Hickory Truck Accident Lawyer

Hickory Truck Accident Attorney

Commercial trucks are a necessary part of our state and national economy. Due to their sheer weight and size, however, they can prove to be a large risk to other drivers on the roadways, and a simple mistake can cause devastating and widespread injuries and property damage. If you were in a truck crash, you may be entitled to recover monetary compensation to help ease certain financial burdens, and a experienced Hickory truck accident lawyer can prove essential.

At Roberts Law Firm, P.A., we have a long history of assisting clients to recover the compensation they deserve after suffering an injury that was caused through no fault of their own.

For over 40 years, we have been working to ensure our clients are taken care of, and the financial burden of their injuries is not placed solely on their shoulders. Suffering an accident can be scary enough, but dealing with mounting medical bills and lost income only adds to your stress.

If you were hurt in a truck crash in Hickory, North Carolina, due to the negligence or reckless behavior of a truck driver, their employer, or another liable party, you have the legal right to seek the recovery of your damages, and Roberts Law Firm, P.A., can help.

Types of Truck Crashes in Hickory, North Carolina

A truck crash is any motorized vehicle collision that involves a commercial truck such as a delivery vehicle, semi-truck, tractor-trailer, or large rig. These accidents often result in devastating injuries, property damage, and even death due to the massive weight and size of these vehicles. Common types of truck crashes seen in Hickory, North Carolina, include the following:

• Jackknife accidents. These accidents can happen when a commercial truck’s trailer swings out to the side at a sharp angle. This can happen when the driver of a truck loses control of their vehicle or brakes suddenly and sharply.
• Rollover accidents. When a commercial truck rolls onto its roof or side, it is considered a rollover accident. These accidents are typically caused by taking sharp turns, driving at excessively high speeds, or being loaded in an improper or off-balance way.
• Blind spot accidents. Because of their large size, trucks tend to have massive blind spots, which can block the driver’s view or cause them to not be able to see other cars around them. Accidents can happen after a truck tries a lane change or makes a turn without being able to see the vehicle placed directly in its blind spot. Other truck drivers may simply fail to check their blind spots when making these maneuvers.
• Cargo spillage. When cargo is improperly secured, it can spill out over the roadway and create a hazardous scenario for other drivers. These spills can happen because of improper loading, fault restraints or ties, and overloading of the truck.
• Underride accidents. Such accidents happen when a vehicle is smaller than the truck and becomes trapped beneath the side or rear of a commercial truck. This often happens in rear-end collision situations when trucks suddenly stop and the vehicle tailing it cannot stop in the amount of time available.
• Override accidents. These accidents can occur when a large truck runs over a smaller vehicle in front of it. This often happens due to the truck’s inability to stop in time and can be the result of the truck driver’s inattention or when the smaller vehicle suddenly brakes.
• Brake failure accidents. When the brake system of a commercial truck malfunctions or there has been poor or inadequate maintenance done to this part of the vehicle, the system can fail, which can cause horrific accidents, especially on steep inclines, or when a sudden stop becomes necessary.
• Accidents due to wide turning. Due to their size, commercial trucks require a large amount of space in which to make necessary turns and they may try to swing wide in order to miss hitting corners or curbs. If other vehicles are in the way of the truck’s path during these turns, accidents can arise.

If you suffered injuries or property damage in any of these kinds of accidents involving commercial trucks, the attorneys at Roberts Law Firm, P.A., are here to help.

