Experienced Truck Accident Lawyers in Jacksonville, NC
Have you been injured in a truck accident? A Jacksonville truck accident lawyer can help you get the compensation you deserve.
At Riddle & Brantley, our experienced Jacksonville truck accident injury attorneys have recovered more than $600 million in total compensation for injury victims since 2000 alone (see disclaimer below) and we would love to help you however we can.
Have you or a loved one been injured in a truck accident? If so, you may be entitled to compensation. Call an experienced truck accident lawyer today.
"They made a hard time in my life easier to endure."
-Melissa C., Riddle & Brantley client
Types of Truck Accident Cases We Handle in Jacksonville NC
In more than 35 years handling truck accident cases in Jacksonville, our Jacksonville personal injury attorneys have represented clients injured in all types of truck and tractor-trailer accidents, including:
- Underride Truck Accidents – This can be a very deadly type of truck crash. Underride accidents happen when a vehicle slams into the rear or side of a truck and consequently ends up under the rig. This can be debilitating or deadly to the occupants of the other vehicle.
- Jackknife Accidents – Jackknife accidents occur when the trailer of a large truck swings out from the cab at a 90-degree angle. This can be attributed to abrupt stopping, steep inclines, load shifting, slippery roads, and other driver errors. A jackknifed truck poses danger for any vehicles in the area and could cause multi-vehicle crashes.
- Intersection Accidents – Statistics show that many crashes at intersections cause bodily injury or death. Speeding, failure to yield, tailgating, and inclement weather all can cause intersection accidents.
- Blind Spot Accidents – There are 4 blind spots that hinder tractor-trailer truck drivers. These blind spots are known as “no-zones.” When turning, changing lanes, or breaking, truck drivers are required to check these spots to minimize the risk of a collision. Drivers sharing the road with large trucks should try to stay out of “no-zones.” Remember, if you cannot see the driver’s face in their rear-view mirror, they are unable to see you.
- Wrongful Death Accidents – There is no amount of money that can bring a loved one back after a fatal accident. However, a wrongful death claim can hold the negligent parties accountable for their actions and recoup money damages for final expenses, grief, emotional suffering, and loss of future financial support.
- Federal Express and UPS Trucks – These companies take many precautions to ensure their drivers and properly trained and credentialed. However, accidents involving both companies causing injury and death still occur. Some drivers have been cited for speeding, maintenance lapses, illegal turns, and using handheld devices behind the wheel.
- Amazon Delivery Truck Accidents – Accidents involving Amazon trucks can be complicated because their drivers are independent contractors. However, all drivers are legally required to have liability insurance which covers accident-related losses and expenses.
Common Causes of Truck Accidents
Truck accidents happen for a variety of reasons. Singles, or truck tractors pulling a single semi-trailer, accounted for just over half of all truck collisions in 2019, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Commission (FMCSA). At Riddle & Brantley, we’ve seen first-hand the devastating impact of such accidents.
FMCSA also found that fatal crashes often occur in rural areas and interstate highways, with 54 percent occurring in rural areas and 27 percent on interstate highways. In addition, accidents are caused when truckers drive while distracted or lack sufficient rest or adequate training. Driving while impaired is another significant cause of truck accidents; individuals with commercial driver licenses (CDL) may not drive with a blood alcohol level higher than .04 percent (half the permitted level of other drivers).
Additional Causes of Truck Accidents
- Improperly secured cargo could shift to one side of the truck and cause a rollover.
- Inadequate maintenance can cause brake lights or turn signals to malfunction, causing a collision.
- Manufacturing defects can contribute to an accident.
- Speeding and aggressive driving also contribute to truck accidents.
Further, maintaining control of a commercial truck can be difficult under poor road conditions, inclement weather, and transporting livestock or liquids. Trucks carrying livestock can inadvertently shift weight when turning corners. Trucks carrying liquids must be concerned about the liquids sloshing back and forth if baffles are not installed in the tank.
Large commercial trucks have larger blind spots than cars because they don’t have rear-view mirrors. Because they are taller, seeing other vehicles around them is more complicated. The average length of a truck is 70 feet, creating a large area with limited visibility.
