South of the Atlanta area, a car and semi-truck accident in Brooks County wreaked havoc for drivers on Georgia Highways 122 and 133. The accident shut down the highways for hours, leaving morning rush hour commuters stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic with no way out.

Thankfully, no one died in the accident, though the five people involved are probably lucky to be alive. The accident was actually two separate car accidents involving three vehicles-a van, a car and a log truck. First, a van slammed into the side of the log truck. The visibility on the road was low because of a combination of fog and smoke from a planned burning nearby. After the log truck collided with the van, a car, which was also driving in fog and smoke, crashed into the truck. The third vehicle became pinned underneath the log truck.

The occupants of the car were stuck for an extended period of time. Some of the occupants were able to slide out of the car on their own, while others had to wait for emergency personnel to pry them out of the car.

Heavy trucks on the road pose even more risks to drivers, as the differences in weight make trucks a much more formidable force. The heavier the vehicle, the more force it delivers to other vehicles in accidents. Though cars are designed to withstand a lot of force in car accidents, the cars cannot protect its occupants completely. As a result, a vehicle's occupants can suffer serious injuries, especially when colliding with a truck.

Of course, whenever a car accident takes place, people can get injured and hurt. Oftentimes, the drivers of semi-trucks are professional truck drivers, usually on the road as part of their job for a trucking company. If a careless truck driver caused the accident, the victim may be able to recover damages from both the driver and the trucking company.

The law provides a number of remedies for these victims, including the right to seek compensation for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering. Families of loved ones lost in semi-truck accidents also have rights and can sue to recover for a number of losses caused by the death of that loved one. Injured persons can benefit from having a personal injury attorney experienced in commercial vehicle accidents.

Source: The Moultrie Observer, "Wreck closes Hwy. 133 for hours," Alan Mauldin, Jan. 6, 2012