Key Takeaways
You generally have two years from the date of injury to file a Georgia truck accident lawsuit under O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33. Georgia defines a commercial motor vehicle at 10,001 pounds gross vehicle weight rating or more (O.C.G.A. § 40-1-1) and requires a CDL at 26,001 pounds (O.C.G.A. § 40-5-142). Under O.C.G.A. § 51-12-33 you recover only if you were less than 50% at fault, and each defendant pays only its own share, so every responsible company should be identified. The carrier's electronic logs, engine data and maintenance files are the core evidence and should be preserved early. Roden Law represents truck accident victims across Georgia on a contingency fee: no fees unless we win.
A crash with a tractor-trailer or other commercial truck is rarely a simple insurance claim. The injuries tend to be severe, the trucking company’s insurer moves quickly, and the evidence that proves fault sits in the carrier’s own records. Roden Law’s Georgia truck accident lawyers move just as fast: we secure that evidence, identify every responsible company, and pursue the full value of your claim from our offices in Savannah and Darien. We work on a contingency fee, so you pay nothing unless we win.
What counts as a commercial truck under Georgia law?
Georgia defines a commercial motor vehicle as one with a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,001 pounds or more (O.C.G.A. § 40-1-1), and a driver needs a commercial driver’s license once the rating reaches 26,001 pounds (O.C.G.A. § 40-5-142). That reaches well beyond 18-wheelers: box trucks, dump trucks, tankers and many delivery vehicles can qualify. The classification matters because it brings the driver’s licensing, training and hours into the case, along with the carrier’s safety and maintenance records.
Who can be held responsible for a Georgia truck accident?
Several parties can share responsibility: the driver, the motor carrier that employed or contracted the driver, the owner of the truck or trailer, the company that loaded the cargo, and a shop that maintained the brakes or tires. Naming each of them matters in Georgia because each defendant pays only its own share of fault, since joint and several liability was abolished in 2005 (O.C.G.A. § 51-12-33). A case that misses a responsible company can leave part of your losses uncovered.
How long do I have to file a truck accident lawsuit in Georgia?
You generally have two years from the date of injury to file a truck accident lawsuit in Georgia, under O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33. Damage to your vehicle or other property carries a four-year period (O.C.G.A. § 9-3-32). If a government truck was involved, written ante litem notice comes due first: six months for a claim against a Georgia city (O.C.G.A. § 36-33-5), and twelve months for a county (O.C.G.A. § 36-11-1) or the State (O.C.G.A. § 50-21-26). Our guide to the Georgia statute of limitations explains how these deadlines interact.
What evidence matters most after a Georgia truck crash?
The most important evidence is the trucking company’s own data: electronic logging device records, driver logs, the engine control module’s speed and braking data, dispatch messages, dash-camera video, and inspection and maintenance files. Some of those records can be overwritten or discarded in the ordinary course of business, so we send the carrier a preservation demand early. Scene photographs, witness contacts and the police report fill in the rest.
What if I was partly at fault for the truck crash?
You can still recover in Georgia if you were less than 50% at fault, with your award reduced by your share (O.C.G.A. § 51-12-33). At 50% or more, recovery is barred. Trucking insurers often argue that a car cut in front of the rig or lingered in a blind spot, and the carrier’s own data is usually the best answer to that argument.
What compensation is available after a Georgia truck accident?
Truck accident victims can recover medical expenses, lost income and earning capacity, property damage, and pain and suffering. Commercial policies can be far larger than the personal auto minimums of $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident in O.C.G.A. § 33-7-11, which is one reason carriers defend these claims so hard. Our guide to Georgia truck accident settlement value explains the factors that drive a result. If a loved one died, see our wrongful death practice.
Talk to a Georgia truck accident lawyer for free
Roden Law represents truck accident victims throughout Georgia, including crashes on the I-95 and I-16 corridors served by our Savannah office and our Darien office. A truck accident attorney will review your case at no cost and start preserving the carrier’s evidence right away. There are no fees unless we win. For crashes near Savannah, see our Savannah truck accident lawyers page, or explore our truck accident practice.
Georgia Law That Affects Your Case
Filing Deadline (Statute of Limitations)
2 years
Georgia generally gives injured people 2 years from the date of injury to file a personal injury lawsuit. A claim against a city requires written notice within six months, and against a county or the State within twelve months.
O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33; O.C.G.A. §§ 36-33-5, 36-11-1, 50-21-26
Modified Comparative Negligence
50% bar
Under Georgia's modified comparative negligence rule, you can recover only if you were less than 50% at fault, and your award is reduced by your share of fault — insurers often try to inflate it, and our attorneys push back.
O.C.G.A. § 51-12-33
Learn more: Georgia statute of limitations
Roden Law Offices Serving Georgia
Frequently Asked Questions
Free Case Review — No Fee Unless We Win
If you were injured in a Georgia truck accident, a Roden Law attorney will review your case at no cost and explain your options. We work on a contingency fee basis — you pay nothing unless we recover for you.