North Carolina Truck Accident Attorney

Recovering Compensation for Your North Carolina Truck Accident Losses

The injuries you experience from a truck accident can affect the rest of your life. Truck accidents can cause broken bones, burns, lacerations, spinal cord injuries, internal organ damage, traumatic brain injuries, and more. Every injury comes with its obstacles on the road to recovery. You may be unable to work or need assistance completing your daily activities, such as bathing and going to the bathroom.

Fair compensation should cover all your losses, both that you are currently facing and those you may face in the future due to your injuries. Your North Carolina commercial truck accident lawyer will fight for the maximum compensation you are eligible for.

You may be able to recover compensation for:

• Medical Expenses: Including emergency room care, follow-up appointments, surgeries, prescription medications, and physical therapy
• Lost Wages and Benefits: PTO, lost job benefits, and lost income if you cannot work due to your injuries
• Reduced Earning Capacity: If you cannot continue working at the same capacity due to your injuries or you cannot return to work
• Long-Term Care: If you cannot live on your own without daily assistance and need to have in-home care or live in an assisted living facility
• Property Damage: For repairing or replacing your vehicle
• Other Expenses: Home modifications, mobility aids, and even mileage to and from doctor appointments
• Non-Economic Losses: The physical and emotional toll of your injuries, such as pain and suffering, emotional distress, and lowered quality of life

If a loved one lost their life due to a North Carolina semi-truck accident, you may be eligible to recover financial compensation for this tragedy. No amount of money can bring your loved one back, but compensation can help you deal with the unexpected financial burdens of their loss. You could recover damages for the loss of their financial support, loss of companionship, the cost of their emergency medical care, and funeral and burial expenses.

How a North Carolina Truck Accident Lawyer Helps After a Crash

Dealing with the aftermath of an accident goes beyond recovering from your injuries; it can mean the anxiety of not knowing when you’ll be able to work again or how you’ll cover medical bills and the stress of emotional trauma and physical pain. A personal injury claim can help you recover your financial stability; however, pursuing that compensation may seem out of reach in your current state. A North Carolina 18-wheeler accident attorney takes on the legal process for you.

They will:

• Handle all communications with insurance companies
• Investigate to determine the liable party (or parties) in your case
• Gather evidence to support your claim
• File paperwork, ensuring it is accurate and complete
• Negotiate for fair compensation
• Advise you on any settlement offers you receive
• Represent you in court if needed

The Goldwater Law Firm team has spent over 20 years helping injury victims recover compensation and obtain the justice they deserve. Our extensive network of specialists and experts can help support your claim. Contact us today to get started on your case right away.

Who Is Liable for Your North Carolina Commercial Truck Accident?

Unlike car accidents, where the other driver is typically your liable party, truck accidents can quickly become complicated due to multiple possible liable parties. These parties include:

• The truck driver, whose recklessness caused the crash
• The trucking company could be directly liable or vicariously liable (e.g., directly liable if its actions or inactions caused or contributed to the crash, vicariously liable if the truck driver’s negligence caused the crash)
• Mechanics or truck manufacturers that may have installed or created faulty parts

A North Carolina semi-truck accident lawyer will carefully investigate to ensure that they identify all liable parties.

How a North Carolina Truck Accident Attorney Can Build Your Case

For a successful truck accident claim, proving that negligence occurred is essential. This involves demonstrating the four elements of negligence. These elements are:

• The liable party owed you a duty of care. The duty of care is the responsibility that someone owes to another. For example, a truck driver must obey traffic laws when sharing the road with other drivers.
• They breached their duty of care through reckless or otherwise irresponsible behavior. For example, a trucking company knowingly overloads its trucks, which causes them to be less stable and more likely to turn over when at high speeds.
• Their breach directly led to your accident. A truck turned a corner and rolled over due to overloading, which caused a serious accident with a passenger car.
• You suffered losses due to their breach. For example, you have medical records proving your injury was the direct result of the accident.

Your commercial truck accident attorney will prove these elements through careful analysis of evidence.

Helpful Evidence for Determining Negligence in Truck Accident Cases

Investigating your accident can be challenging, as it may rely on difficult-to-obtain evidence or substantiating an analysis with expert knowledge. A lawyer can become even more of an asset during this time. They can:

• Interview witnesses
• Consult with experts, such as those in the trucking industry or accident reconstruction
• Review surveillance footage, such as from security cameras, traffic cams, and cellphones
• Obtain black box data from the truck, driving logs and maintenance records from the trucking company, drug and alcohol test results, and police reports
• Analyze physical evidence, such as skid marks, debris, and vehicle damage

It’s important to remember that moving quickly is often necessary for evidence collection. For example, security cameras usually have footage overwritten on a set schedule. Contact The Goldwater Law Firm to investigate your accident as soon as possible.

Laws Affecting Your North Carolina Trucking Accident Case

Several different laws can affect your case.

Statutes of Limitations

Evidence collection is not the only reason to promptly start your case. In North Carolina, you typically only have three years to pursue a personal injury lawsuit or two years for a wrongful death lawsuit. If you contact them early enough, your semi-truck accident attorney will file your case within the legally required timeframe.

Contributory Negligence

Legal deadlines are just the beginning. Other state and federal laws also influence your case. For instance, North Carolina’s pure contributory negligence law can be a significant hurdle. This law states that you cannot seek compensation if you are even 1% at fault for your injuries.

This is why having an attorney on your side is so important, protecting your rights and your case. We recommend that you contact us, even if you think you may have contributed to your accident.

Federal Trucking Regulations

Additionally, the trucking industry must abide by numerous federal regulations. These regulations include Hours-of-Service rules, which limit how long drivers can remain on duty. Your lawyer will examine driver logs and other materials to determine what laws the truck driver or trucking company may have disregarded.

How Can You Help Your Case After a North Carolina Truck Accident?

Your health and safety should always be your number one priority. Seek medical attention immediately following an accident, as early diagnosis and treatment are among the most significant factors in successful recovery rates.

In addition to getting medical attention, you should also report the accident to the police. Police officers can ensure the safety of everyone involved by securing the scene and redirecting traffic if needed. They will also complete a crash report, which details their analysis of the accident. This report can be integral to proving fault.

If you can, photograph your injuries and the accident scene. If not, ask a bystander to do so. Your lawyer can also investigate the scene later if necessary.

Finally, be careful when speaking with the insurance company. While you are recovering and vulnerable, the insurance adjuster may call to get your side of the story. They may aggressively ask leading questions, sometimes even while you are in the hospital. If you must speak to them directly, stick to the facts and avoid taking any blame. Have your lawyer in the room with you during any discussion with an adjuster. You can also direct any questions they may have directly to your attorney.