Have you suffered injuries or lost a family member in a truck accident in Charlotte, North Carolina? Call Riddle & Riddle Injury Lawyers. You may have the right to seek compensation from the trucking service or its insurance company. Our Charlotte truck accident lawyers are ready to help you fight for the top-tier case results you deserve.
Riddle & Riddle has been a strong and unwavering advocate for North Carolina truck accident victims for four decades. Backed by 190+ years of combined experience, our award-winning trial attorneys have helped clients recover over $850 million in settlement agreements and jury verdicts.
Don’t leave money on the negotiating table or let the trucking company off the hook for your catastrophic injury and suffering. Trust our top-rated litigators to fight for you. Call our Charlotte law office at 800-525-7111 to schedule a free consultation today.
Injured in Charlotte? Contact Us Today!
How Riddle & Riddle Can Help You After a Truck Accident in Charlotte, NC
When you ask for our help, you’ll be able to concentrate on your recovery while our top-rated legal team does the following:
- Investigates all aspects of your truck accident case
- Evaluates evidence obtained during the discovery process, including truck black box data, driver record of duty status reports, medical records, vehicle maintenance and inspection records, pre- and post-trip reports, dash cam footage, witness statements, and other relevant information
- Consults independent experts and specialists whose insight can strengthen your legal claim
- Explains your legal options, answers your questions, and offers helpful legal advice throughout the claims process
- Identifies the best way to handle claims of contributory fault
- Prepares and submits your complaint
- Pursues a settlement offer that genuinely represents what your truck accident case is worth
- Argues your truck accident lawsuit at trial in Mecklenburg County, if necessary
Trucking companies are often primed to prioritize profits over all else. This can set the stage for devastating accidents involving 18-wheelers, semi-trucks, dump trucks, tractor-trailers, and other large commercial vehicles. Taking on a powerful trucking service is no easy task, so it helps to have an experienced Charlotte personal injury lawyer in your corner.
Choosing Riddle & Riddle shows the defense that you’re serious about winning your case and getting every cent you deserve. We’re nationally acclaimed civil litigators recognized by Super Lawyers, Martindale Hubbell, the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, and The National Trial Lawyers. We aggressively fight to protect our clients’ rights and don’t give up until they’re made whole.
Our Charlotte personal injury attorneys are here to make your life easier. We’ll represent you on a contingent basis, so there will never be a cost to hire our law firm unless we win money for you.
Contact our Charlotte, NC, law office today to learn more. Your initial case evaluation is free.
How Common Are Truck Accidents in North Carolina?
While truck operations must comply with state and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) safety guidelines, accidents are still a problem on North Carolina roads. In 2024, 5,173 large truck accidents were reported in the state, including 137 fatal collisions.
What Causes Most Truck Accidents?
Some of the most common causes of truck accidents include:
- Truck driver fatigue
- Speeding
- Distracted driving
- Drug and alcohol use
- Unsafe turns
- Blind spot errors
- Braking errors
- Illegal turns
- Improperly loaded and/or unsecured cargo
- Negligent hiring
- Negligent vehicle maintenance
There are also situations when auto defects, road defects, and particularly hazardous weather conditions can contribute to Charlotte truck accidents.
These accidents - which include jackknife accidents, underride accidents, truck rollovers, squeeze play accidents, and other devastating crashes - are mostly the result of avoidable acts of negligence. Many times, they’re caused by violations of the safety guidelines designed to prevent them.
Who’s Liable for My 18-Wheeler Accident?
Since trucks are often driven commercially, liability tends to be more complicated than it is in other types of auto accident cases.
Several parties can potentially be liable for a big rig accident, including a/an:
- Truck driver
- Trucking company
- Freight broker
- Cargo loader
- Vehicle mechanic
- Truck manufacturer
- Owner of freight or cargo
- Third-party motorist
- Pedestrian or bicyclist
- Vehicle passenger
- Property owner
- Government agency
Establishing liability is critical to the success of your truck accident case. Our truck accident lawyers in Charlotte, NC, will thoroughly investigate your crash, assess the facts and evidence, and work to identify exactly who bears responsibility. Once liability is clear, we won’t rest until they take the necessary steps to make things right.
