Charlotte Injury Lawyers Blog
What You Need to Know About Truck Accidents in North Carolina
Commercial trucks are abundant on our roads in North Carolina and across the country. More than 38 million trucks are registered for business use in the United States, and another 4 million Class 8 trucks, including tractors and straight trucks. Large commercial trucks are also called big rigs, semi-trucks, 18-wheelers, or tractor-trailers. These trucks are necessary for our economy, and without big rigs, our grocery stores would run out of groceries in just a few days. Unfortunately, when we share the road with so many big rigs, there will likely be more accidents.
What Causes Big Rig Accidents?
There are many factors that could cause or contribute to significant truck accidents. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) gathers data from truck accidents and publishes a report about the causes of large truck crashes. They classify general crash causes and contributing factors into three main areas, including driver error, mechanical issues, and road conditions. Of these, driver error is the most common cause or element that contributes to accidents. It is important to note that large commercial trucks can weigh as much as 80,000 pounds or more. This makes them more challenging to control and stop when an incident happens.
Charlotte Personal Injury Attorney Matt Arnold answers the question: How does the law of contributory negligence play a role in my case?
Driver Error
There are a wide variety of actions that fall under the category of driver error. Some of the most common types of driver errors include failure to yield, failure to obey traffic signals, speeding, and failure to control the vehicle. Improper lane change, and more. Other things can also be driver errors such as distracted driving, driving while fatigued, and driving while impaired. A truck driver could be inadequately trained or might need more experience driving a big rig. When truck drivers encounter a situation requiring action, they may not act appropriately. If the driver’s negligence caused an accident, the driver, trucking company, and others could be held accountable for damages. 
Negligence in Truck Accidents
In order to seek damages for injuries caused by a truck accident, you must be able to prove negligence. Negligence means that the person knew or should have known that something they did was dangerous and could harm others. When a truck accident occurs, you will need to act quickly to obtain the type of evidence necessary for your case. Trucks have electronic logs that record the time that a driver spends on the road. The law requires drivers to rest periodically and to stop driving after they reach the allowed number of consecutive hours on the road. Trucking companies must also keep maintenance records and have the trucks inspected on a regular basis. The cargo must be loaded properly and secured so it does not shift during transit. A truck accident attorney knows what to look for in these types of cases and will work on your behalf to gather the evidence needed for your claim.
Do not delay if you or a loved one were seriously hurt in a truck accident, do not delay. Contact our team of experienced lawyers at Arnold & Smith, PLLC, at (704) 370-2828 for a consultation.
The skilled personal injury attorneys at Arnold & Smith, PLLC are dedicated to maximizing the financial recovery and obtaining justice for every personal injury client injured by another party’s negligence. The issues our personal injury clients may be facing include, but are not limited to, slip and fall injuries, wrongful death, product liability, catastrophic injuries, dog bite claims, car and truck accident injuries, motorcycle injuries, traumatic brain injury (TBI), nursing home negligence, spinal cord injury, boating accidents, and defective medical device injury. Our personal injury attorneys understand the devastating impact such an injury can have on a person’s life, and that the effects so often go beyond physical pain and suffering. The personal injury attorneys at Arnold & Smith, PLLC are dedicated to helping clients determine the strength of their claims, and to aggressively pursuing the means necessary to achieve the best possible end result for each client’s particular situation.
Source:
Economics and Industry Data | American Trucking Associations
Large Truck Crash Causation Study | FMCSA (dot.gov)
Image Credit:
https://www.freeimages.com/photo/truck-accident-1450067
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