If you have been hit by an 18-wheeler or a large commercial truck in North Carolina you may be seriously injured and in need of representation by a Raleigh truck accident lawyer. Commercial trucking companies have sophisticated insurance agents whose job it is to save their clients’ money by paying out as little money as possible in a truck accident case.
Raleigh Truck Accident Laws
In North Carolina, if you have been injured in a truck accident through no fault of your own you can recover the costs of your medical expenses, missed time from work, and be compensated for your pain and suffering. Punitive damages are awarded rarely.
In order for you to recover from NC Personal Injury Litigation, you must file your case in court before the statute of limitations runs out. The best course of action is to contact a truck accident attorney who can represent your legal interests and guide you through the next steps after an accident.
At The Bishop Law Firm, we have experienced truck and car accident lawyers in North Carolina with experience in personal injury law. Our team can help you or your loved one with a free case review to explore your options after a truck accident.
Also read Raleigh Car Accident Statistics and Twenty Ways to Avoid Raleigh Car Accidents
Do You Need a Raleigh Truck Accident Lawyer for Your Case?
It is often necessary to hire an attorney to get the most money from your accident. The truck accident attorney will get the trucking company’s insurance policy and find out what the limits are. A commercial trucking company may often carry multi-million dollar policies to cover accidents, but they will not tell someone without a lawyer what their policy limits are. In fact, by law, insurance companies do not have to reveal their policy limits unless a lawsuit has been filed.
Read What not to do after a Raleigh Car Accident & Raleigh Car Accident Reports.
In reality, often insurance companies are willing to reveal their insured’s policy limits to an attorney to avoid the attorney’s filing suit just to find out the limits. Many of these cases settle out of court before a lawsuit is filed, but it depends on whether the insurance company is willing to offer a fair settlement. Your truck accident lawyer and you can discuss what a fair settlement is, based on similar cases the lawyer has handled and the facts that are unique to your case. Ultimately, the decision to settle or go to court is up to you (the client).
Do you have injuries that were caused by the truck accident? If you do not have injuries, then you do not have a Personal Injury case. If you do have injuries, you need to get medical treatment as soon as possible, continue to receive medical treatment, and document all the medical expenses you are incurring. Do not delay getting medical treatment for your truck accident injuries! The longer you wait to receive medical treatment the more difficult it will be to prove that your injury came from the truck crash.
Injuries Caused By Truck Accidents
According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), 2018 saw approximately 499,000 police-reported large truck accidents in the United States. Approximately 21 percent (107,000) of these were classified as injury crashes and about 1 percent (4,415) were classified as fatal.
Unfortunately, pedestrians, motorcyclists and car passengers can never win against large trucks.
Do you have injuries that were caused by a truck driver? If you did not sustain injuries, then you do not have a personal injury case. If you do have injuries, you need to get medical treatment as soon as possible. It is important to continue to receive medical treatment, and document all medical expenses you are incurring. Do not delay getting medical treatment for your truck accident injuries. The longer you wait to receive medical treatment the more difficult it will be to prove that your injury came from the truck crash.
Below is a list of common injuries caused by commercial truck accidents:
- Back Injury After Car Accident
- Neck Injury After Car Accident
- Chiari Malformation After Car Accident
- Brain Injury After Car Accident
- Blunt Force Trauma To Head From Car Accident
- Shoulder Injury After Car Accident
- Leg Injury After Car Accident
- Foot Injury After Car Accident
- Skin Injury After Car Accident
- PTSD After Car Accident
- Vehophobia After Car Accident
- Chronic Conditions From Car Accidents
- Delayed Symptoms After Car Accident
If you are injured in a truck accident while working, you may also have a North Carolina Workers' Compensation claim. The Bishop Law Firm also handles NC Worker's comp cases for injured workers.
Also read Raleigh Car Accident Injuries & Twenty Steps to Take After a Raleigh Car Accident
18-Wheeler Accident Attorney in North Carolina
Accidents involving 18-wheelers often result in catastrophic injury or wrongful death because of the size of the truck and the small size of the car relative to the semi-truck. This means the medical bills for those injured in these types of cases are often extraordinarily high. Some trucking accident victims will need lifetime care for their injuries. These are important factors to consider when settling your case or trying it in front of a jury.
Once a case is settled, the accident victim cannot get any more money, even if they have more medical complications down the road. Sometimes a surgical incision will become infected, and some patients have even lost limbs from these infections after they have already settled their claim with an insurance company. This means they will never be compensated for the loss of their limb. That’s why it’s important not to settle a case prematurely.
Find out from your doctor what the likelihood is of you needing care in the future or possible surgeries and consider hiring an 18-wheeler accident attorney to fight for your needs, help you get your bills paid, and deal with the insurance companies so you don’t have to.
Also read What does a Raleigh Car Accident Lawyer Do?
Get Help Filing a Raleigh NC Truck Accident Claim Today
A trucking accident victim should only have to focus on getting better. Those who are seriously injured are often suffering from a concussion if the injury was severe enough and are in no position to make legal decisions that will affect them for the rest of their lives.
The attorneys of The Bishop Law Firm have provided exceptional legal representation for clients across the state of North Carolina for decades in personal injury cases. Contacting the right lawyer after being hit by an 18-wheeler in North Carolina is one of the most important steps to filing a lawsuit.
If you are considering hiring an 18-wheeler accident attorney or truck accident lawyer in Raleigh, NC, and surrounding areas, call us today for a free case review at (919) 615-3095.
Sources:
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA)- Large Truck and Bus Crash Facts 2018
Also read:
Raleigh Car Accident Lawyer & Wake County Car Accident Lawyer
