North Carolina Dump Truck Accident Lawyer

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Dump trucks are heavy-duty vehicles commonly used to transport items such as demolition debris, sand, gravel, stone, dirt, and other aggregates. Dump trucks often have a heavy-weight capacity allowing them to transport around 30,000 pounds of material at a time. As dump trucks are extremely large, heavy vehicles, in the event they collide with another vehicle or pedestrian, severe and catastrophic injuries can occur.

If you or a loved one have been injured in a dump truck accident, you may be entitled to compensation for your losses. Contact the experienced dump truck accident attorneys at Tatum & Atkinson, ‘the Heavy Hitters,” to receive your free case evaluation. You should never be left to pay for expenses due to the negligence of another. Let our dump truck injury attorneys seek compensation for you.

Dump Truck Accidents

With U.S. cities expanding across the nation, it is common to see a lot of construction activity taking place. Where there is construction taking place, frequently, there will be dump trucks found transporting material to and from work sites. However, catastrophic accidents can occur if a truck is improperly loaded, not properly maintained, or is driven by either a negligent or inexperienced driver. Due to the significant weight of a dump truck, braking is quite difficult, making T-bone or rear-end accidents a likelihood of adequate care is not taken. Additionally, due to the size and shape of most dump trucks, the visibility of other cars on the road can be impaired, as dump trucks have blind spots on all dies. Additionally, debris such as rock, gravel, or stone may fall out of a dump truck leading to an accident.

What to Do After a Dump Truck Crash?

Following a collision with a dump truck, there are several steps you should take to ensure that the integrity of your claim is not compromised and that your right to compensation is protected.

  • Following an accident, you should stay calm and evaluate if you or any passengers need immediate medical attention. Call the police and ask for an ambulance if required.
  • While waiting for police to arrive, stay in your vehicle unless you need to exit it for safety reasons. Do not apologize or accept fault for the accident.
  • If possible, take pictures and/or video footage of the accident scene, including the vehicles, any injuries, street signs, and the surrounding environment. If you cannot take photographs, ask if someone else could take pictures for you. If there are any skid marks on the pavement, capture footage of them. Take photos of the dump truck company’s name and license plate number.
  • Take the name and badge number of the responding office so that you may easily obtain the police report at a later time.
  • Ensure that you receive a medical evaluation from a medical professional following the accident if you did not require emergency medical treatment, even if you feel fine. Some injuries may not present symptoms for hours or days following the accident.
  • Finally, contact an experienced dump truck accident attorney to learn more about the legal options you have available to you.

Who is Responsible for a Dump Truck Crash?

Dump truck cases are typically complex cases due to the severity of injuries they may cause and the fact that multiple parties can be held liable. However, frequently dump truck crashes are due to the negligence of the owner. A dump truck crash can occur when:

  • A dump truck driver drove negligently, such as speeding, not following traffic laws, or driving under the influence.
  • A dump truck is overloaded and difficult to control
  • A dump truck owner failed to properly maintain their vehicle
  • A construction company failed to run a background check on its truck drivers.

Commercial truck drivers will often be required to hold higher liability insurance levels to cover accidents. Still, these insurance companies often have experienced lawyers who will attempt to minimize any settlement made to an injured party. An experienced dump truck accident attorney will protect your right to a just settlement, assess the value of your losses, and fight for your right to be compensated for non-tangible damages such as pain and suffering.

The experienced attorneys at Tatum & Atkinson, ‘the Heavy Hitters,’ will negotiate aggressively for a fair settlement and, in the alternative, will be prepared to go to court and present your case to a jury to receive the best possible outcome.

What Kind of Compensation May I Recover?

Typically, in a dump truck accident, trucking accident injury victims may be entitled to two types of compensation for their damages, economic and non-economic.

Economic Damages

Economic damages include specific monetary amounts associated with your injuries, such as:

  • Medical expenses
  • Future medical expenses
  • Lost wages
  • Diminished earning capacity

Non-Economic Damages

Non-economic damages account for non-financial losses experienced due to the accident, such as:

Dump truck accidents often result in severe injuries that may necessitate significant recovery time; other injuries may be permanent. Truck accident injury victims and their families can be left with enormous medical expenses, lost wages, emotional trauma, and potentially funeral expenses. The experienced truck accident attorneys at Tatum & Atkinson, ‘the Heavy Hitters,’ will assess all of the economic and non-economic damages sustained by you or your family and will fight for the just compensation you deserve.

How Much Compensation Could I Receive for My Dump Truck Accident Claim?

Dump truck accidents often result in severe injuries that may necessitate significant recovery time; other injuries may be permanent. Truck accident injury victims and their families can be left with enormous medical expenses, lost wages, emotional trauma, and potentially funeral expenses. A successful personal injury claim may include economic or non-economic damages.

Dump Truck Accident Lawyer

There are many reasons why you should strongly consider retaining an experienced dump truck accident attorney following a dump truck accident. The sooner you obtain representation, the sooner you will be able to ensure that your claim is protected and that your right to just compensation is fought for. Below discover some reasons why it is advisable to retain a dump truck accident lawyer.

1. Costly Medical Expenses

Dump truck accidents often lead to severe injuries, lost wages, and even permanent disability or death. Insurance companies and trucking companies may deny fault or may attempt to offer a settlement figure that will not adequately cover your current and future expected medical expenses. An experienced attorney can help ensure that your damages are adequately compensated, including projected future losses.

2. Determine Liability

Dump truck accidents are often complex, as multiple parties may be liable and injuries sustained are often severe. Liability is often unclear or may be otherwise disputed. An experienced attorney can help obtain valuable evidence and testimony to determine liability.

3. Cover Your Losses

Damages from involvement in a dump truck trucking accident often far exceed medical expenses and property damage. You or a loved one may have also sustained the following types of damages:

  • Lost wages
  • Loss of earning capacity
  • Pain and suffering
  • Mental anguish
  • Physical disfigurement
  • Loss of consortium
  • Wrongful death

As some of these losses are non-tangible, you will need an experienced dump truck accident lawyer to fight aggressively for your right to fair compensation.

4. Handle Insurers

Insurance companies are often for-profit corporations, so it is in their interest to minimize costs paid out in settlements. Therefore, they will attempt to pay you as little as possible following a collision. Insurers may use your own words against you or hire professionals to discredit your claim. Don’t try to negotiate with insurers alone. Call an experienced personal injury attorney who will be able to help manage these negotiations for you and fight for the compensation you deserve.

5. Build Your Case

An experienced dump truck accident attorney can help you gather the evidence you need to protect and strengthen your claim. Evidence may include:

  • Photographs and/or video footage
  • Witness testimony
  • Expert testimony
  • Accident reconstruction evidence
  • Medical records
  • Police report
  • And more

6. Get Legal Advice

Dump truck accident cases can be confusing and complex. However, you can rely on your dump truck accident attorney to put your mind at ease and allow you to focus your attention and energy on recovering. In addition, your attorney will be able to advise you as to the best steps moving forward to obtain the best possible outcome for your claim.

North Carolina Dump Truck Accident Attorney

A collision involving a dump truck in which you or a loved one sustained injuries can be devastating. You will need an experienced dump truck accident attorney dedicated to getting you the just compensation you deserve. Here at Tatum & Atkinson, the ‘Heavy Hitters’, we accept dump truck accident cases on a contingency fee basis. This means you will never have to pay attorneys fees out of pocket, and we will not get paid unless you win. Contact us today by calling us at (800) 529-0804 or contacting us online to receive your free case evaluation.

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