Truck accidents are complex events
Finally, FMSCA states that truck accidents are complex events because elements that lead to a collision can take place hours, days, or months before it happens, e.g., driver inexperience or the weather. Other elements may take place immediately before, such as a tire blowout. Crash experts rarely conclude that crashes are the result of one single factor.
Negligence Involved in Truck Accidents
Many different organizations have laws and rules in place that trucking companies and their staff members must follow to help prevent traffic accidents. Unfortunately, not all companies take these requirements seriously. Acts of negligence that could cause a trucking accident include:
- Cutting corners to save money
- Violating safety rules
- Pressuring drivers to meet tight deadlines
- Hiring unqualified drivers
- Failing to properly train drivers
- Neglecting fleet maintenance
- Unsafely securing truck loads
- Distracted driving
- Trucks that are not properly maintained
Sometimes, it is not the trucking company that causes the wreck, but one of its drivers. According to federal laws, the company will still be liable for accidents their drivers cause.
Truck driver distraction, drunkenness, drowsiness, recklessness, or negligence will generally result in trucking company liability.
Damages Available in Truck Accident Injury Claims
If you’ve been involved in a truck accident in Jacksonville, contact our attorneys as soon as you can. You may qualify for a personal injury claim against the trucking company, one of its staff members, a truck parts manufacturer, and/or another party. Seeking compensation through the civil court system could result in a settlement or verdict that covers the following damages:
- Hospital bills and medical costs
- Lost wages
- Loss of future income
- Disability-related expenses
- Property damage
- Physical pain and emotional suffering
- Loss of consortium
It’s important to work with an experienced Jacksonville truck accident lawyer during truck accident claims. Trucking companies have the resources to hire top attorneys to combat claims made against them.
Level the playing field by hiring experienced attorneys of your own. Riddle & Brantley attorneys have more than 220+ years of combined legal experience.
We would love to help you however we can.
"How Long Do I Have to File a Truck Accident Claim?"
Truck accident claims are like most other accidents in this state with the same time periods for the statute of limitations. That time period is 2 years for death cases and 3 years for injury cases.
This means that the claim for wrongful death must be settled or suit filed within 2 years from the date of death, or the claim is barred.
For injury cases in truck accidents, the time period is 3 years from the date of the accident. We caution all of our clients not to wait until the last minute to hire us because evidence may be long gone by that time, and you risk losing your rights forever if you miss your deadline for filing suit. Just remember the 2-year and 3-year rules, and to call us as soon as possible at (910) 455-5599.
“How Can a Jacksonville Truck Accident Attorney Help?”
You aren’t required to hire a truck accident lawyer in Jacksonville for your case, but our goal is to provide effective and knowledgeable legal representation that helps you win your case. It’s not all about the money, however – we also want to give you the comfort and security you need after a devastating truck accident.
We can handle all aspects of your claims or lawsuit, including:
- Free initial case evaluation — You’ll discuss your case with an attorney and find out if you have grounds for a truck accident claim – for free and with no obligation.
- Truck accident investigation — We have experienced prior law enforcement officers to help us complete an in-depth investigation of your crash. We also hire accident reconstructionists and federal truck safety regulation experts to help determine the cause of the crash and if the driver or company violated any safety guidelines or regulations.
- Evidence preservation — Our firm will immediately act to preserve important pieces of evidence, such as a truck’s black box data.
- Settlement negotiation — Trust our skilled attorneys to help you get the most compensation possible for your truck accident insurance settlement.
- Courtroom representation — If we don’t get a fair offer, we aren’t afraid to file suit or take your case to court in pursuit of a fair recovery.
Our Jacksonville, NC truck accident attorneys’ long history of successful results speaks for itself (see disclaimer below). We’ll do whatever it takes on behalf of our clients to help obtain maximum financial compensation.
What Evidence is Needed in a Truck Accident Injury Claim?
There are many pieces of evidence that we need to preserve when investigating a truck accident claim. The most important thing is time.
Evidence disappears quickly so we like to preserve all evidence within a few days of the truck accident.
Our Jacksonville truck accident attorneys even send a letter to the defendant truck company and its insurance carrier requesting that certain evidence be preserved. Sometimes our letters to preserve evidence are three pages long or more.
