Commercial vehicles are useful in today’s economic system as a means of transporting goods. They are, however, a potential liability to drivers and those on the road. Truck accidents can be highly traumatic and often lead to more serious injuries, higher medical bills, and greater economic damages. If you have been in a truck accident, working with a Surf City commercial vehicle accident lawyer can help you receive the compensation you deserve.
Christina Rivenbark & Associates have built over 30 years of experience defending victims of car accidents and building solid personal injury cases. We have a range of practice areas, including commercial vehicle accidents, and can strongly advocate for your case.
When dealing with a commercial vehicle accident case, it is essential to have supportive legal help that can ensure you do not accept an unfair settlement. At Christina Rivenbark & Associates, we strive to meet the unique needs of our clients and work to provide you with the support and compensation you deserve.
While it is always essential to establish fault in a vehicle accident case in North Carolina, proving liability in a commercial vehicle accident case can be more complex. This is partly because there are more individuals and companies involved with commercial vehicles.
A commercial vehicle may be driven, owned, and maintained by different individuals or companies. Truck drivers can fall asleep, drive distracted, or break driving regulations, making them negligent in their responsibilities as operators.
It is possible that brakes or other mechanical parts of the truck could stop functioning, therefore making another company negligent in truck maintenance, not the driver. There are also trucking industry regulations that may have been broken by the trucking company itself. Before you can receive compensation, it is key to establish liability. In complex cases, working with an injury lawyer is often the right decision.
Hiring a professional accident lawyer from Surf City, North Carolina can help you through the process of filing a claim, navigating insurance, etc. Some ways a commercial vehicle accident lawyer can help you include:
You are able to seek compensation for your accident via two main routes: your auto insurance claim and a personal injury claim. If you have suffered economic losses that are not covered by the compensation you receive from insurance, then filing a personal injury claim may help you recover those additional losses as well.
Economic losses can include damages to your vehicle and other physical objects destroyed in the crash. There may also be hospital bills, physical therapy bills, transportation costs to medical appointments, etc. Future economic losses may include being unable to work, whether temporarily or permanently, or job opportunities being limited due to injury, requiring new education fees.
Beyond these, you may also claim damages for physical pain and suffering. A competent attorney can help you assess and assign monetary value to the physical and emotional trauma associated with your accident.
If you find yourself involved in a car accident case where another party claims you are at fault, it is wise to seek legal help. Since North Carolina is a fault state, it is crucial that you prove that you are not the at-fault party. If you are able to show someone else is liable for the accident, then you can claim damages and receive compensation. Having a lawyer can help you gather evidence, navigate claims, and build a strong case.
An average settlement is difficult to determine, as all car accidents are unique. 18-wheeler accidents are more likely to be severe, given the size of the vehicle. It is also more likely that an 18-wheeler has a trucking company and a larger insurance company behind it. These factors can lead to higher settlements. While minor injuries in accidents often lead to settlements in the hundreds or thousands, severe injuries often range into the hundreds of thousands and beyond.
There is no cap on how much a personal injury case can claim in damages, although there is a cap on punitive damages. This means that the amount someone can sue for varies widely. The severity of the accident and injuries, whether the victim is able to work, and the length of recovery time all impact the amount you can sue for. If, however, you are at fault in the accident, you will not be able to sue.
Since North Carolina is a fault state, your rights and liability are mostly determined by who was at fault in the accident. If you can prove that the other driver or another party was responsible for the accident, then you have the right to pursue compensation for losses. This can include the loss of your purchased vehicle, economic losses due to being unable to work or having to pay medical bills, or even losses due to suffering caused by the accident.
If you have been injured in or involved in a commercial vehicle accident in Surf City, it is important to know your rights. Assuming you are not at fault in the accident, you are entitled to compensation. Our team at Christina Rivenbark & Associates wants to advocate for you. If you have questions about what support we can offer you for your personal injury case, please reach out to us today.