North Carolina Truck Accident Attorneys

North Carolina Truck Accident Attorneys

Many commercial vehicles come into North Carolina to make deliveries or pick up goods or passengers, as well as pass through the state on their way up or down the coast. Despite the importance of commercial vehicles to the state’s economy, drivers should be aware that large trucks pose a serious risk of accidents and injuries.

NC Trucking Laws

Like every state, North Carolina has its own traffic laws in addition to the federal commercial trucking regulations. The state issues its own Commercial Driver License (CDL) Manual¹ and the Department of Public Safety is in charge of Commercial Motor Vehicle Enforcement.² Laws regarding commercial trucks cover a wide range of topics, including:

• Qualifications to operate a commercial vehicle
• Impaired driving
• Weight limits for trucks
• Inspections
• Hours of service
• Hazardous materials
• Cargo safety

These regulations are in place to keep motorists safe, however, not even a variety of safety laws can prevent all truck accidents from occurring.

Types of Truck Accidents

Truck accidents can happen in a number of ways and different types of collisions can result in different types and degrees of injury. For example, if a truck runs a vehicle off the road and the vehicle stops, it is likely the passengers suffered relatively minor injuries, if any. On the other hand, override or underride collisions can completely crush a large part of a car and can cause permanent or fatal injuries to anyone riding in that area of the car. Some truck accidents involve chain reactions, such as a truck hits a pothole and the driver loses control, the trailer jackknifes and then rolls over onto its side, causing cargo to fall out onto the highway and causing additional traffic issues.

Causes of Truck Accidents

There are many potential causes of truck accidents, many of which involve driver error on the part of the truck driver. Some common errors include:

• Impaired driving
• Fatigued driving
• Failure to comply with NC laws
• Aggressive driving
• Distracted driving
• Not slowing down for adverse traffic or weather conditions

While truck drivers most commonly cause truck accidents, other parties may be liable for a crash, as well. For example, trucking companies are often held liable for the negligent acts of their employees and a company can even be held liable in its own light if the company engaged in negligent hiring or other dangerous acts.

Truck Accident Checklist

After a truck accident, you should always remember to do the following things:

• Talk to police
• Seek medical attention
• Take photos of the scene
• Get information from witnesses

All of the above can work to preserve your rights for recover for medical bills, lost income, and more.

Why Hire an Attorney

The losses due to a truck accident injury can be extensive. If you do not carefully choose an experienced truck accident lawyer, you risk losing a lot of the money you deserve. A skilled truck crash attorney will know how to best handle your case for the most favorable results possible.
¹https://www.ncdot.gov/download/dmv/handbooks_CDLmanual.pdf

²https://www.ncdps.gov/Our-Organization/Law-Enforcement/State-Highway-Patrol/Commercial-Motor-Vehicle-Enforcement