Who is responsible when a truck loses control at the Tom Moreland Interchange?

· 2 min read

When a large truck loses control where I-285 meets I-85, responsibility can extend well beyond the person behind the wheel. A commercial truck crash at a high-volume interchange often involves the driver, the trucking company, and sometimes others, and Georgia law allows fault to be placed on each party whose negligence contributed.

More than just the driver

A truck driver who was speeding, following too closely, fatigued, or otherwise careless can be liable for losing control. But the company that employs or contracts the driver may be responsible too. Under principles of employer liability, a company can answer for the negligence of a driver acting within the scope of employment, and it may face direct claims of its own, such as negligent hiring, training, supervision, or entrustment, where the company put an unfit driver or unsafe truck on the road. Commercial carriers are also subject to federal motor-carrier safety standards governing matters like driver hours, vehicle inspection, and load securement, and violations of those standards can support a finding of negligence.

Other potential sources of fault

A loss of control at a busy interchange can trace back to several causes:

  • Mechanical failure may implicate a maintenance provider or, in some cases, a parts manufacturer under product-liability principles.
  • An improperly loaded or shifting cargo may implicate whoever loaded or secured it.
  • Another motorist who cut off the truck or created a hazard may share blame.

Georgia’s apportionment rule lets a jury assign a percentage of fault to each contributing party, including potentially a non-party in some circumstances. An injured claimant’s award then drops by whatever share of blame the jury assigns to that claimant, and it vanishes altogether once the figure reaches half. Moving fast to lock down proof matters in truck cases, because data pulled from the rig, inspection records, and driver logs can be central to showing what went wrong.

The bottom line

Responsibility for a truck losing control at the Tom Moreland Interchange may rest with the driver, the trucking company, a maintenance or loading party, a parts maker, or another motorist, depending on what caused the loss of control. Georgia’s percentage-based apportionment then divides that responsibility among everyone whose negligence contributed.

This article is for general educational and informational purposes only and is not legal advice. It does not create an attorney-client relationship, and Georgia law may change. For advice about a specific situation, consult a licensed Georgia personal injury attorney.

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