and the hauls can extend a full 20 feet beyond a trailer’s end. The weight of these massive loads can cause the logs to sag down below a trailer's taillights, which limits their visibility. This creates an obvious risk for motorists approaching from the rear. When a log truck’s load extends well beyond the end of the trailer, it also makes turns that much wider and that much more hazardous.
When a log truck’s load extends more than four feet from a trailer’s end, laws related to conspicuity come into play. Conspicuity is legalese for noticeable or readily visible. When a log truck’s load exceeds this limitation, in order to reach nighttime conspicuity, it must have an LED or strobe light that is plainly visible from 500 feet behind, and that flashes at least 60 times per minute. Unfortunately, however, gauging this metric is very difficult for the naked eye to accomplish (without careful training), and police on the scene may chalk up fault for the log truck accident to an error on the part of the motorist who was injured (or worse).
For conspicuity in daylight hours, the following rules apply:
In reality, it’s difficult to enforce these regulations, and massive log trucks with large loads can be difficult for other motorists to see – especially in intersections and when making turns – and this can lead to deadly accidents.
Log trucking is less well-regulated than other areas of the trucking industry, and the drivers aren’t held to the same exacting standards related to experience and training. Nevertheless, these trucks carry massive loads that are not usually contained, that often extend the boundaries of the trailer, and that can be difficult to see (each load must be marked separately – rather than with the permanent lights that outline box trailers). The logs can also shift if they are not properly secured and our firm has handled wrongful death cases where this has occurred. Log truck accidents have unique risks and injury hazards.
The dedicated Cumming log truck accident attorneys at Banks, Stubbs & McFarland have extensive experience successfully litigating difficult log truck accident claims and are committed to helping clients like you obtain just compensation. To learn more, please don’t hesitate to contact us online or call us at 770-887-1209 today.