Injuries Associated with Commercial Vehicle Crashes
A commercial vehicle can weigh up to 25 times more than an average sedan in the U.S., which is why it is not surprising why commercial vehicle accidents often cause life-threatening and catastrophic injuries such as:
- Traumatic brain injury
- Broken bones
- Severe burn injury
- Paralysis
- Concussion
- Limb loss or amputation
- Spinal cord injuries
- Internal bleeding.
Each of these injuries can lead to hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars in non-economic and economic losses and damages. In the state of North Carolina, seeking compensation for these devastating injuries can be tough because our state follows the rule of contributory negligence.
What it means is it bars you from getting reimbursed for your losses and damages if you were at least one percent at fault for your injury. Trucking companies and insurers take advantage of that rule, which allows them to deny and undervalue valid claims.
Our Charlotte commercial vehicle accident lawyer can help you recover maximum compensation even if the other party is trying to make you at-fault for the crash.
What is a Commercial Vehicle?
Contrary to popular belief, commercial vehicles are not just trucks. A commercial vehicle is any vehicle that is owned by a business or used for business purposes. A commercial vehicle can be used to carry both people and goods.
These are the most common types of commercial vehicles:
- Passenger buses
- Tractor-trailers
- Delivery vans
- Garbage trucks
- Tow trucks
- Limousines
- Transportation vans
Personal vs. Commercial Vehicle Crashes: What is the Difference?
Following a collision between two personal vehicles, establishing liability is relatively straightforward. More often than not, the motorist who breached his or her duty of care and violated a traffic law will be responsible for the crash, while his or her insurance company will pay for the damages.
A motor vehicle crash in which one or several vehicles are owned by a company or operated for business purposes is going to be more complicated. Recovering damages is usually the most complicated step in such cases.
Unlike in accidents involving personal vehicles, determining liability for a commercial vehicle crash can be tough. Working with a Charlotte commercial vehicle accident attorney, you can determine whether or not the trucker’s employer shares fault for the accident. In some cases, the list of liable parties includes not just the at-fault driver and his or her employer, but also the loader, maintenance company, auto manufacturer, and others.
Speak to our truck accident lawyers at Brown Moore & Associates, PLLC, to determine liable parties in your case. Call our offices at 704-335-1500 (local) or 800-948-0577 (toll-free) to receive a free consultation.