Athens Law Blog

Truckers get a decent amount of respect in Georgia. People in the Peach State know that prices would be higher and variety would be far lower in supermarkets and shopping malls if trucks did not bring goods and food to them. But drivers are also at risk from the force of possible collisions.

When trucking accidents happen, victims or their families are often at a loss. Recovery can be difficult and expensive, leading people to seek help in civil courts. One such case surrounds a fiery accident in Henry County that killed four people.

It's more likely that someone will drive to a bar or liquor store than most other ways to get there. This can be a problem if people try to drive back. Georgia's prosecutors and police have generally been hard-nosed about the enforcement of laws against driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol. The law, however, is changing.

The governor in Atlanta recently signed House Bill 471, commonly known as the Breathalyzer law. Breathalyzers monitor the alcohol concentration on a person's exhalation and are often used as spot checks by police officers when they suspect drunk driving. The consequences of refusing the test were grave, as the test was considered required for drivers on the roads in Georgia.

Much like public drunkenness or underage possession of alcohol, drug charges largely come from someone being caught doing something. Many of the legal details when a prosecutor has the evidence to file charges come from how a person was caught while committing a suspected crime.

Many drug and alcohol charges happen when it is apparent that someone is acting under their influence. As a result, moving violations and traffic stops often result in additional charges when police suspect drug or alcohol use as a factor.

Trucks are the backbone of Georgia's economy as well as the main supplier of the goods that people in the state consume. They are the only options to bring the required food and products to the many communities away from the Atlantic Ocean or train lines.

Tractor-trailers and tankers can be dangerous around other vehicles. The volume of trucks and their loads makes collisions more forceful and destructive, and even indirect contact can be seriously injurious or even fatal for people in nearby cars and trucks. The lack of maneuverability also makes it less likely that truck drivers can correct for changes in time to avoid crashes.