Delivery trucks are a common sight on streets, roads, and highways across North Carolina. FedEx, Amazon, and UPS deliveries are a vital part of operations for companies large and small and bring important goods and products to businesses and families alike.
But these trucks also pose a threat, thanks to their size and the long stretches that delivery drivers, who may be untrained or inexperienced, often spend behind the wheel. Accidents can and do happen, often causing serious and sometimes fatal injuries.
At Martin & Jones, our Raleigh truck accident attorneys help people and families who have been injured in crashes across North Carolina. We are experienced personal injury lawyers with a long track record of successful results. Our attorneys fight tirelessly to get our clients the full compensation available.
Types of Delivery Truck Crashes
Delivery truck collisions can happen in many different ways, from a rear-end accident at a stoplight to a highway crash involving several cars traveling at high speeds.
Our truck accident attorneys routinely handle cases involving these kinds of crashes:
- Head-on collisions
- Rear-end crashes
- Sideswipes
- T-bone collisions
- Multi-vehicle crashes
- Highway construction accidents
- Drunk driving accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
No matter how an accident happens, it can cause severe and life-changing injuries. Anyone injured in a collision with a delivery truck in North Carolina has the right to seek compensation from those responsible, including drivers, their employers, and their insurers.
Causes of Delivery Truck Accidents
A number of factors increase the risk of delivery truck accidents. Delivery drivers often spend long hours in their trucks, pressured by their employers to meet tight deadlines. That can be a recipe for disaster and may result in drivers nodding off behind the wheel. Fatigue slows reaction time and allows drivers to become easily distracted.
Some drivers turn to speeding and other aggressive driving tactics to make up time. This kind of dangerous behavior is particularly risky when driving large trucks that are difficult to handle.
Businesses may fail to provide adequate driver training or complete routine maintenance for delivery vehicles. That only compounds the risk of crashes by increasing the likelihood of driver error or vehicle or equipment failure.
Like anyone operating a motor vehicle, delivery truck drivers generally are required to operate their trucks in a reasonably safe manner at all times. They are also obligated to refrain from dangerous behavior, like aggressive driving or operating a vehicle while under the influence of drugs and alcohol.
A driver who does not live up to this responsibility is likely to be legally responsible for any crashes that happen as a result. So is the driver’s employer in most cases, especially when poor training or truck maintenance is also involved.
Common Injuries in Delivery Truck Crashes
Our Raleigh truck accident attorneys regularly represent people who have suffered these types of injuries:
- Internal Injuries: Internal organ damage also may result from the blunt force of a collision. These injuries can be serious and even life-threatening, often involving emergency surgery.
- Traumatic Brain Injuries: Head trauma can result in a wide range of injuries, from concussions to more serious impairments that bring on a coma or brain death. Headaches, blurred vision, dizziness, vomiting, seizures, and trouble seeing are all possible signs of a brain injury.
- Spine, Neck and Back Injuries: Spinal cord damage can be catastrophic. These injuries span in severity, from localized loss of muscle control and sensation to full paralysis.
It is important to understand that these injuries may initially seem less severe than they actually are, sometimes because you may be in a state of shock. They can, however, have significant long-term consequences, which include requiring extensive medical treatment and limiting the type of work you can perform.
Why You Need a Truck Accident Lawyer
The aftermath of a crash can be a painful, stressful, and confusing time, both for anyone injured and their families. A seasoned personal injury attorney can help you identify those responsible for the crash and build the strongest possible case for compensation.
At Martin & Jones, our truck accident attorneys have specific experience in cases involving commercial vehicles. These situations are often more complicated because delivery companies and their insurance carriers are likely on the hook.
Insurers regularly fight tooth and nail to limit claims payouts or avoid them altogether. Shortly after a crash, they may rush to offer to settle your claim for pennies on the dollar compared to what it is actually worth. Insurance representatives routinely apply pressure to try to get settlement deals done as soon as possible.
Crashes involving delivery vehicles can also become complicated when drivers are using their personal vehicles for work. Services like Instacart, Grubhub, DoorDash, and Uber Eats rely on delivery drivers in their own cars and trucks for example. Those companies often broadly argue that the drivers are individually liable when collisions happen.
Our attorneys can help determine the full scope of potential insurance proceeds. We are seasoned litigators who will fight aggressively to maximize your compensation and accomplished negotiators who look to resolve claims efficiently whenever possible.
A Raleigh Delivery Truck Accident Attorney Can Help
If you have been injured in a delivery truck accident, the Raleigh personal injury trial lawyers at Martin & Jones offer compassionate, results-driven representation. There are time limits for filing a truck accident lawsuit in North Carolina, so please contact our offices right away for a free, no-obligation consultation.
Our attorneys can be reached online or by phone at 1-800-662-1234. We have offices in Raleigh, Durham, and Wilmington and serve clients throughout the state.
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