Atlanta Lawyers Say Negligence Led to Fatal Log Truck Crash in Georgia

Chris Glover of Beasley Allen’s Atlanta office recently filed a trucking lawsuit stemming from an accident in Gwinnett County, Georgia.  He represents the family of Keith Tumlin. Keith was driving home from the airport after dropping his mother off for an early morning flight.  At the time, it was still dark, and the weather conditions were foggy.  Keith was traveling in a 2017 Kia Sportage in the righthand lane.  A commercial motor vehicle carrying a load of logs had been pulled off the roadway for the driver to check on some equipment.  The logging truck re-entered the road and was in the process of gaining roadway speeds when Keith ran into the rear of the truck.

The logging truck was retrofitted with a several-feet-long steel extension off the trailer.  This extension impaled Keith’s vehicle and dragged it over 300 feet to its final resting position.  Keith was severely injured and was pronounced dead at the scene.  The driver of the 18-wheeler was uninjured.

This motor vehicle accident implicates not only the driver of the truck but also the trucking company that employed him.  The truck driver failed to consider the poor visibility conditions when re-entering the roadway.  Trucking companies have a duty to hire, train, and supervise their drivers to ensure that large commercial vehicles like the one involved in this accident are operated in a manner that follows Georgia law and prioritizes the safety of those with whom they share the road. The defendant trucking company failed at this duty, and as a result, Keith lost his life.

If you have questions about this or any trucking case, contact Chris Glover.