Before you hire a truck accident attorney in Georgia

How to choose a truck accident attorney in Georgia

A truck crash claim is not a large car crash claim. The carrier, its insurer and federal safety rules all add records and deadlines. Use these checks when you compare lawyers.

• Check the license. Search the State Bar of Georgia member directory for membership status and any public discipline.
• Ask about truck cases. Ask how many the lawyer has handled, and how many went to trial.
• Ask how the records will be kept. Some carrier records can be discarded within months. A lawyer can send the carrier a written demand to keep them.
• Get the fee in writing. Georgia’s professional conduct rules require a contingent fee agreement to be in writing and to state the percentage and how expenses are handled (Rule 1.5(c)).
• Ask who does the work. Find out who will handle your file from day to day.

Georgia deadlines and the 50% fault rule

Most injury claims in Georgia must be filed within two years of the injury (O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33). A claim for damage to a vehicle or other property has four years (O.C.G.A. § 9-3-31), and so does a spouse’s claim for loss of consortium.

Georgia is an at-fault state, and it uses modified comparative fault. Your damages go down by your share of the fault. At 50% or more, you recover nothing (O.C.G.A. § 51-12-33).

SB 68, signed on April 21, 2025, changed how injury cases are tried. For crashes on or after that date, a jury can hear that a person did not wear a seat belt. SB 68 did not change the two-year limit or the 50% bar.

What makes a Georgia truck accident claim different

Federal rules apply to most trucks in interstate commerce. A truck must show the carrier’s name and its USDOT number (49 CFR 390.21). A driver can drive up to 11 hours in a 14-hour window (49 CFR 395.3). A for-hire carrier of general freight must carry at least $750,000 in liability cover (49 CFR 387.9).

Some records do not last long. Carriers must keep driver logs for 6 months and driver vehicle inspection reports for 3 months (49 CFR 395.8, 396.11). After a fatal crash, the truck driver must be tested for drugs and alcohol (49 CFR 382.303).

Georgia law changed in 2024. Under SB 426, you can sue a carrier’s insurer directly only if the carrier is insolvent or bankrupt, or if the driver or carrier cannot be served. Many older guides still describe the old rule.

What the free crash review covers

The form asks four questions: when the crash happened, whether another driver caused or contributed to it, whether you have pain or injuries, and whether you have signed with a lawyer for it. Then you leave a name and a phone number.

Our partner’s automated assistant calls you back, asks a few questions and can connect you with the intake team. The review is free, and you have no obligation to hire an attorney.

Before the call, write down the crash date, the police report number if you have one, and the carrier name and USDOT number from the truck’s cab door. Photos of the scene and the truck help too.