Why Hire a Lawyer for a Truck Accident in Raleigh
Dealing with the aftermath of a truck or commercial vehicle accident can be overwhelming. Between mounting medical bills, confusing insurance claims, and questions about who’s at fault, it’s easy to feel lost. If you’ve been involved in a commercial vehicle accident, it’s important to know what to do—and what not to do—to protect your rights.
Steps To Take After a Truck Accident in Raleigh
Any kind of car accident can be traumatic, but when a commercial vehicle is involved, the consequences can be far more severe. Accidents with 18-wheelers often lead to more serious injuries, more involved insurance claims, and, in many cases, more challenging lawsuits. By taking a few key steps early on, you can protect your rights and put yourself in the best position to recover compensation for your injuries.
1 | Call the Police
If you’re involved in a truck accident with injuries, even minor ones, call the police immediately. The responding officer will create an official accident report, which could be crucial later. If there are any witnesses, the officer will gather their contact information so they can be reached later if needed. This report and witness info can help your attorney piece together the facts and timeline of the crash.
2 | Seek Medical Attention
If you’re injured in a commercial vehicle accident, seek medical attention as soon as possible. Prompt treatment protects your health and creates a formal record of your injuries. This documentation may be key if you file an insurance claim or pursue a truck accident lawsuit settlement.
3 | Take Pictures of the Scene and Vehicle Damages
Photo evidence is a powerful tool in car and truck accident cases. Images of the crash scene and vehicle damage can help your legal team understand what happened and identify factors that may prove trucking accident liability. Defense attorneys can challenge testimony, but clear visual evidence speaks for itself.
4 | Contact a Truck Accident Lawyer
If you’ve been injured in an accident involving an 18-wheeler, you need a personal injury lawyer. After the accident, you’ll likely have many questions, like who will pay your medical bills and what kind of compensation you can pursue for pain and suffering. A seasoned personal injury lawyer like those at Miller Law Group can provide answers, guide you through the legal process, identify responsible parties, and help establish trucking accident liability.
What Makes Truck Accident Cases More Complicated?
18-wheeler accidents are different from standard car accidents, and the resulting lawsuits tend to be more complex. These cases often involve multiple parties, including insurance adjusters, state and federal agencies, and the possibility of several liable defendants such as the driver, trucking company, or cargo handler.
When a commercial vehicle accident results in serious injuries, the medical expenses alone may justify significant compensation. This is why seeking medical attention immediately and following through with prescribed treatment is so important—not just for your health, but for your legal claim.
The pain and suffering you experience after a commercial vehicle accident should never be overlooked, and neither should the negligence of the driver or trucking company responsible for it. This is why you should hire an experienced attorney who understands the complexities of trucking accident liability and can help you fight for the compensation you deserve.
Types of 18-Wheeler Accident Lawsuits
Litigation attorneys handle a wide range of 18-wheeler accident lawsuits, depending on how the crash occurred and what contributed to it. Some of the most common types include rear-end collisions, jackknife accidents, and rollovers, each presenting serious risks to other drivers on the road.
Rear-End Collisions
One of the most common types of truck accidents is the rear-end collision. These are especially dangerous for passenger vehicles due to the massive size and weight difference between a semi-truck and a standard car. Truck drivers are supposed to be trained to anticipate and safely interact with other vehicles, but not all operators follow those rules. When they don’t, it’s often private motorists who suffer the consequences of their negligence, but a truck accident attorney can help hold the appropriate parties responsible.
Jackknife Accidents
Jackknife accidents happen when the trailer of a truck swings out from behind the cab, forming a sharp angle, much like a folding knife. These incidents are often caused by braking hard or driving too fast in poor weather. On narrow roads, a jackknifed truck can block multiple lanes and cause devastating crashes, injuries, or even fatalities.
Rollover Accidents
Rollover accidents occur when a truck tips over onto its side or roof, often due to speeding, driver fatigue, or improper cargo loading. These accidents are rarely the fault of the injured party, but they can have serious consequences for anyone caught in their path. If negligence led to a rollover, you may have grounds for an 18-wheeler accident lawsuit.
Why You Need a Truck Accident Lawyer
If you’ve been hurt in a commercial truck accident, you need a personal injury lawyer with experience handling 18-wheeler accident cases. These complicated cases often come with serious injuries that can impact your life for years to come.
An experienced truck accident law firm in Raleigh can take immediate steps to preserve critical evidence, interview witnesses, and build a case that clearly establishes fault and trucking accident liability. The sooner you hire legal representation, the better your chances of securing a fair accident lawsuit settlement from the trucking company.
Trying to handle insurance claims, medical bills, and legal paperwork on your own can be overwhelming and costly. A skilled attorney will guide you through every stage of the process and fight to hold the truck driver, the company, or any other responsible parties accountable.
Get the Support You Deserve
At Miller Law Group, we don’t believe the public should suffer because trucking companies or drivers fail to follow standard safety procedures. If you’ve been injured in an 18-wheeler or other commercial vehicle accident, our attorneys are here to help you pursue full and fair compensation.
We bring experience, strategy, and a deep understanding of trucking industry practices to every case. From negotiations to trial, we know how to anticipate and counter the tactics used by trucking companies and their insurers. And while all the attorneys at Miller Law Group are dedicated to fighting for our clients, we have a lawyer on our team who is licensed to operate a commercial vehicle, bringing a unique perspective and knowledge base to the table.
Contact us today to schedule a consultation and take the first step toward holding the right parties accountable for your Raleigh, North Carolina, trucking accident.