Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month Takes Place in May
Sharing the road with semi-trucks is always a gamble for motorcyclists. In Atlanta, major interstates such as I-75 and I-285 hum with daily truck traffic. When something goes wrong, riders don’t just walk away from motorcycle accidents with a few bruises. They’re often left with life-changing or fatal injuries. And if that crash involves a commercial vehicle, everything becomes more complicated.
When a motorcycle crash involves a commercial truck, the legal and medical stakes are much higher. If you or someone you love was hit by a truck while riding, a Georgia motorcycle accident lawyer can help you understand your rights and fight for the compensation you deserve.
Why Truck Crashes Are So Dangerous for Motorcyclists
Commercial trucks can weigh 20 to 30 times more than a motorcycle. When they collide, the force is devastating, and the person on the motorcycle is completely vulnerable.
Even a low-speed crash can send a rider flying or pin them under the truck’s weight. Unlike other drivers, motorcyclists don’t have the benefit of airbags or a steel frame to protect them. All of that adds up to a higher risk of spinal cord damage, traumatic brain injuries, internal bleeding, amputations, and fatalities.
Truck drivers also can’t see everything around them. Every big rig has massive blind spots, especially along the sides and rear. That puts motorcycles at constant risk of being sideswiped or cut off during wide turns or improper lane changes.
Who Can Be Held Liable in a Motorcycle vs. Truck Accident?
One of the biggest differences between a regular accident and one involving a commercial vehicle is the number of potentially liable parties. With truck cases, it’s not just the driver you have to consider.
The trucking company may be responsible for hiring unqualified drivers or failing to train them. They could also be liable for pushing drivers to break federal Hours of Service rules, which limit how long they can drive without rest. Then there are maintenance contractors who didn’t check the brakes, companies that overloaded the truck, and even parts manufacturers can be responsible if a defect contributed to the crash.
In serious motorcycle accidents, a lawyer can send a “spoliation letter” right away. This document tells the trucking company to preserve evidence such as dashcam footage, black box data, driver logs, and maintenance records. Without it, that information could disappear.
What Causes Truck vs. Motorcycle Collisions?
Some of the most common scenarios involving motorcycle vs. truck collisions include:
- A truck driver turning left across a motorcyclist’s path
- Unsafe lane changes by the truck driver
- Rear-end collisions caused by the trucker following the motorcycle rider too closely
- Wide right turns that trap riders between the truck and the curb
- Truck drivers who are distracted, fatigued, or under the influence
Weather and road conditions can also play a role, but when a crash happens, it’s often because someone failed to follow the rules of the road or federal trucking regulations.
How Motorcycle Accidents Involving Trucks Are Investigated
A thorough investigation makes or breaks a motorcycle accident case. It’s not just about who ran a red light or what the police report says. After a truck-motorcycle crash, you’ll need an experienced attorney who’ll dig deeper.
An attorney will look at:
- Black box data showing the truck’s speed and braking
- Driver logs to check for hours violations
- Maintenance and inspection records
- GPS and dashcam footage
- The trucker’s employment history and training
A motorcycle accident lawyer may also call on reconstruction experts to recreate the crash to understand exactly what happened. The goal is to build a clear, fact-based picture of liability because trucking companies rarely admit fault without a fight.
Common Injuries in Motorcycle vs. Truck Accidents
When a motorcycle collides with a large truck, the injuries are almost always severe. This includes:
- Spinal cord injuries resulting in paralysis
- Traumatic brain injuries that affect memory and mood
- Multiple broken bones and crush injuries
- Severe road rash requiring skin grafts
- Limb loss and disfigurement
Beyond the physical toll, there’s often a mountain of medical bills, time away from work, and emotional trauma that lingers long after the crash. Recovery can take months or years, and some injuries never fully heal.
We Know How to Win Motorcycle Accident Cases Involving Trucks
At Fried Goldberg LLC, we don’t just handle truck accident cases — we’ve built our careers on them. More than 95% of our legal practice is focused on helping crash victims get justice after devastating collisions with commercial vehicles. That includes representing motorcyclists hit by tractor-trailers, box trucks, delivery vans, and other large vehicles across Georgia and beyond.
These aren’t easy cases. Trucking companies fight hard to avoid responsibility, especially when the injured party is a motorcyclist. We know how to cut through the bias, uncover hidden evidence, and build cases that juries take seriously. And we’ve done it time and again. Some of our notable motorcycle accident case results include:
- $5.7 million – Georgia: Amputation verdict for a motorcyclist hit by a postal truck in Banks County.
- $2 million – South Carolina: Settlement for a scooter rider killed in a crash with a straight truck in Myrtle Beach.
- $1.75 million – Georgia: A tractor-trailer turned left and fatally struck a motorcyclist in Marietta.
- $1.5 million – Georgia: A rider died in Dalton while avoiding a crash and hitting a guardrail.
- $1 million – Georgia: Fatal motorcycle wreck caused by a swerving truck in Atlanta.
We wrote the book on truck accident law — literally — and we’re called in by lawyers across the country when the stakes are high. Whether your crash happened on I-75, a rural highway, or a city street, we have the experience and resources to make a difference.
If you were hit by a truck while riding a motorcycle, contact Fried Goldberg LLC. We offer free consultations, and you don’t owe us a dime unless we win your case. Let’s talk about your rights, your injuries, and what it will take to get the outcome you deserve.
“My experience with Fried Goldberg was a great experience in resolving my auto accident. The attorney that I worked with answered all of my questions and was always reachable, I don’t think that I had to leave him a message one time he always answered. Fried Goldberg is who I would call if ever I had to use an attorney again.” – J.B., ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