Recovering Damages in North Carolina Truck Accidents
At the Raleigh-Durham law firm of Rudolf E. Renfer, Attorney & Counselor at Law, P.A., we help people recover damages suffered in collisions with trucks and other commercial vehicles. Our experience with the proof of complex facts at trial not only gives you an advantage in court, but also helps promote favorable settlements by establishing our credibility with corporate defendants and their insurers. To learn more about our ability to help resolve your truck accident claims, contact Raleigh trial attorney Rudy Renfer.
The litigation of commercial trucking accidents presents a different range of challenges from those presented in car crash cases. Because several potential defendants might have varying degrees of responsibility for the victim's injuries, investigation of the basic facts of the case goes far beyond the question of proving the driver's negligence.
Additionally, most truck accident defendants will be corporations with insurance coverage far greater than most private motorists carry. While there is seldom the risk that the limits of the negligent trucker's insurance won't cover the full range of the victim's losses, proof of damages, future lost income and medical expenses will often be contested and will usually need to be more detailed and persuasive. When the insurance limits are $1 million rather than $50,000, damages claims are examined more carefully.
Truck accident victims have one advantage: federal safety regulations to protect the driving public. Proof of a violation of one of these regulations can help establish a defendant's liability. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations require truckers, owners and employers to maintain detailed records on matters such as hours of operation, maintenance, inspections and even drug tests. The trucks themselves carry data recording devices similar to the "black box" that records commercial airline cockpit data. Reviewing a driver or trucking company's safety compliance records and the actual information concerning speed, braking, signal use and hours driven in a given day or week can reveal many of the most important facts essential to proof of liability in your lawsuit.
We also take great care in monitoring your physical condition and recovery from a truck accident. Because many accidents are disabling, expert testimony to detail the victim's need for future treatment and assistance will show just how much compensation is necessary to produce a just result. We also represent the surviving families in fatal accident cases under North Carolina wrongful death law.
Our truck accident practice covers not only collisions with semi trucks, but also accidents involving a wide range of commercial vehicles: buses, construction trucks, equipment haulers, delivery vans, farm vehicles or maintenance trucks.
For additional information about our trial experience and approach to client service in serious truck accident cases, especially those in the I-40, I-85 or I-95 corridors, contact Raleigh personal injury lawyer Rudy Renfer.
