A car accident can cause serious injuries or fatalities, depending on the circumstances. But if one of the vehicles involved happens to be a large truck or tractor-trailer, the consequences are sure to be severe due to the truck’s massive size and weight.
In many cases, the truck driver is at fault for the truck accident, but it’s the people in the passenger car who suffer the most severe injuries. Nearly 150 people were killed in accidents involving large trucks in North Carolina just in 2021.
If you or someone you love has been injured in a truck accident, you may be entitled to compensation. The Raleigh truck accident lawyers at Hardison & Cochran can help.
We recognize that you need to focus on recovering from your truck accident injuries, not confronting trucking companies and their insurers. That’s why we’re ready to fight for you.
At Hardison & Cochran, we’re committed to holding all responsible parties accountable for the injuries they cause. Our goal is to attain full and fair compensation to cover your medical bills, lost income, regular expenses and pain and suffering.
Don’t delay getting the justice you deserve after a North Carolina truck accident. Call us toll free at 800-434-8399 or fill out our online contact form. You’ll get a response within 24 hours, and your initial consultation is always free.
Causes of Truck Accidents in North Carolina
If you think there are more big trucks on the highways these days, you’re right! There are now more than 10.5 million large trucks registered in the United States, a 74 percent increase in 20 years.
While commercial trucking growth is good news for the trucking companies and the nation’s economy, it is bad news for the cars, vans, and SUVs that share North Carolina’s roads with these potentially lethal giants.
Truck accidents, including wrecks involving tractor-trailers, 18-wheelers, big rigs, semi-trucks, and dump trucks, are most often caused by:
- Aggressive drivers
- Unrealistic delivery schedules that encourage speeding and fatigued driving
- Failure to inspect tires, brakes, trailer couplings, lights, and other equipment
- Tailgating
- Impairment caused by the abuse of over-the-counter or prescription medications, as well as alcohol and illegal drugs
- Cell phone use and other driver distractions
- Failure to install and check blind spot mirrors
- Jackknifing
- Speeding and ignoring reduced truck speed limits.
Every 16 minutes, a person is killed or sustains injuries in accidents involving 18-wheelers, tractor-trailers, or semi-trucks. In North Carolina, more than 16,000 crashes involved tractor trailers including 150 fatalities and 3,800 injuries in 2021, according to the N.C. Department of Transportation.
