Tractor-trailers can weigh up to 80,000 pounds and do not stop on a dime. The truck driver instructs drivers with a 60-foot rig to leave for as much as 6 seconds to control time. The reason is simple – the sheer force and momentum of a collision with an 18-wheeler can be devastating. With estimates of more than 2 million tractor-trailers on the road, the odds are that at least some of these tractor-trailers will be operated by a trucker who will not act responsibly and negligently to cause a collision on a North Carolina highway. When that happens, collision victims should contact an experienced personal injury attorney.
Tractor-Trailer Collisions in North Carolina
According to the North Carolina Department of Transportation, there were 4,839 tractor/semi-trailer crashes in 2023, with 1,012 injuries and 74 fatalities.
Mecklenburg County (Charlotte) led the state with 936 tractor-trailer-related collisions, which led to five fatalities and 162 injuries. Wake (Raleigh) County was second in the state with 408 tractor-trailer-associated clashes, which led to two deaths and 63 injuries. Orange County reported 132 total crashes, one fatality, and 19 injuries.
Mecklenburg County and Wake County led the state in many categories of vehicle collisions, injuries, and fatalities. This is due to their sheer size and the major interstates that run through them (I-85 and I-40). More traffic, more people on the road, and more dangerous situations can occur.
Tractor-Trailer Collision Claims
In many respects, North Carolina personal injury claims involving tractor-trailer collisions are more complex than other automobile crash cases. They can involve complex accident reconstructions, multiple expert witnesses, such as trucking industry professionals, and the examination of regulations passed by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Because of the sheer size of tractor-trailers, trucking accidents tend to involve serious to catastrophic injuries and complex medical issues.
The most important advice a lawyer can give a tractor-trailer collision victim is to seek counsel to assist with the crash investigation immediately. Unlike many car accident cases, high-impact trucking cases need immediate, extensive research. For example, your attorney may want to retain an accident reconstruction engineer to immediately perform a skid mark analysis or investigate other physical indications of the crash at the scene. It is also essential to preserve data available through the truck’s “black box,” as well as any GPS data or onboard video footage.
Damages
If you have been injured due to tractor-trailer collisions, North Carolina law allows for recovering several “elements” of monetary damages. Included are compensation for past and future medical and pharmaceutical expenses, past and future lost wages, past and future physical pain and mental suffering, permanent injury, and permanent scarring. In handling your case, Maginnis Howard will, if appropriate, work with life care planners, vocational rehabilitation experts, and expert physicians to ensure that your entire future medical expenses are thoroughly estimated.
Representation for North Carolina Tractor-Trailer Collisions
Reckless tractor-trailer drivers are a danger to everyone on the road. When their negligence causes a wreck, the victim must hold the driver and their employer financially responsible. The Raleigh trucking accident attorneys of Maginnis Howard can assist you in recovering fair compensation for your injuries. Our personal injury attorneys in Charlotte, Fayetteville, and Raleigh have decades of experience fighting for clients across the Carolinas. Our firm offers a contingency fee arrangement to all victims of tractor-trailer collisions. This means that you pay no attorneys’ fees unless and until we make a recovery on your behalf.
