Truck companies and drivers have an absolute responsibility to follow state regulations as well as maintain excellent driving habits in order not only to keep themselves safe but also other innocent people around them. Unfortunately too often accidents occur that result in serious injury especially when they happen at high-traffic locations.
Attorney Harry H. Albritton, a truck accident lawyer in Charlotte with Irons & Irons P.A. will help you secure the damages you deserve after being involved in a truck accident. He and his team will make your case a top priority and are committed to securing compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and pain endured whether through a fair settlement or litigation.
How Do Truck Accidents and Car Accidents Differ?
The difference between a truck accident and a car crash is simply that a truck accident involves a commercial truck, such as an 18-wheeler or tractor trailer. The difference in impact can be seen in the way each type of collision affects the vehicles involved. When a commercial vehicle weighing over 10,000 pounds collides with a car weighing 3,000 pounds or less, there’s going to be significantly more damage to the smaller car and the injuries sustained can be serious. Trucking accidents often result in significant injury, including:
- Spinal cord injuries
- Concussion and traumatic brain injuries
- Whiplash and neck injuries
- Broken bones
- Contusions and scarring
Truck accidents are also significantly more complex than traditional car accidents due to the following:
Complex state and federal laws and regulations;- Trucking companies are required to carry specific types of insurance
- Trucking maintenance needs to be carefully recorded
- There are regulations related to cargo size and for different types of cargo.
- Multiple defendants, including the truck driver, trucking company, third-party parts manufacturers, and repair companies.
Types of Truck Accidents
North Carolina truck accidents are often caused by someone else’s negligence, including:
- Truck driver fatigue due to overworking;
- Failing to follow traffic laws like reckless driving or speeding to make deadlines;
- Distracted driving
- Improper training or lack of experience
- Driving while intoxicated
- Trucking companies not keeping up with truck maintenance
- Overloaded vehicles
Why You Need a Truck Accident Attorney
As we said above, a commercial truck accident is generally much more complex than a passenger vehicle collision. Having legal representation who will navigate these complexities will result in a smoother process for you and a much more favorable outcome because truck accident attorneys have more resources and knowledge, including:
- Knowing how much your case is worth, factoring in non-economic damages like pain and suffering or punitive damages.
- Accessing records and information about the trucking company to determine a pattern of wrongdoing or negligence.
- Connecting with medical experts to understand the severity of your injuries and what they mean for your long-term expenses and ability to work.
- Having in-depth knowledge of federal and state truck regulations makes it easier to determine liability and negligence in the case.
- Determining who is liable and finding the insurance company that should pay the proper damages to the accident victims.
- Bringing knowledge and experience from past truck accident cases to better understand your case.
Most of all, it’s important to have an experienced truck accident attorney who will dedicate themselves to securing fair compensation, whether they can settle out of court for a fair amount or litigate the case in court.
Contributory Negligence in a Truck Accident
In North Carolina civil cases, the jury has to consider if any contributory negligence occurred, meaning if you were at all responsible for the accident. If they find that you were at fault in any way, they can not award compensation.
For example, if the truck driver was failing to obey traffic laws and collided with your car, they would be 100 percent at fault assuming you were following traffic laws and your car was in road-safe condition. However, if your brake light was out, the jury could determine that you are partially at fault for the collision with the tractor trailer or truck. Even a small amount of liability would leave you unable to collect damages.
Statute of Limitations for Truck Accident Victims
After being injured in a commercial truck accident, you have three years to file a claim in civil court. If you don’t meet the statute of limitations, the judge can refuse to hear the case. Often, trucking and insurance companies will intentionally work slowly during negotiations in a personal injury case in order to stop plaintiffs from making a claim before the statute of limitations is up. This allows them to avoid paying damages.
Why Choose Us As Your Truck Accident Attorney?
At our personal injury law firm, we know it is difficult to choose from the hundreds of truck accident attorneys seeking your business. However, Attorney Harry H. Albritton has the experience you need from your truck accident lawyer and has been practicing personal injury law in North Carolina for over 20 years. In addition to his track record of success, he offers a combination of compassionate legal counsel and aggressive representation as he stands up to insurance and trucking companies to hold them accountable for their negligence.
While other truck accident lawyers take as many cases as possible, we do the opposite. We limit our cases so we can offer one-on-one attention, allowing us to be more available to answer their questions and address their concerns. We also understand that the negotiation process and court proceedings are confusing and stressful to accident victims, which is why will keep you informed of the process and understand what you can expect at every stage. Most importantly, we want to get justice for you and secure the compensation you deserve so you can move forward with security and confidence.
Frequently Asked Trucking Accident Questions
If you or a loved one sustained an injury in a tractor trailer accident, we know you have questions. To help you, we’re sharing some of our frequently asked questions regarding commercial trucks and tractor trailer accidents.
What Are the Fees to Hire a Charlotte Truck Accident Lawyer?
Any fees collected are determined by the settlement or damages awarded. Because we understand the strain you’re under, we don’t collect fees until you get paid.
Who Is Liable in a Trucking Accident?
In a North Carolina truck accident, multiple parties can be held liable, including the driver, the trucking company, parts manufacturers, or third-party hiring companies. The circumstances of the case determine who is liable.
What Should I Do After a Truck Accident
- Assess yourself and anyone in the vehicle for injuries
- Call 911 to report the accident
- If possible, get pictures of the accident scene, including any damage to your vehicle and any conditions that may have influenced the crash.
- Get witness information, including any names and phone numbers.
- Write down exactly what happened as soon as you can so it’s fresh in your mind.
- Don’t speak to an insurance company or other drivers to avoid inadvertently claiming fault.
- Seek medical treatment, even if you don’t believe you were injured. Often, victims won’t realize they’ve been injured for days after the collision.
- Contact Irons & Irons P.A., a personal injury law firm for a case consultation.
Schedule a Free Case Evaluation with a Truck Accident Lawyer in Charlotte
If you were injured in a commercial truck or tractor trailer accident, Charlotte truck accident attorney, Harry H. Albritton and our team can help you get the compensation you deserve. To schedule a free case evaluation, call us at 252-215-3000 or fill out our contact form below.
