Monroe Truck Accident Attorney

Monroe Truck Accidents

Commercial trucking is an essential part of the shipping, distribution, and transportation systems of the United States. Large commercial trucks transport billions of tons of cargo daily throughout the country, and many North Carolina communities rely heavily on commercial trucking operations. Unfortunately, truck accidents can and do occur in the Monroe area, and these incidents are typically far more damaging than standard passenger vehicle accidents.

Helping Monroe Truck Accident Victims Recover With Confidence

If you or a family member recently experienced painful injuries from a truck accident someone else caused, you likely have grounds to seek accountability for your damages. An experienced Monroe truck accident attorney is an invaluable source of guidance in this situation. Your legal team can assist you in filing an insurance claim for some initial recovery after your truck accident and resolving any problems that might arise with the insurance company. When insurance alone can’t compensate your losses, you will need a Monroe truck accident attorney who can help you file a civil claim against the driver responsible for your damages.

The attorneys at Ayers, Whitlow & Dressler have years of experience handling a wide range of civil cases on behalf of clients in Monroe and throughout North Carolina. We can help you understand your best available recovery options after experiencing a damaging truck accident in the Monroe area, and we can provide ongoing support and legal guidance as your case unfolds until you reach a suitable result.

Why Should I Hire a Truck Accident Lawyer?

While it may be technically possible to file a truck accident claim on your own and even succeed with it, you face many risks when you try to handle these complex recovery efforts on your own. Even if you were successful with a truck accident claim without an attorney, you would risk settling for much less than an experienced legal team could have obtained on your behalf.

When you have an experienced Monroe truck accident attorney helping with your recovery, you are far more likely to secure the best results possible in the shortest time. Recovery from a truck accident is usually more challenging than recovering from a standard passenger vehicle accident for several reasons. These accidents tend to cause substantially worse damage than standard passenger vehicle accidents, and determining liability can be especially challenging in these cases.

If you choose Ayers, Whitlow & Dressler to represent you as you work toward recovering from your recent truck accident, our team can provide a wealth of valuable legal services that can help you secure better results than you may initially expect. We’ll review the details of how your accident happened and assist you in identifying the party or parties responsible for it, and we’ll ensure you uncover every available channel of recovery to maximize the compensation you secure from the defendant.

What Are the Most Common Types of Truck Accident Cases?

Truck accidents happen for many of the same reasons as all other passenger vehicle accidents. Distracted driving, driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol or drugs, speeding, and moving violations that disrupt the flow of traffic can all result in devastating truck accidents. However, most commercial trucks are also vulnerable to several additional risk factors due to their large size and heavy weight.

• Improperly loaded and/or secured cargo could cause a truck driver to lose control of their vehicle in certain circumstances. For example, a fully packed tractor-trailer could weigh as much as 80,000 pounds, and since it stands roughly 13 feet off of the ground, it has a much higher center of gravity than smaller passenger vehicles. If the truck’s load isn’t properly balanced, or if the load shifts in transit due to improper packing, the truck could roll over or tip over around a sharp turn, or the driver could lose control of the overloaded trailer’s speed when driving downhill.
• Trucking companies, owner-operators, and all commercial enterprises that rely on commercial trucking and commercial truck drivers must adhere to various federal regulations. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and various state-level agencies across the country enforce a variety of regulations for the trucking industry. Any negligent failure to abide by applicable regulations could easily cause an accident, and intentional violations of applicable trucking industry regulations can lead to severe penalties for the at-fault party. If a driver fails to heed applicable safety rules and/or their employer fails to enforce them, these issues can easily generate devastating consequences.
• Truck drivers face demanding schedules and job duties that are physically exhausting. As a result, the trucking industry upholds hours of service rules that ensure drivers are not compelled to overexert themselves. When truck drivers knowingly violate hours of service regulations, they can easily cause accidents from driving while fatigued. In addition, in the event a driver uses alcohol or drugs to cope with the stress of their job or to remain awake behind the wheel longer than they should, they are likely to lose their commercial driver’s license in addition to facing civil liability for any damages they cause to others.
• Truck accidents may happen due to negligence or misconduct from drivers and/or their employers, but it is also possible for a third party to cause a truck accident that results in harm to others. Accidents like these can easily generate hotly contested claims of fault, and if you face this type of accident case, it’s essential to have legal counsel you can trust to reach the best possible results.

An experienced Monroe truck accident attorney will be an invaluable asset for anyone struggling in the aftermath of a truck accident, especially when liability isn’t immediately clear. Truck accident cases often raise the issue of “vicarious liability,” which applies to any situation in which one party bears liability for the actions of another party. This most often applies to employer-employee relationships in cases in which an employer has failed to properly manage their employee, resulting in damages to others.

