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 (855) 757-4204 or contact us online. We speak Spanish!

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.

What Causes a Truck Rollover Accident?

When a vehicle turns on its side or roof during an accident, this is referred to as rollover. Rollovers can be caused by a number of factors including excessive cornering, tripping, collision, or traversing a critical slope.

How Does Excessive Cornering Start?

Excessive cornering happens when a vehicle takes a turn too quickly. Inertial forces push a vehicle in the direction it was originally going, so if you're going straight and then suddenly turn, the car's inertia is still moving straight ahead. In smaller vehicles, this will make the car slip out or spin, but often this will cause larger vehicles like trucks or SUVs to rollover.

When Does Tripping Occur?

Tripping rollovers can occur when a vehicle is sliding and then one or more tires hit a curb, suddenly regain traction, dig into soft ground, or something similar. Physics will once again cause the car to topple over in this instance.

Collisions With Other Vehicles

In general, an impact with another motor vehicle or object objects can also cause a truck to rollover if it becomes unstable enough as a result of the collision, such as a strong side impact. Crossing a ditch or slope can also cause a rollover if taken at the wrong angle or too high of a speed.

Regardless of how a collision occurs, victims can suffer severe, life-altering injuries, including spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, broken bones, paralysis, internal organ damage, and more.

Injured in a trucking accident? Call (855) 757-4204 for a consultation today.

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.

As you can see, truck accident claims can become incredibly complex very quickly. However, at Lanier Law Group, our North Carolina truck accident lawyers have decades of experience and a vast knowledge of the law. We know how to thoroughly investigate the cause of your accident, determine who is liable, gather sufficient evidence to support your claim, and fight tirelessly for the full, fair compensation you are owed.

Staying Safe on the Road

While some truck accidents are truly unavoidable, there are certain things you can do on the road to limit the likelihood of an accident. Never follow a truck too closely and if a truck comes up behind you and starts tailgating, change lanes and let it pass. You should also always avoid trucks’ blind spots. If the truck driver cannot see you, he or she may turn or change lanes into your vehicle.

If you notice a truck driver driving in an unsafe manner, wait until it is safe to pull over and then call local law enforcement or the number posted on the back of the truck (if applicable) to report it. However, never jeopardize your own safety; steer clear of any truck that seems to be drifting across lanes, speeding, or behaving recklessly or dangerously.

Fighting for the Fair Recovery You Are Owed

If you were injured in a truck accident or lost a loved one in a truck-vehicle collision, we understand the immense burdens you are facing. Our legal team is committed to helping you secure fair compensation for your medical bills, lost income/wages, lost future wages, pain and suffering, emotional distress, and other damages.

We have multiple office locations throughout North Carolina to better serve you, including Asheville, Charlotte, and Raleigh, and we offer our services on a contingency fee basis; there is no cost to you unless/until we recover compensation on your behalf.

Call us today at (855) 757-4204 to request your free initial consultation. Se habla español.