Western Express Truck Accident Lawyer - Charlotte, North Carolina

Western Express is a trucking company with headquarters in Nashville, Tennessee. The trucking company has facilities throughout the United States. They were privately founded in 1991 and currently have a fleet of over 3,000 trucks and 7,500 trailers. Western Express provides flatbed, van, and logistics services. The company has terminals throughout the United States, including Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Fort Dodge, Iowa, Plainfield, Connecticut, Bloomington, California, and Richmond, Virginia.

Commercial truck accidents are more dangerous than accidents involving smaller vehicles. Commercial trucks are heavy and large and size, making them more dangerous to other vehicles on the road. Semi-trucks can weigh over 80,000 pounds when fully loaded with cargo, making them difficult to stop quickly and prone to dangerous roll-over accidents. With an understanding of how dangerous commercial trucks are, the federal government and the state of North Carolina have enacted safety laws for commercial truck drivers.

These laws are designed to keep everyone on the road safe when driving next to large semi-trucks and other commercial vehicles. Commercial truck drivers must keep their trucks well maintained. CDL drivers are also required to take frequent breaks when on the road so they do not become overly tired. The requirements for obtaining a commercial vehicle license are more rigorous than for a typical driver's license. When truck drivers or the owners of trucking companies violate these safety requirements, devastating truck accidents can result.

Whether a truck driver is driving a smaller truck to make local deliveries in Charlotte, or a commercial truck driver shipping inventory in and out of Charlotte, they have a duty to drive safely. When truck drivers fail to drive safely under the circumstances, victims of their negligence can hold them accountable through a personal injury lawsuit. The first step in holding a truck driver accountable after being injured is determining the cause of the accident. Victims will need to prove that the truck driver’s negligence caused the accident that resulted in their injuries.

There are many different types of truck accidents. Truck drivers can be involved in single-truck collisions, sideswipes, rear-end collisions, head-on crashes, and broadside crashes. Due to the size of commercial trucks, their cargo, and their unique operational difficulties, trucks are often involved in the following types of accidents:

• Rollovers: Trucks have a different center of gravity than passenger cars. As a result, they are more susceptible to rolling over when they turn a corner too fast, or when the driver is speeding.
• Jackknife: In a jackknife accident, the tractor and the trailer end up at a right angle to each other. Jackknife accidents can harm or even kill the truck driver. When other drivers try to steer around the jackknifed trailer, they can collide with another vehicle, causing a multi-vehicle pileup.
• Multi-vehicle accidents: When semi-trucks roll over, spill cargo, run off the road, or jackknife, they can cause chain-reaction accidents. Other drivers will swerve to try to avoid colliding with the truck. While doing so, these drivers may collide with each other, into the semi-truck, or run off the highway.
• Spilled cargo: Trucking companies have a duty to make sure they properly load and secure cargo into semi-trucks. The cargo must meet approved weight limits. When cargo spills, other collisions can occur while driving over the spill or trying to avoid it.
• Improper backing up Trucks that load cargo at shipping sites need to use spotters and other precautions when backing out into traffic. Failure to back out properly can cause a dangerous truck accident with another driver.
• Improper lane changes: Many truck accidents are caused by improper lane changes. Truck drivers do not have windows to look out of, meaning they need to rely on mirrors to see around the truck. Truck mirrors cannot always catch cars that might be too close to the truck or otherwise in a blind spot.

If you have been injured in a truck accident in Charlotte, it is crucial that you discuss your case with a lawyer as soon as possible. You may be entitled to compensation through a personal injury lawsuit or an insurance settlement. Contact the experienced personal injury lawyers at Arnold & Smith, PLLC, today to schedule your free initial consultation to discuss your case.