Any motor vehicle collision can cause serious harm, but a crash involving a large commercial truck can result in devastating, possibly life-threatening injuries to the person in the smaller vehicle.
If you suffered injuries in a collision with a truck, emergency medical personnel might have brought you to a hospital, where you might have undergone one or more surgeries. You may have permanent disabilities and require round-the-clock care for the rest of your life.
You might have incurred staggering medical bills that keep coming for months or years. Your injuries may have left you temporarily or permanently unable to work at your previous job. Your company might offer you a different position with lower pay, or you might have to find a new job in another field to support yourself and your family.
In the meantime, you and your spouse may struggle to cover everyday living expenses, such as your rent or mortgage, utilities, and food. Your injuries, financial stress, and worries about the future may have impacted your entire family mentally and emotionally, straining relationships with loved ones as you determine your next move.
A Raleigh truck accident lawyer could help you file a personal injury lawsuit against the truck driver or another party to seek compensation for your medical bills, repair bills, lost income, lost or reduced earning capacity, and pain and suffering. Call the team at Ben Crump Law, PLLC, today at (844) 430-1030 to receive a free case evaluation.
Determining Liability for a Truck Accident
Suppose the truck driver who hit you drove over the speed limit, drove while intoxicated, used a cell phone behind the wheel, or violated another traffic law that led to the crash. In that case, you could hold them liable for your injuries and other losses. However, other parties could have liability as well.
Trucking Companies
If the crash involved a commercial truck, you could hold the company that owned the truck and employed the driver responsible. Sometimes, their responsibility falls under the doctrine of vicarious liability, meaning employers have responsibility for their employees’ actions. If the company argues that what the driver did falls outside the scope of their work responsibilities, you have other options to hold it accountable.
Under Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulations, trucking companies must screen job applicants to ensure the people they hire have the proper qualifications and do not have a record of unsafe driving. They must provide truckers with appropriate training and allow adequate time to rest so they can remain alert and avoid accidents. Companies should regularly inspect, maintain, and repair vehicles to ensure their safety. They must load cargo so it cannot shift inside a moving vehicle and cause the driver to lose control.
Another Driver
It is possible that another driver also played a role in your collision. For instance, another driver may have run a red light and hit the truck, and the impact pushed the truck into your vehicle. In that case, the driver who ran the red light could have liability for the damage to all vehicles and the injuries to all parties involved.
Truck Manufacturers
The truck that hit you may have had a design flaw or manufacturing defect that made it unsafe, causing the driver to lose control under some circumstances. A manufacturing defect may have caused the brakes or another system to fail. The company that produced the truck could have responsibility in that case.
Mechanics and Parts Manufacturers
A mechanic may have performed a repair incorrectly, or a part they used to fix an issue may have had a design flaw or been defective. In that case, a court could find the mechanic or the part manufacturer liable for the accident.
A Raleigh truck accident lawyer could help you determine whether you can hold other parties besides the driver liable. Call Ben Crump Law, PLLC, today to learn more.
For a free legal consultation with a truck accidents lawyer serving Raleigh, call (844) 430-1030
How a Raleigh Truck Accident Lawyer Can Help You
The team at Ben Crump Law, PLLC, can investigate to pinpoint the cause of the crash and figure out liability. We can start by reviewing the accident report to understand the sequence of events and learn whether the police officer who responded to the collision scene gave anyone a ticket or a warning for violating any traffic law.
We can speak with you, your passengers, and any eyewitnesses to gather more information. We can find out if any surveillance cameras at an intersection or a local business or residence captured the crash on video. If we have reason to believe that a problem with the truck itself may have caused or contributed to the accident, we could enlist the help of independent experts to inspect the vehicle and note any safety issues. If the collision involved a commercial truck, our team might review company documents related to hiring, training, employment practices, and vehicle maintenance and inspections to determine if the company violated any FMCSA rules.
Raleigh Truck Accident Lawyer Near Me (844) 430-1030
Contact a Personal Injury Attorney
A Raleigh truck accident lawyer can help you file a personal injury lawsuit against the person or company liable for the crash and seek compensation for your past and future medical bills, lost income, repair bills, and pain and suffering.
Ben Crump Law, PLLC, has represented numerous clients across the United States in truck accidents and helped them seek justice. We often negotiate out-of-court settlements, but we will go to trial if necessary to obtain fair compensation for an injured client.
Do not let worries about legal fees stop you from seeking a financial award you deserve. Our team operates on contingency. We do not charge clients in personal injury cases any upfront fees. We only collect payment if we secure a financial award for a client.
Keep in mind that under North Carolina General Statutes § 1-52, the statute of limitations in personal injury cases is three years. If you miss the deadline to file a lawsuit, you could give up your right to seek compensation. Call Ben Crump Law, PLLC, today at (844) 430-1030 so our team can review your case.
Call or text (844) 430-1030 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
