Brown Moore & Associates, PLLC has extensive experience providing representation to truck accident victims after they get hurt or a loved one has been killed in a semi-truck collision. With decades of collective experience, members of our legal team have helped clients to recover millions in damages. We can help you seek the compensation you deserve after your truck accident case so call now to schedule your free consultation with a Charlotte tractor-trailer accident lawyer: 800-948-0577.
Victims’ Rights After 18-Wheeler Accidents
If a tractor-trailer accident leaves you with injuries you have the right to be fully and fairly compensated for all financial and non-economic losses if you can prove someone else was to blame for the accident. In deadly truck collisions, family members of victims also have the right to wrongful death damages if they can make their claim.
Securing compensation involves showing negligence occurred or a legal duty was breached. Demonstrating a violation of Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs), which apply to commercial drivers, can create a presumption the driver was negligent. A trucking company or driver that failed to incorporate safety practices or safety features that are considered industry best-practices could also be considered negligent.
A negligent trucker can be personally responsible for the losses a tractor-trailer accident causes. In addition, his or her employer can be liable. Trucking companies are vicariously liable for the negligence of on-duty employees under agency rules, which means a trucking company can be sued if a driver violated FMCSRs, state driving laws, or was unreasonably careless.
How to Get Help with Truck Accident Cases
Trucking companies are required by federal regulations to have a $750,000 minimum in liability coverage. If the truck involved in the collision was transporting hazardous or toxic material, minimum liability coverage limits may be as high as $5 million.
Trucking companies have to carry large amounts of insurance to make sure there is enough money available to help victims who get badly hurt. The injuries sustained in a truck crash or untimely death can lead to huge medical expenses and a lifetime reduction in earning power if work abilities are affected by permanent injuries.
The Charlotte semi-truck accident lawyers at Brown Moore & Associates, PLLC can help victims and their families to pursue an out-of-court negotiated settlement to seek compensation for truck crashes or can provide assertive legal advocacy during court litigation so victims can make a strong case to convince a jury to fully compensate them for damages.
Don’t hesitate to get the help you need after a truck accident – you want to make sure you do everything you can to make a successful claim so you can get the best medical care and not face financial worries. Call toll-free today, 800-948-0577, to schedule your free consultation with a tractor-trailer accident lawyer in Charlotte. Brown Moore & Associates, PLLC serves clients in Charlotte as well as in surrounding areas throughout North Carolina.
Road accidents involving large trucks account for some of the most devastating crashes on our roads in Charlotte and all across North Carolina. While it is pretty apparent to anyone that motor vehicle accidents involving large trucks tend to cause severe injuries and damages, obtaining adequate financial compensation after a truck accident is never easy, mostly because the victims have to deal with both the truck driver and his or her trucking company.
Fact: Each year, nearly 2,000 truck accidents occur in North Carolina, resulting in approximately 30 deaths and 500 injuries.
“On top of that, insurance companies representing trucking companies are notorious for trying to undervalue and deny valid claims from truck accident victims,” warns our Charlotte truck accident attorney from Brown Moore & Associates, PLLC.
What Federal and State Laws Govern Truck Accidents in North Carolina?
There are hundreds of federal and state laws that apply to truck drivers and commercial trucking companies in the state of North Carolina. Some of the most basic laws regulating the trucking industry are:
- The number of consecutive hours a truck driver is allowed to drive without taking a break
- The training a truck driver must complete prior to driving a large truck
- The frequency of inspections and maintenance of trucks
- The weight limit of the commercial truck and its load
- Drug and alcohol use by the trucker
- The type and amount of insurance coverage that a truck is required to carry
North Carolina truck drivers are required to follow the traffic laws that apply to all other motorists on our roads and highways.
Who Are Liable for My Truck Collision in North Carolina?
In North Carolina, several parties can be held liable for truck accidents. Therefore, victims of collisions involving large trucks have a right to collect money from multiple parties. In fact, more often than not, legal actions stemming from these accidents tend to involve more than one defendant.
Our North Carolina truck accident lawyer at Brown Moore & Associates, PLLC, can help you maximize the sum of money you will recover in your personal injury claim by suing the following parties:
- The driver of the truck
- The truckers’ employer (trucking company)
- The owner of the trucking company, which may not be the same person
- The owner of the truck
- The manufacturer of the vehicle
- The maintenance company or independent auto mechanic who inspected and maintained the vehicle
- A government entity (city, state, municipality, or other) that contributed to the truck crash by creating or failing to remedy dangerous conditions that caused the accident
Why Do You Need a Charlotte Truck Accident Attorney?
When trying to seek compensation for your injury after a North Carolina truck accident, there is one major obstacle that you will undoubtedly encounter. That obstacle is the pure contributory negligence rule, which is followed by the state of North Carolina. Under this legal doctrine, a plaintiff is prohibited from recovering compensation if he or she contributed to the truck accident in even the slightest way.
North Carolina is one of five states that still follow this outdated and ridiculous rule. Insurance companies in North Carolina, meanwhile, could not be happier about the fact that this legal doctrine still exists in the state because they need to find any evidence that you were in the tiniest way responsible for the accident to deny your claim.
That’s why it is so vital to hire a Charlotte truck accident lawyer from Brown Moore & Associates, PLLC, to fight for your compensation and prove that the other party’s negligence was fully responsible for causing the crash. Call 704-335-1500 to get a free evaluation of your truck accident case.
