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Common Types of Big Truck Accidents in North Carolina | Tatum & Atkinson

Common Types of Big Truck Accidents in North Carolina

Home / Truck Accident Attorney / Common Types of Big Truck Accidents in North Carolina

A big truck traveling too fast is a common type of accident in North Carolina.

Truck accident lawyers from North Carolina are available at Tatum & Atkinson, ‘the Heavy Hitters,’ to assist drivers hurt in collisions with big trucks. Trucking firms don’t intimidate us. In cases where truck drivers’ and trucking companies’ negligence resulted in accidents, we have successfully helped customers recover compensation.

In recent years, there have been a lot more registered heavy vehicles. As a result, highways in North Carolina with more trucks on them run a greater risk of severe and fatal collisions. Large truck accidents produce more serious injuries and fatalities than collisions involving passenger cars because of the size and weight of the vehicles.

Do I Need a Big Truck Accident Lawyer?

Trucking companies frequently send out representatives to the crash sites right away. There may be papers or forms for victims to sign. Still, until you have the opportunity to have the paperwork evaluated by an attorney, you should hold back on speaking about your accident or signing any agreements.

Before contacting any insurance company, you should get in touch with Tatum & Atkinson, ‘the Heavy Hitters.’ A North Carolina big truck accident attorney will battle tenaciously to hold all responsible parties accountable and secure all the financial compensation to which you are entitled.

What Causes Truck Accidents?

Many truck accidents involve the truck driver making a mistake behind the wheel. For example, the motorist might be speeding, going too quickly for the conditions, not paying attention to traffic in front of them, following too closely, preoccupied with directions or a phone call, or dangerously tired. In rare cases, a truck can have a damaged tire that blows out, or it might have brakes that are out of adjustment due to improper maintenance. While there are various causes for big truck accidents, one fact remains the same, everyone else on the highway is in grave danger if a truck driver loses control of a large truck moving at a fast rate of speed.

Common Types of Truck Accidents

Direct Collision

These crashes frequently happen when a car or truck driver crosses the center line into an oncoming lane of traffic—driving while fatigued or intoxicated increases the likelihood of crossing into oncoming traffic. Head-on collisions frequently result in death or permanently incapacitating injuries.

Sideswipes

Large trucks have significant blind areas on either side of the vehicle and rear. As a result, truck drivers may fail to notice motorists traveling in the adjacent lane when attempting to change lanes, resulting in a sideswipe collision. Trucks can also swerve out of their lane, which can result in sideswipe collisions.

Leaving the Lane or the Road

Truck drivers may have been trying to avoid a collision when they ran off the road, or they may have been inattentive or dozing off. Accidents involving running off the road can include only one vehicle or several.

Jackknife

When a truck driver slams on the brakes, the trailer may jackknife and swing out at an angle to the cab, similar to how a pocket knife folds together. A multi-vehicle disaster with catastrophic injuries could be caused by a large truck that jackknifes at a high rate of speed.

Rollover

A truck’s propensity to roll over is increased by a large truck’s higher center of gravity than a passenger car, especially if the trailer is loaded incorrectly or shifts. To avoid an accident, a truck driver could swerve, overcorrect the steering, and then lose control of the truck. Tanker trucks may roll over if drivers approach a curve too quickly and the liquid load moves abruptly.

Rear-End Collisions

According to the Large Truck Causation Study, a thorough federal analysis of truck crashes, rear-end collisions are among the most frequent collisions involving large trucks, accounting for almost a quarter of accidents. Trucks have a greater stopping distance than smaller vehicles due to their weight. As a result, truck drivers can miss changing traffic circumstances, such as work zone congestion up ahead, that call for the vehicle to brake. In addition, sleepy or fatigued drivers may react slowly, making it impossible for them to avoid collisions.

Underride Accidents

Because trucks and cars are structurally incompatible due to their different heights, a collision might cause a car’s front end to slide underneath a truck traile. When a car rear-ends a large truck, underride protections on the trailer are intended to prevent severe injuries to passengers and automobile occupants. However, large truck rear guards frequently fall short in their duties, putting car occupants at risk for fatal casualties such as decapitation and head trauma.

Collision on a Bridge

Large truck bridge strikes are a severe problem that results in injuries and fatalities every year. A truck driver’s failure to become familiar with the route and pay attention to traffic signs informing them of height restrictions on bridges and overpasses is usually the cause of avoidable incidents like bridge strikes. When a car runs into a bridge, other vehicles behind them may suddenly stop as well, resulting in a rear-end collision.

How to Proceed Following a Truck Accident

At Tatum & Atkinson, ‘the Heavy Hitters,’ we represent individuals who have suffered severe injuries due to reckless truck drivers and trucking businesses prioritizing profits over public safety. Our goal is to assist hard-working individuals who have been hurt in a truck accident due to no fault of their own in obtaining the compensation required to move on after a terrible catastrophe has completely upended their lives.

If you were injured in a huge truck accident in North Carolina, you may be qualified to receive compensation for your ongoing medical costs and lost income due to injuries, pain, suffering, and long-term disability. Of the almost 300,000 collisions involving commercial motor vehicles in 2016, the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) stated that 1,340 of those crashes resulted in fatalities. In addition, over 82,000 of these collisions had injuries.

Finding the reason behind a commercial truck accident might be particularly challenging. For example, a crash may have been caused by other mechanical or external reasons in addition to driver error. In addition, trucking businesses have a reputation for ensuring that important evidence pertaining to upkeep or compliance with federal rules is lost.

Commercial truck accidents have a variety of common causes, including but not limited to the following:

  • Negligent driving
  • Driving while distracted
  • Driving under the influence (DWI or DUI)
  • Failure to properly train drivers
  • Faulty components
  • Vehicle maintenance issues
  • Unbalanced truck
  • Driver drowsiness
  • Disregard for traffic-controlling measures
  • The behaviors of other drivers

Parties Responsible in North Carolina Big Truck Accidents

Finding the potential accountable parties is another facet of these types of cases that can be very difficult for the average person, in addition to looking into the cause of a truck accident. Even while a driver is frequently at fault, other parties are frequently also responsible. To aid with identifying all potentially negligent parties, a person should promptly contact a personal injury attorney after being involved in a truck accident. In commercial vehicle accidents, numerous parties may share some of the blame for the accident.

Among the parties that might be involved are:

  • Truck owners
  • Trucking companies
  • Vehicle manufacturers
  • Vehicle maintenance businesses
  • Cargo owners

Big Truck Accident Lawyer

If you or a loved one have been injured by a big truck, do not hesitate to contact an experienced big truck accident lawyer at Tatum & Atkinson, ‘the Heavy Hitters,’ by calling (800) 529-0804 or contacting us online to schedule your case evaluation today. An experienced big truck accident lawyer will represent you in negotiations with the insurance company, explain your legal rights, respond to your inquiries, and seek the best possible outcome for your case. In addition, at Tatum & Atkinson, ‘the Heavy Hitters,’ you owe us nothing unless we win.