OUR CHARLOTTE TRUCK ACCIDENT LAWYER WILL FIGHT FOR YOUR RIGHTS

Truck accidents not only cause catastrophic and life-changing injuries, but they involve complications that make it essential to know what you are doing in negotiating a fair settlement. There may be multiple liable parties in addition to the truck driver that we need to find, as they may all have insurance and assets. When you hire our truck accident attorneys, we get to work immediately to help you win your case and get optimum compensation. We will:

• Evaluate the circumstances of your case and determine what it may be worth and who the liable parties may be.
• Gather all records pertaining to your claim, such as medical bills and documentation that shows the extent of your injuries, and police and first responder reports about the accident.
• Fight to ensure you receive all the medical care you need, both now and in the future.
• Investigate the accident scene to obtain and preserve evidence such as traffic camera videos and the truck’s “black box” that can document what happened in the moments before the crash.
• Send notice to the trucking company to ensure that they legally retain records of evidence pertinent to the case and not destroy it.
• Interview witnesses.
• Examine driver logs, cargo information, trucking company maintenance records, hiring and training records, and reports of previous violations and accidents.
• Hire expert witnesses to reconstruct the accident and testify as to what happened and how your damages will negatively impact your life.
• Present the facts in the case to the insurance company to show why you deserve a large settlement and negotiate accordingly.
• Take your case to trial and argue on your behalf in front of a judge or jury if necessary.
• Be there for you throughout the entire process and answer your questions and concerns.

The sooner we get to work for you, the better, as we need time to build your case and North Carolina has a statute of limitations, a deadline for filing a lawsuit. This is generally a three-year period following the date of the accident. If you do not file on time, the courts will probably refuse to hear your case.

HOW THE TRUCK ACCIDENT LAWYERS AT SUMWALT ANDERSON ARE DIFFERENT

Our team functions more like a family than a group of coworkers. We carry our firm’s philosophy of always trying to pay it forward into our representation of our clients. We will always strive to treat you with compassion and integrity. Our thorough attention to your case will allow you to focus on your healing while we fight for every penny you deserve in a settlement.

Our Truck Accident Lawyers in Charlotte Can Help Determine a Fair Settlement Award

WE KNOW WHAT YOUR TRUCK ACCIDENT CASE SHOULD BE WORTH AND WILL FIGHT FOR JUSTICE

There is a wide range of settlement awards possible in vehicle crashes, from the thousands to millions of dollars, and truck accident settlements tend to be high due to the severity of damages trucks can cause. Our attorneys will evaluate the circumstances of your individual case to have a good idea of what a fair settlement would be, depending on the circumstances.

In a successful truck accident case, we will help you receive compensation for both your economic damages, or monetary losses, and your less-tangible non-economic damages that do not have a specific dollar amount, that cover the following:

• Medical Bills Associated with Your Injuries. This includes medical costs for emergency care and ongoing costs for treatment, rehabilitation, health care equipment, medications, and continuing care. When your injuries are severe, such as brain injuries or spinal cord damage, these costs can be very high.
• Lost Wages When Injuries Keep You from Working. This includes income loss while you are recovering from the truck accident and into the future if you cannot work again or can only work in a lesser capacity.
• Property Damage for Your Lost Property. This includes costs of repairing and replacing your vehicle and costs of other property destroyed in the truck crash.
• Pain and Suffering and Other Non-economic Damages. After a truck accident, you may have significant physical pain, as well as emotional distress and mental anguish. Your family life and relationships may be negatively affected, and you may have loss of consortium and enjoyment and quality of life.
• Punitive Damages. In some rare situations, North Carolina law allows the injured party to recover additional punitive damages. Punitive damages are meant to punish egregiously wrongful acts and serve to deter such acts from happening again. In North Carolina, punitive damages cannot exceed the greater of three times the amount of compensatory damages or $250,000.
• Wrongful Death Damages. In the case of a wrongful death of a loved one, you may receive a damage award that includes:
• Costs of care, treatment and hospitalization before death
• Compensation for the deceased person’s pain and suffering before death
• Funeral expenses 
• The present and expected monetary value of the deceased person, including net income, services, protection, care and assistance, society, companionship, comfort, guidance, and advice 
• Punitive damages for wrongfully causing the death through malice or willful or wanton conduct, as defined in S. 1D-5

In all cases, our truck accident attorneys will fight to win you the largest settlement possible that covers all your damages.

