Getting in a truck accident can be a life-changing experience, particularly if you sustain severe injuries. You may be left with physical, psychological, and financial losses that will have a long-term impact on you and your family. However, our lawyers can help you seek compensation for those losses and protect what matters most.
Contact Schwaba Law Firm for a free consultation about your Mooresville truck accident case with a professional, experienced, and aggressive trucking accident lawyer. During your initial consultation, our lawyers will review the details of the truck accident that harmed you and explain your options for seeking the compensation you need to cover your bills and support you and your family.
The Dangers of Truck Accidents in Mooresville, NC
According to data from the National Safety Council (NSC), fatal truck accidents have increased by 43 percent over a recent 10-year period. They account for 9 percent of all vehicles involved in fatal motor vehicle collisions, but even when they don’t result in fatalities, they can cause catastrophic injuries to victims.
Some of the most common injuries caused by truck accidents in Mooresville, North Carolina, include:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Broken bones
- Crushed or amputated limbs
- Internal organ damage
- Burns and lacerations
- Whiplash and other soft tissue injuries
Any of these injuries can drastically change your life and leave you with chronic pain, reduced mobility, or other permanent disabilities. That’s why our semi accident lawyers are here to help you seek fair compensation.
Why You Need an Experienced Truck Accident Lawyer
After getting in a truck accident, you must work with an experienced truck accident lawyer with knowledge of both state and federal trucking regulations. Truck accidents are often complex, and legal assistance is necessary to maximize your compensation.
The truck driver, trucking company, cargo loaders, and other at-fault parties will have lawyers to protect their interests and limit liability. So, it’s vital that you have a lawyer on your side who can fight for your rights and the compensation you deserve.
Common Causes of Truck Accidents We Handle
Our truck accident attorneys near you handle a wide variety of cases. Common causes of truck accidents we handle are:
- Distracted driving
- Intoxicated driving
- Fatigued driving
- Mechanical failures
- Poor weather conditions
- Poor road conditions
- Unsecured cargo
Determining the cause of the truck accident that harmed you is a critical step in identifying the at-fault parties and holding them liable for your losses. For example, different parties could be at fault in cases where the crash was caused by fatigued driving or mechanical failures. And in many truck accident cases, multiple parties are at fault, so identifying each of them is crucial.
Determining Liability in a Mooresville Truck Accident
Determining liability in a Mooresville truck accident case involves collecting various types of evidence to support your claim. This evidence may include accident scene photographs, traffic camera footage, eyewitness statements, expert testimony, truck black box recordings, and vehicle maintenance records.
Strong evidence is the foundation of any successful truck accident case. However, this evidence doesn’t stick around forever, which is why you must begin working with an attorney as soon as possible. Your attorney needs time to collect this evidence before it’s too late.
Our Step-by-Step Legal Process
When you hire our lawyers to handle your truck accident case, we’ll go through the following steps to help you seek maximum compensation:
- First, we’ll discuss your case with you to fully understand your side of the story and how the crash has affected your life.
- Second, we’ll thoroughly investigate the accident to identify the at-fault parties and gather evidence supporting your case.
- Third, our lawyers will calculate your damages, which are the compensation sought for your losses.
- Fourth, we’ll send a demand letter to the insurance companies and file your personal injury lawsuits against the at-fault parties and seek settlements through initial negotiations with their insurers.
- If the insurers refuse to offer fair settlements, we’ll move on to the fifth step, which is to prepare to take your case to trial. We handle every case with the possibility of going to trial in mind, so we’re always ready to take this step if necessary.
- Finally, we can represent you at trial by presenting the evidence we’ve collected in a compelling way and seeking the maximum compensation you’re entitled to.
Types of Compensation You May Recover
You can recover several types of compensation, including economic and non-economic damages, through auto insurance claims and personal injury lawsuits against third parties that contributed to the truck crash.
