Truck accidents can lead to severe outcomes due to the sheer size and weight of these commercial vehicles, meaning they impart considerable force in the event of a collision, often leaving victims with severe injuries and extensive property damage.
If you’ve been hurt in a truck accident in North Carolina, the at-fault party could owe you compensation for the many ways they’ve affected your life. Consult an experienced truck accident lawyer to learn more about the different types of damages you could be entitled to for both your economic and non-economic losses.
What Truck Accident Injuries in North Carolina Can Look Like
Negligent behavior on the part of truck drivers and trucking companies is behind many of the truck accidents in North Carolina, including:
- Speeding/driving too fast for conditions
- Reckless driving
- Tailgating/following too closely
- Improper wide turns
- Turning, changing lanes, or passing without signaling or checking mirrors
- Running red lights or stop signs
- Failing to yield the right of way
- Distracted driving
- Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
- Drowsy/fatigued driving
- Inadequate truck maintenance
- Unsafe cargo, including excessive loads, unbalanced weight, and unsecured items
Because commercial trucks weigh about a dozen times more than passenger vehicles, they hit with far greater force than cars, which means truck accident victims often suffer more severe injuries. Common truck accident injuries include:
- Broken bones
- Severe lacerations or degloving injuries
- Ligament sprains/tears
- Muscle or tendon strains/tears
- Crush injuries
- Burns from post-accident fires
- Herniated spinal disc injuries
- Nerve damage
- Internal organ damage and internal bleeding
- Spinal cord injuries and paralysis
- Facial injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Traumatic amputation/limb loss
Damages You Can Collect After a North Carolina Truck Accident
The damages you could recover in compensation for a truck accident injury in North Carolina come in two classes: economic and non-economic. Economic damages cover quantifiable losses you can calculate from financial records such as bills, invoices, receipts, or income statements. Examples of economic losses in a truck accident case include:
- Ongoing and future medical and rehabilitation expenses
- Ongoing and future costs of long-term disability care
- Ongoing and future lost wages from missed work
- Temporary or permanent loss of earning capacity
- Other out-of-pocket expenses, including purchases of medical supplies or transportation costs to travel to medical appointments or procedures
- Vehicle repair expenses or reimbursement of the value of your vehicle if the accident totaled it
Non-economic damages account for the subjective, personal harm you endure due to your injuries, disabilities, and subsequent medical treatment and rehabilitation. Examples of non-economic losses include:
- Physical pain and anguish from injuries and medical treatment (such as post-operative pain)
- Emotional trauma or distress
- Reduced quality of life caused by physical disabilities or disfigurement that interfere with your ability to perform daily tasks or participate in activities you enjoy
The Value of Your Truck Accident Claim
The dollar value of your truck accident claim will depend on a number of factors, including the following:
- The nature and severity of your injuries
- Whether your injuries have or will result in prolonged or permanent disabilities
- Whether your injuries or disabilities have kept you out of work or will prevent you from returning to the workforce
- The duration of your medical treatment and rehabilitation
- Whether you need long-term disability care or other support services
- The extent of property damage you sustained in the accident
- The number of parties who might be liable for your injuries and losses
- The number of other people also injured in the truck accident
- Whether you share any responsibility for causing the truck accident
- The availability and extent of insurance coverage
- The strength of the evidence supporting your claim
- The duration of the insurance company’s investigation and how long it takes to process your claim
- Whether you file a lawsuit to pursue compensation in court
Working with an experienced truck accident lawyer can help you maximize the value of your legal claim. An attorney can assess your ongoing expenses and the losses you will incur in the future so that you seek the full amount you’re owed — not just the money you need now but the money you will need down the road, too.
The Truck Accident Claim Process in NC
To pursue compensation in a truck accident claim, your lawyer will start by investigating the crash to obtain the evidence necessary to build a compelling case. Your lawyer should know how to recover critical evidence like:
- Police crash reports
- Surveillance/traffic camera footage
- Eyewitness statements
- Accident scene photos/videos
- Records from the trucking company, like driver hours-of-service records, cargo manifests, and truck maintenance/repair records
Your lawyer can also work with accident reconstruction and trucking industry experts to evaluate the evidence and craft persuasive arguments and opinion testimony.
After filing your claim with the truck company and its insurer, your attorney can begin negotiating with company representatives or insurance adjusters to pursue a settlement that pays your fair and total compensation. Should the trucking and insurance companies refuse to offer a fair settlement, your lawyer can file a lawsuit to pursue accountability and justice in court.
Effectively pursuing a truck accident claim can take considerable time and effort. Hiring a North Carolina truck accident injury lawyer can help you recover from the trauma you suffered by freeing you to focus on your medical treatment and rehabilitation, not the details of this intensive legal process.
Call Now for Your Free Consultation
If you’ve been hurt in a commercial truck crash, you may have the right to financial recovery from an at-fault truck driver or trucking company. Contact Hardison & Cochran today for a free, no-obligation consultation with a North Carolina truck accident attorney about the compensation you might be owed.
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