Recent tractor trailer accidents in Savannah, GA
June 6, 2011 – Interstate 95
Ryan Shannon Breen Fortin, 27, of Edgewater, Florida was killed when the moving van he was riding in collided with a tractor-trailer in Brunswick, Georgia. The driver of the tractor-trailer, Joseph Alston, 56, of Columbia, South Carolina was not injured. Both vehicles were traveling northbound, and Alston’s truck was traveling at a low speed when the moving van ran into the rear of it.
Slow Moving Tractor-Trailer: Tractor-trailers are especially hazardous when driven at low speeds on the interstate. It is difficult for drivers to appreciate the speed differential on the interstates, and the approaching driver assumes that the tractor-trailer is driving at roadway speeds. The end result is that the approaching driver does not realize the tractor trailer is moving slowly until it is too late to avoid a rear-end collision. Truck drivers are trained to warn other vehicles with hazard lights if their vehicle is moving slowly or to pull off onto the side of the road until the mechanical problem that is slowing down the vehicle is repaired. We have handled several collisions involving slow moving vehicles. You can view our case results by clicking here.
The city of Savannah is located in southeast Georgia and is the county seat of Chatham County. Savannah has a population of 134,700 which makes it the fourth largest city in Georgia. Savannah is home to Armstrong Atlanta State University, Savannah College of Art and Design, Savannah State University and Savannah Technical College. The main trucking routes that run through Savannah are Interstate 16 (I-16) and Interstate 95 (I-95). I-16 branches off of Interstate 75 (I-75) in Macon and travels southeast to Savannah where it ends. 1-95 is the main highway on the east coast of the United States. It runs north to south from Maine to Florida and enters Georgia in Savannah and continues south through Brunswick and into Florida. Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport provides air services to Savannah.
Georgia Law
Interstate trucking companies are governed by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (“FMCSR”), including trucking operations, driver qualifications, hours of service, maintenance of equipment, insurance, and alcohol and drug testing. Georgia also has state specific regulations governing intrastate trucking companies. Intrastate trucking companies pick up and deliver loads only in the state of Georgia and do not cross state lines. By statute, Georgia has adopted many of the federal regulations as also being applicable to intrastate trucking companies. Under Georgia law, intrastate trucking companies must have minimum insurance of $100,000/ $300,000 in liability coverage. Georgia also has a special exemption for logging trucks from many regulations applicable to other commercial vehicles.
Contact Us
If you or a loved one has been a victim of a trucking accident, you should contact a trucking attorney at Fried Goldberg LLC as soon as possible to make sure that evidence is preserved and not destroyed by the trucking company. You can contact us by calling 877-591-1801 or clicking here to email us.