Economic damages are compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, property damage, and other tangible losses. Non-economic damages include compensation for pain and suffering, emotional distress, permanent disability, and other intangible losses.
When seeking compensation, your first option is typically to make demands of the insurers of the at-fault driver and the trucking company. The driver’s liability coverage policy may be limited, so your attorney might file a claim against the trucking company, as well. Commercial trucking companies must have between $300,000 and $5 million in liability coverage, depending on the truck’s weight and cargo.
What to Do After a Truck Accident in Mooresville, NC
After getting in a truck wreck in Mooresville, NC, you should take the following steps to protect your rights and strengthen your case:
- Follow up with all medical treatment until you are discharged.
- Keep track of medical and service bills related to the accident.
- Document your injuries in writing and with photographs.
- Avoid speaking to the at-fault parties’ insurance companies or providing statements.
- Avoid posting on social media, even if it’s unrelated to your case.
- Contact a qualified truck wreck lawyer from Schwaba Law Firm.
Why Choose Our Mooresville Truck Accident Law Firm
Our Mooresville truck accident law firm has decades of experience helping North Carolina residents seek compensation for injuries sustained in commercial vehicle collisions.
When you choose our firm to handle your case, you’ll benefit from our proven track record of maximizing case value and recovery, five-star rated service, 24/7 availability, and wide-ranging experience going up against insurance giants.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below, we’ve answered some of the most frequently asked questions about truck crash cases in Mooresville, NC.
How long do I have to file a truck accident claim in NC?
North Carolina’s statute of limitations gives truck accident victims three years to file lawsuits against the parties responsible for their injuries. The courts take this three-year deadline seriously and will prevent you from pursuing compensation through the legal system if you miss it, so it’s important to work with an experienced lawyer who will make sure to file your lawsuits on time.
What makes truck accident cases more complex than car accidents?
Truck accident cases are more complex than car accidents for several key reasons.
First, they tend to involve both state and federal trucking regulations, including vehicle weight and size limits at the state level, as well as various federal laws, such as hours-of-service and cargo securement regulations.
Second, they often cause severe injuries that require extensive medical treatment and leave victims out of work for extended periods, leading to high-value claims. The more your case is worth, the harder the opposing side will fight to reduce their liability for your damages.
And third, many truck accident cases involve multiple at-fault parties. Identifying all at-fault parties and determining their degree of liability is essential for maximizing your compensation, but it requires the help of an attorney with experience, knowledge, and resources.
How much does it cost to hire a truck accident lawyer?
Most truck accident lawyers, including those at Schwaba Law Firm, work on a contingency fee basis. That means you don’t pay any legal fees unless your lawyer secures compensation for you.
Typically, lawyer fees range from 30 to 40 percent of your secured compensation, whether it’s through a negotiated settlement or trial verdict. You should always discuss a lawyer’s fees during your initial consultation so you know what to expect and there are no surprises later on. Any reputable lawyer will be open about their fee structure.
Can I still recover if I was partially at fault?
Unfortunately, in North Carolina, you generally cannot recover compensation if you were partially at fault for the truck accident that caused your injuries. This is because North Carolina follows the common law rule of contributory negligence.
Under contributory negligence, if you are at fault for an accident even slightly, you cannot recover compensation. This makes it vital that you work with a highly qualified lawyer who can gather evidence to support your claim that the other party or parties were entirely at fault for the crash.
Your lawyer may still be able to help you recover some compensation through negotiated settlements with the insurance companies, as contributory negligence only applies to recovering compensation through a trial award. However, insurance companies are aware of this rule and may apply it to any claim you have with them.
Contact Our Mooresville Truck Accident Attorneys for Help
Were you injured in a Mooresville truck accident? Contact Schwaba Law Firm for a free case review with an experienced 18-wheeler truck accident lawyer. We’ll help you understand the process of seeking compensation and your options for holding different parties financially liable for your injuries and other losses.
