Charlotte Injury Lawyers Blog
Cement Truck Accident Shut Down I-8
Interstate 85 was closed for a time following a serious crash involving a cement truck. The accident happened in the early morning hours near Exit 37, also known as the exit for Beatties Ford Road in West Charlotte. The accident happened in the northbound lanes of I-85. Emergency responders arrived at the scene to find a tractor-trailer carrying powdered cement overturned in the roadway. North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) responded to the accident to conduct an investigation and cleanup. One person was transported to the hospital with serious injuries, and another person sustained minor injuries in the accident.
What Makes Cement Truck Accidents Different
Truck accidents can be particularly serious, and cement truck accidents present some unique issues. Trucks that haul cement are typically part of the construction industry. These trucks are designed to carry extra-large and heavy loads. The trucks themselves can weigh more, and the loads they haul are extremely heavy and unwieldy. Concrete can shift in an unpredictable manner during transport. This can make driving a concrete truck trickier and more challenging than driving trucks with other types of loads.
Another issue with cement trucks is that they often have a high center of gravity. This makes them more prone to rollover accidents than other vehicles. Drivers need to have plenty of experience and training to be able to handle a load of concrete. When a driver encounters a problem on the road, it can be much more difficult to maneuver and stop the vehicle to avoid a crash. Additionally, concrete that is ready to pour has to be transported as quickly as possible to the construction site. This can create a situation where the driver is in a hurry and possibly speeding on the road.
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Who is Responsible for a Cement Truck Accident?
The negligent party in a traffic accident is responsible for the crash. Insurance companies generally ascribe a percentage of fault to each driver. In North Carolina, you may collect damages only when you were hurt in an accident in which you have no portion of negligence.
Truck accidents can be a little more complex than typical accidents between passenger vehicles. In addition to the driver, the trucking company, construction company, truck manufacturer, or maintenance company could hold some fault if they were negligent.
For example, the manufacturer might hold some portion of negligence if the cement holder part of the truck was spinning improperly at the wrong times during vehicle operation. If a contractor hired an inexperienced driver, they might be held liable. To prove negligence, you will need to show that the other party has a duty of care, and they did something or failed to do something that breached that duty. Further, you must have actual damages or injuries, and they must have been caused directly by the accident. Keep in mind that trucking companies often have large legal teams in place to immediately try to resolve accidents with as little payout as possible. An experienced personal injury attorney will help protect your rights and assist you in obtaining the compensation you deserve for your damages.
If you or a loved one was hurt in a cement truck accident, do not delay. Contact our legal team at Arnold & Smith, PLLC, at (704) 370-2828 to schedule a consultation today.
The skilled personal injury attorneys at Arnold & Smith, PLLC are dedicated to maximizing the financial recovery and obtaining justice for every personal injury client injured by another party’s negligence. The issues our personal injury clients may be facing include, but are not limited to, slip and fall injuries, wrongful death, product liability, catastrophic injuries, dog bite claims, car and truck accident injuries, motorcycle injuries, traumatic brain injury (TBI), nursing home negligence, spinal cord injury, boating accidents, and defective medical device injury. Our personal injury attorneys understand the devastating impact such an injury can have on a person’s life, and that the effects so often go beyond physical pain and suffering. The personal injury attorneys at Arnold & Smith, PLLC are dedicated to helping clients determine the strength of their claims, and to aggressively pursuing the means necessary to achieve the best possible end result for each client’s particular situation.
Source:
Overturned cement truck shuts down I-85 in Charlotte, NC | wcnc.com
negligence | Wex | US Law | LII / Legal Information Institute (cornell.edu)
Image Credit:
Concrete Truck Free Photo Download | FreeImages
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