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When Your Back Is Against The Wall

Truck Accident Lawyers in North Carolina

Dedicated Legal Representation for Catastrophically Injured Victims

When passenger vehicles, such as cars and motorcycles, collide with large semi-trucks and 18-wheelers, the resulting damage is often catastrophic. Sadly, the people in those passenger vehicles are the ones who typically sustain the greatest degree of injury simply due to the sheer size and weight of commercial trucks.

If you were injured or your loved one was killed in a collision with a large truck or similar commercial vehicle, it’s important that you discuss your legal options with an experienced North Carolina truck accident attorney.

You may be entitled to financial compensation for your damages, but these cases are often very complex due to the number of liable parties involved, as well as other relevant factors. Having a skilled legal team on your side can make all the difference in the outcome of your case.

For a free, no-obligation consultation, call Lanier Law Group at 919-342-1368 or contact us online. We speak Spanish!

Common Types of Truck Accidents

A truck accident is any collision involving a commercial truck, such as a semi-truck, tractor-trailer, or big rig, with another vehicle, pedestrian, or stationary object. These accidents can result in serious injuries, fatalities, and significant property damage due to the size and weight of the trucks involved. Common types of truck accidents include:
  • Jackknife: This occurs when the trailer of a truck swings out to the side, resembling the folding action of a jackknife. It often happens when the truck driver brakes suddenly or loses control.
  • Rollover: When a truck tips onto its side or roof, it’s considered a rollover accident. Factors like high speed, sharp turns, or improper loading can contribute to rollovers.
  • Underride: This happens when a smaller vehicle gets trapped underneath the rear or side of a truck. It often occurs in rear-end collisions or when a truck suddenly stops, and the vehicle behind it can’t brake in time.
  • Override: Unlike underride accidents, an override accident happens when a truck runs over a smaller vehicle in front of it, often due to the truck’s inability to stop in time.
  • Blind spot accidents: Trucks have large blind spots where smaller vehicles can disappear from the driver’s view. Accidents occur when a truck changes lanes or makes a turn without seeing a vehicle in its blind spot.
  • Tire blowouts: When a truck’s tire suddenly bursts, it can lead to loss of control and accidents. Poor maintenance, overloading, and road hazards are common causes of tire blowouts.
  • Brake failure accidents: Malfunctioning brakes or inadequate maintenance can lead to brake failure in trucks, resulting in accidents, especially on steep slopes or during sudden stops.
  • Cargo spills: Improperly secured cargo can spill onto the road, creating hazards for other vehicles. Cargo spills can occur due to overloading, improper loading techniques, or faulty restraints.
  • Wide turn accidents: Trucks require a significant amount of space to make turns, and they may swing wide to navigate corners. If other vehicles are in the truck’s path during a turn, collisions can occur.

Common Causes of Truck Accidents

Myriad factors can contribute to or cause a truck accident. Human error, malfunctioning parts, or pressure from the trucking company to meet deadlines can all lead to devastating collisions, injuries, and fatalities. Some of the most common causes of truck accidents include:
  • Distracted truck drivers, including those texting, eating, or drinking while driving
  • Intoxicated truck drivers, including both drunk and drugged driving
  • Fatigued truck drivers and/or falling asleep at the wheel
  • Third-party negligence, such as another motorist changing lanes recklessly
  • Improper/insufficient truck maintenance
  • Unrealistic driving schedules, deadlines, and quotas
  • Overloaded or improperly loaded cargo
  • Failure to abide by hours-of-service laws set by the state/federal government
  • Defective truck parts, such as brakes or tires
  • Defective truck design, leading to loss of control, rollovers, jackknifing, etc.
  • Poor weather conditions and/or low visibility
  • Defective/dangerous road design or construction
Note that this list is not exhaustive; there are nearly countless ways in which a truck accident may occur.
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Proving Liability

Like most personal injury claims, in order to recover compensation after a truck accident, you will typically need to prove that another party acted negligently and that this led to your injuries and damages. Doing this is not usually an easy task, as there may be multiple liable parties.

For example, because truck drivers are employed by trucking companies and are on the job when most accidents occur, their employers—the trucking companies—may be liable for their actions. Therefore, it may be possible to hold both a negligent truck driver and his or her employer accountable.

If improper truck maintenance led to the accident, the person or party responsible for conducting said maintenance can be held liable. If a defective truck tire blew out, causing the truck driver to lose control of the vehicle and slam into your car, the designer, manufacturer, or distributor of the tire may be liable, depending on what type of defect it had. When a dangerous roadway leads to an accident, the local, state, or federal entity responsible for the roadway may be at fault.

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Injured in a trucking accident? Call 919-342-1368 for a consultation today.

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