Establishing Negligence in a Raleigh Truck Accident Case
While any kind of wreck can be devastating, accidents involving 18-wheelers or overloaded trucks can be particularly severe. The resulting injuries may traumatic and the subsequent financial burden after the required treatment and missed time at work can be overwhelming.
However, if you were injured due to a trucker’s careless or reckless behavior, you have a legal right to seek compensation and may benefit from speaking with a skilled lawyer about establishing negligence in a Raleigh truck accident case. Negligence is a crucial element to any successful claim but may be difficult to prove. Because of this, injured individuals seeking recovery for damages can benefit from understanding how fault is determined and judged in an injury claim. Reach out to a dedicated truck collision attorney today.
Importance of Contacting an Attorney Immediately
While some people believe they do not need an attorney for a simple traffic collision, incidents involving a semi-truck or 18-wheeler are different. If a person is injured in a crash with a truck, they may be wise to hire a lawyer as soon as possible.
Because many truckers are under the employ of large trucking companies, these businesses, their insurers, and their attorneys will usually be on the scene quickly to assess the circumstances and starting considering a case and who may be at-fault. As a result, a person injured in a truck crash may benefit from retaining their own dedicated attorney. The sooner a lawyer is retained, the sooner they could begin working on establishing negligence in a Raleigh truck accident case.
Factors Considered When Determining Liability
There are numerous ways in which liability can be determined following a truck crash. For example, speed, time, distance, and any other typical calculation an engineer would be able to provide in an accident reconstruction could factor into establishing liability. Furthermore, witness statements may be utilized, as well as the black box—which is essentially a recording device often kept within trucks that keeps a record of their speed and braking, as well as other variables at the time of the accident.
If it is determined that a trucker was exhausted, inebriated, or otherwise violated their duty of care to others on the roadway, these elements could be clear legal grounds for negligence. A meticulous and hard-working attorney could help a claimant to assess the circumstances that led to a crash in order to determine negligence.
Contributory Negligence in Truck Wreck Cases
North Carolina is a contributory negligence state. This means that if an injured person is determined to be even one percent at-fault themselves, they are not able to recover anything in a truck accident case. For example, if it was determined that an injured claimant was distracted—such as texting while driving—ran a red light, or was speeding, it is very likely their claim for compensation would be denied.
How a Lawyer May Help in Establishing Negligence in a Raleigh Truck Accident Case
After suffering a crash with a big rig or 18-wheeler, it may be important to contact an attorney for a number of reasons. For example, the fleeting nature of certain evidence means that a proactive lawyer could help to talk with state troopers and witnesses while they still have a crash fresh in their mind. Furthermore, a legal professional could work with experts and engineers to document and recreate the scene of the crash in order to determine negligence.
An attorney can be contacted online or via phone, where operators are standing by 24 hours a day. To begin working on your claim, call a lawyer to discuss establishing negligence in a Raleigh truck accident case.