Common Questions Our Truck Accident Attorneys Are Asked

CALL OUR TEAM IF YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS

The following are questions our personal injury lawyers often get asked about truck accidents:

Our Truck Accident Attorney in Charlotte Must Prove Negligence in Your Case

WE KNOW WHAT TO DO TO SHOW ANOTHER PARTY WAS AT FAULT FOR CAUSING THE ACCIDENT

To win your lawsuit, our Charlotte truck accident lawyers must prove the defendants in the case were negligent and therefore liable for your damages. We do this by showing the following elements of a case:

• Duty – The defendant owed you a duty of care.
• Breach – The defendant breached that duty through some action or failure to act with reasonable care.
• Cause – This breach caused a crash that led to your injuries.
• Damages – You suffered damages as a result.

Because large commercial trucks are so potentially dangerous, there are many state and federal laws and standards that drivers and companies must adhere to. If truck accidents can be linked to the failure to comply with applicable laws and regulations, these violations can be used to determine negligence or fault.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has hours of service regulations (HOS) which govern truck maintenance, cargo loading, and how many hours commercial truck drivers can drive before they must stop, and these breaks are automatically documented by mandated electronic logging devices. Also, many heavy trucks have data recorders similar to the “black boxes” used in airline crash investigations. These data recorders may contain vital information about the truck, such as speed at the time of the crash and whether brakes were applied.

INFORMATION OUR TRUCK ACCIDENT LAWYER GATHERS TO INVESTIGATE YOUR CASE

As a result of this documentation, it is especially important to immediately investigate the facts and circumstances of the accident, before any evidence is destroyed. In addition, our truck accident attorneys work with experts to reconstruct the accident and testify as to how it happened. We also work with experts to testify about the extent, nature, and permanence of your injuries and how your life and earning capacity will be affected into the future.

Our Team Understands How to Handle Work-Related Truck Accident Cases

It may seem that someone driving a truck for work would be far safer in an accident than a driver of a sedan, because of the large size of the truck; however, this is not always the case. Potential injuries from a work-related truck accident could leave the truck driver needing significant medical care or facing long-term health issues. Truck accidents at work can involve falls as well as collisions and impact injuries.

Our workers’ compensation lawyer is ready to help you with your workers’ comp claim after a truck injury at work. As long as the truck accident occurred as you were involved in your typical work duties, you have the option of seeking workers’ compensation in North Carolina.

How to File a Workers’ Comp Case After a Truck Accident

Drivers operating delivery trucks, semi-trucks, moving trucks, and rental trucks for work could receive worker’s comp after an injury accident. You may suffer an injury while driving, loading, unloading, or maintaining a truck in a number of different scenarios, including:

• Another driver hits your truck
• An equipment malfunction causes your truck to break down or causes brakes to fail
• Improper loading of cargo in the trailer, leading to a shifting of cargo and a loss of control while driving
• A fall while loading or unloading the trailer
• A piece of equipment from the truck comes loose and hits you.

Understand that when filing a workers’ compensation case in North Carolina, this doesn’t mean your employer has liability for your accident. You cannot sue your employer for a personal injury settlement as part of a workers’ compensation case. If you would like to discuss your options regarding filing under workers’ comp versus starting a personal injury lawsuit, the legal team at Sumwalt Anderson is ready to meet with you. Mark Sumwalt has four decades of experience practicing law in North Carolina. He is ready to apply his experience to your case.

Client Testimonial

”Attorney Anderson has helped my family members in the past. They all agree that he was very professional and knowledgeable. He put them at ease in handling their workers comp and personal accident cases. Atty Anderson very easily explained all of the steps and kept in communication. I feel very confident recommending him to other friends and family members of mine.” – Kris Cardoso (Google Review)