Can Shared Fault Affect My North Carolina Truck Accident Settlement?
Yes. North Carolina operates under a harsh pure contributory negligence rule. Sharing any degree of responsibility for a truck accident will prohibit you from recovering compensation from a liable third party.
Not surprisingly, it’s common for at-fault parties, defense attorneys, and insurance adjusters to point fingers - even when there’s no evidence to back up claims of shared fault. If you don’t fight these claims aggressively, you could watch well-deserved compensation slip away.
Our Charlotte personal injury attorneys know how to attack and dismantle these claims to protect our clients. We’ll do everything in our power and use all of the resources at our disposal to disprove claims of contributory fault so that you can receive a much-needed monetary award to help you cope with the consequences of your truck accident.
What Types of Damages Can Be Awarded to Charlotte Truck Accident Victims?
Truck accident victims in North Carolina have the opportunity to request two different types of compensatory damages in a personal injury claim: economic and non-economic.
Economic damages are designed to help you handle the financial costs of a truck accident, including:
- Current and future medical expenses related to hospitalization, surgery, medical devices, diagnostic tests, medication, rehabilitation, and other necessary care
- Present and future lost wages
- Disability
- Diminished earning capacity
- Property damage
- Out-of-pocket expenses
- Personal care assistance
- Funeral expenses if a truck accident in Charlotte is fatal
Non-economic damages are awarded to acknowledge the harder-to-value trauma you’ve experienced as an accident victim, including:
- Chronic physical pain
- Reduced quality of life
- Emotional distress
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Loss of consortium
- Disfigurement
- Physical scarring
- Embarrassment
- Pain and suffering
The more severe your truck accident injuries, the more your life will change - financially, physically, and emotionally. In turn, the more you can expect your truck accident case to be worth. The trucking company and other defendants will try everything they can to downplay your injuries and trauma to minimize your recovery. You’ll be able to count on Riddle & Riddle to help you fight for maximum case results.
Common Truck Accident Injuries
It’s common for truck accident victims to suffer serious, if not catastrophic, physical injuries, including:
- Spinal cord injuries
- Quadriplegia injuries
- Back injuries
- Neck injuries
- Nerve damage
- Crush injuries
- Chest injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Burn injuries
- Amputation injuries
- Degloving injuries
- Eye injuries
- Leg injuries
- Catastrophic injuries
- Wrongful death
Trucks are considerably larger than other vehicles on the road. They generate a lot more force, and that’s transferred to other vehicles and the occupants of those vehicles in a collision.
Always report a truck accident to the police by calling 911, then seek immediate medical care at the closest hospital. These steps can be crucial to your physical health, recovery, and ability to win a legal claim in the future.
How Long Will I Have to File a Truck Accident Lawsuit in North Carolina?
North Carolina gives you three years from the date you’re injured in a truck crash to file a personal injury claim for damages.
If you’ve suffered the death of a family member in a fatal Charlotte truck accident, you’ll have two years to file a wrongful death claim.
There are times when the statute of limitations can be tolled, but they’re uncommon. Most often, they involve situations where a child is injured in a truck accident or the at-fault party flees the scene and can’t be located.
Regardless, never assume you have more time to act than you really do. You can’t let the filing deadline come and go without taking action. Once time runs out, you forfeit the right to demand maximum compensation for your truck accident injuries.
Call an Experienced Charlotte Truck Accident Lawyer for a Free Case Review
If you were hurt by a negligent truck driver or trucking company, don’t let them off the hook. Instead, call Riddle & Riddle and trust us to fight to hold them accountable.
Our Charlotte truck accident attorneys are award-winning litigators with an unrivaled track record of success. We’ve helped our clients recover well over $850 million in monetary awards from trucking companies, insurance carriers, government agencies, and other powerful defendants.
Now, we’re ready to invest our considerable legal forces into your truck accident case, too. Contact our law office in Charlotte to get started and set a time for your initial case review.