The most important pieces of evidence in a truck accident injury case include:
- Photographs of the vehicles and the scene
- All witnesses’ names and contact information
- Written or recorded statements of all witnesses
- Contact information of all officers who investigated the wreck, and the accident report
- Driving logs of the defendant truck driver, including weight and load
- Cell phone/text data from the truck driver
- Blood or other tests taken from the truck driver by law enforcement or the truck company
- Data from the truck or tractor-trailer including the black box
- Statements from the truck driver to law enforcement
- In most cases, we also demand and obtain a visual inspection of the truck by us and our experts
We usually hire experts in truck accidents, including an accident reconstructionist, to help us determine the sequence of events that caused the truck accident. We also consult a federal safety regulation truck expert to help us determine any violations of federal truck driving regulations. These prove very helpful in proving fault on the part of the truck driver. We also have experienced investigators on staff to help our attorneys prove fault and build a strong case.
“What Happens if My Claim is Denied?”
In recent years we have seen truck companies deny liability for wrecks that they clearly caused and try to put partial fault on our driver. In some cases, our client was killed in the wreck so he/she cannot tell us what happened. That’s why it’s so important for you to hire a Jacksonville truck accident attorney as soon as possible after the truck accident so we can secure and preserve all of the vital evidence to prove fault.
In many cases, our Jacksonville truck accident attorneys will file a lawsuit because the insurance company simply denies the claim. In most of these cases, we’re able to get significant compensation for our clients from the insurance company because of all the work we do initially to preserve the evidence and build a case (see disclaimer below). We have an excellent track record for getting fair settlements for our clients injured or killed by negligent truck drivers (see disclaimer below).
Case Results in Truck Accident Injury Claims
Riddle & Brantley’s Jacksonville truck accident lawyers have secured many five, six, and even seven-figure settlements and judgments on behalf of injured North Carolinians (see disclaimer below), including:
- $9,450,000 — Our attorneys fought tirelessly for justice when a family of four was tragically killed in a tractor-trailer crash on a busy NC highway. We led a comprehensive investigation and proved liability by multiple parties, filing and settling two lawsuits prior to trial for compensation totaling $9.45 million for surviving family members.
- $2,750,000 — Attorneys Gene Riddle and Adam Smith represented our client, a construction worker who suffered serious injuries — including the loss of his right leg below the knee — when he was hit by a truck while working in a construction zone. The workers’ comp insurer agreed to a fair settlement but the truck insurance company denied liability, so we filed a lawsuit, ultimately settling prior to trial, recovering $2.75 million in total compensation for our valued client.
- $2,250,000 — Attorney Gene Riddle represented the surviving family members of a young woman he knew personally, who was tragically killed when a truck crossed the center line and hit her vehicle head-on. Attorney Riddle partnered with Raleigh attorney David Kirby to investigate the accident and prove liability, and $2.25 million was recovered at mediation.
Call for a Free Consultation with a Jacksonville Truck Accident Attorney
If you live in Jacksonville, North Carolina and have been involved in truck accident, our legal team at Riddle & Brantley is here to help. Led by attorney Molly Schertzinger, named a "Rising Star" by Super Lawyers (see disclaimer below), our Jacksonville truck accident lawyers can help preserve your rights, connect you with trusted medical providers, and get you the compensation you deserve. Call our Jacksonville law office at (910) 455-5599 and one of our compassionate Jacksonville attorneys handling truck accidents will get back to you as soon as possible. Initial consultations are free, and we don’t charge a fee unless we win a recovery for you.
"Every time I've needed them, they were there for me."
-Tyronnie T., Riddle & Brantley client
*** Disclaimer: The results mentioned are intended to illustrate the type of cases handled by the firm. These results do not guarantee a similar outcome, and they should not be construed to constitute a promise or guarantee of a particular result in any particular case. Every case is different, and the outcome of any case depends upon a variety of factors unique to that case.
*** Disclaimer: An attorney must meet certain requirements to join these organizations or receive these awards. For more information on Membership Criteria for Million Dollar Advocates Forum, Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, Super Lawyers, Super Lawyers “Rising Star” designation, The National Trial Lawyers Top 100, The National Trial Lawyers Top 40 Under 40, The National Association of Distinguished Counsel, AV Preeminent designation by Martindale-Hubbell, the Litigator Award, and other memberships, awards, and accolades, please visit our Membership Criteria page. These awards and memberships should not be construed as a promise or guarantee of a similar result. Each case is different and must be evaluated separately.