Common Reasons for Truck Crashes

There are many factors that can cause trucking accidents in Hickory, North Carolina. Most often, these factors boil down to some combination of human error, negligence or recklessness on the part of the trucking company, and malfunctioning truck components. Common reasons for truck accidents include the following:

• Actions of distracted driving, including texting and driving, eating, drinking, grooming and driving, reaching for something inside the vehicle, interacting with passengers, or tuning the radio or temperature controls.
• Truck drivers are operating their trucks while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, which is not only illegal but can result in some of the most devastating injuries and even death.
• Third-party reckless behavior or negligence, such as another driver improperly changing lanes and causing the truck to lose control or veer off into another lane of traffic.
• Improperly or insufficiently maintained trucks.
• Overloaded or improperly loaded truck cargo.
• Pressure from the trucking company to meet unrealistic driving deadlines, quotas, or schedules.
• Defective or malfunctioning truck components or systems, such as engines, brakes, tires, or steering systems.
• Defective truck design, which can cause easier jackknife scenarios, rollovers, or the loss of control.
• Poor weather conditions like fog, rain, heavy wind, snow, or ice which can cause low visibility and the loss of tire traction.
• Defective or dangerous road construction or design or poor road maintenance, such as the presence of loose gravel, cracked or missing pavement, and potholes.
• Behaviors of reckless driving such as speeding, tailgating, or violating traffic laws.

This list is not exhaustive, and there are many reasons for truck accidents to occur. If you were hurt in a collision with a commercial truck in North Carolina, no matter the cause, or especially in cases where the cause is unclear, you need to contact a personal injury attorney.

Injuries Seen in Trucking Accidents

Accidents with commercial trucks are often more serious and even more deadly than collisions with other vehicles. The injuries most commonly seen in trucking accidents can include the following:

• Traumatic brain injuries.
• Spinal cord injuries.
• Amputations or the loss of limbs.
• Facial trauma.
• Eye injuries.
• Head, shoulder, back, and neck injuries.
• Chronic pain conditions.
• Road rash.
• Cuts, bruises, and lacerations.
• Thermal or chemical burns.
• Broken bones or fractures.
• Soft tissue damage.
• Damage to internal organs.
• Internal bleeding.
• Nerve damage.
• Concussions.
• Paralysis.
• Wrongful death.

Certain injuries can cause lifelong problems or conditions that can cause an immense amount of financial hardship for victims. No matter the extent of your injuries following a truck crash, contacting a lawyer is the essential thing to do in order to save yourself the emotional stress and fear of constantly worrying about how you will pay for any outstanding medical debt or make a wage in order to support yourself and your loved ones.

Proving Liability

Proving liability or fault in a commercial truck accident is the most vital step in securing the compensation and justice you deserve in Hickory, North Carolina. Following an accident, if you are physically capable of doing so, there are several forms of evidence you can collect that may be able to help support and prove your future liability claim. These forms of evidence include:

• Photographs or videos of your injuries or those sustained by other passengers inside your vehicle.
• Photographs or videos of the extent of property damage done to your vehicle.
• Photographs or videos of the scene of the accident itself, including the positioning of the vehicles and any road conditions that might have led to the accident.
• Statements from any potential eyewitnesses.
• The name of the truck driver, their employer, and their insurance information.

In order to prove a liability claim, you and your attorney need to demonstrate the truth of the following statements:

• The truck driver owed you a specific duty to use reasonable care while operating their vehicle.
• The truck driver then breached this duty through reckless or negligent driving or by not following applicable regulations of commercial trucking.
• This breach caused the accident to occur.
• You suffered injuries or property damage as a result of this breach of duty.

Compensation Available to Truck Accident Victims

There are several forms of compensation you may be entitled to receive in a truck crash claim in North Carolina, depending on the nature and severity of your injuries and the circumstances involved in the accident itself.

This compensation can include medical costs, lost wages, property repair/replacement, future medical costs, lost earning ability due to temporary or permanent disability, pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of consortium or the enjoyment of life, punitive damages, and wrongful death damages.

Contact Our Lawyers Team to Get Help with Truck Accident Cases

If you or someone you love has been injured or suffered property damage as the result of a trucking accident, you need to contact the team at Roberts Law Firm, P.A. We can help you seek the compensation and justice you deserve. There is no time to waste; call our offices and schedule your initial consultation today!