For example, if a trucking company hires a driver without verifying their professional background and criminal history, they could overlook a glaring risk factor that, if known, would have discouraged them from hiring the driver. If the driver later causes an accident, the employer will likely face vicarious liability for failing to perform an appropriate background check. This is just one possible example of how determining liability for a truck accident can be far more difficult than assessing fault for a standard passenger vehicle accident.

In the event a truck accident happens because of any driver’s willful misconduct, criminal behavior, or reckless disregard for the safety of others, these issues eclipse the scope of typical negligence and may lead to criminal charges against the defendant. If any such variables come into play in your case, your Monroe truck accident attorney can advise you as to what you can expect in terms of changes to your final recovery or if you may need to testify in a criminal case against the defendant.

Unfortunately, many truck accident cases generate very complex legal proceedings. The average person injured by such an event needs an experienced legal representative to have the best chance of recovering their losses as fully as possible.

Damages and Compensation for a Truck Accident Injury Claim in Monroe

One of the most pressing legal questions the victim of a truck accident is likely to have in the aftermath of their experience is how much they can potentially recover from the at-fault driver. North Carolina’s personal injury statutes are strict and expansive, and it’s vital to have legal counsel you can trust to help you understand the legal mechanisms in play in your case. After you have proven liability for your truck accident and identified the defendant or defendants in your claim, you can proceed with listing all of the damages you intend to seek with your personal injury action.

State law permits a plaintiff to seek economic and non-economic damages for a personal injury. Economic damages are straightforward and generally easy to prove with appropriate documentation. Medical expenses, ongoing treatment costs for serious injuries, lost income, and lost future earnings are just a few examples of economic damages you could potentially seek from the defendant. Your Monroe truck accident attorney will be essential for gathering the documentation needed to establish the full scope of your economic damages and for proving the future damages your experience is likely to cause.

Non-economic damages are more subjective and apply to physical pain, emotional suffering, and mental anguish experienced by the plaintiff in response to the defendant’s actions. The average person may struggle to determine an appropriate amount of financial compensation for intangible losses like these, but an experienced Monroe truck accident attorney can provide helpful guidance on this issue. For example, if you suffered an injury that’s expected to heal in the near future with minimal long-term complications, your attorney could seek an ongoing payment settlement that awards compensation on a consistent basis until you reach maximum medical recovery. Alternatively, if your injury caused a permanent disability, they would be more likely to seek a large lump sum, calculated by multiplying your economic damages by a factor that reflects the severity of your experience.

What to Expect From Your Monroe Truck Accident Attorney

The right attorney will make a significant difference in your experience with your recovery efforts after a truck accident. An auto insurance claim is the first step in recovery after most vehicle accidents in North Carolina. The state enforces a fault system for resolving car accidents, and every driver is legally required to have auto insurance that meets the state’s minimum coverage requirements. Therefore, once you identify the driver responsible for causing your truck accident, you can file a claim against their insurance policy.

An experienced Monroe truck accident attorney can help you file your insurance claim, resolve any disputes that arise between you and the insurer, and help you secure your settlement check as quickly as possible. Some injured drivers are able to resolve their accident claims with just this step, and having the right attorney on your side is the best way to maximize the outcome of any insurance claims you file in response to a truck accident. However, if your damages exceed the at-fault party’s insurance coverage, your Monroe truck accident attorney will be a crucial ally in filing a personal injury claim against the driver who injured you.

When you choose Ayers, Whitlow & Dressler as your Monroe truck accident attorneys, you will have access to the full scope of our professional resources and experience. We strive to help each client we represent understand their recovery options in clearer detail and reach the best results attainable under state law. Additionally, legal counsel will be especially crucial for any plaintiff accused of bearing partial responsibility for their damages. The state’s contributory negligence law prohibits a plaintiff from claiming compensation for damages if they bear even a slight partial fault for causing an accident. Therefore, if you are confronted with any such claims from a defendant, you will need legal representation you can trust to overcome these allegations and preserve your ability to recover your damages.

Find Legal Counsel Now

Time is a crucial factor for any accident victim. Although state law enforces a two-year statute of limitations on most personal injury claims, you may only have a matter of days in which to file an auto insurance claim for some initial recovery. Therefore, the sooner you speak with an experienced Monroe truck accident attorney, the more time they have to build the strongest case possible on your behalf.

Ayers, Whitlow & Dressler will aim to settle your truck accident claim as swiftly as possible while seeking maximum compensation for your losses. If a settlement isn’t an option, our team is prepared to provide the litigation support you will need to confidently approach your court proceedings. You likely have many pressing legal questions, and our team can offer the answers you need in this challenging situation. If you believe another party is responsible for causing your recent accident, a Monroe truck accident attorney can help you hold them accountable. Contact Ayers, Whitlow & Dressler today to schedule your consultation with our team and learn how we can assist with your recovery.