North Carolina I-85 Truck Accident Lawyer

I-85 Truck Accident Attorney in North Carolina, NC

When you’ve been hurt in a truck crash on I-85, you face a complicated legal system, powerful insurance companies, and more than physical injuries. A skilled North Carolina I-85 truck accident lawyer is crucial for successfully recovering compensation for your losses.

At Roberts Law Firm, P.A., our attorneys have more than six decades of experience in advocating on behalf of victims injured by high-speed interstate accidents. We understand how life-altering these crashes can be. Our firm can preserve your rights and seek the compensation you are entitled to.

Hire a North Carolina I-85 Truck Accident Lawyer

Roberts Law Firm, P.A., represents individuals and families in North Carolina with complex personal injury problems, including those caused by large truck accidents. Our attorneys have an in-depth knowledge of state and federal trucking regulations, along with national and local truck accident laws.

We thoroughly investigate I-85 truck accident claims, meticulously prepare cases, and zealously pursue our clients’ rights to seek the fullest financial recovery, all while holding all accountable parties responsible. We can deal with the complexities of a large truck accident case and the multitude of insurance companies involved, including commercial carriers and alleged regulatory compliance.

Common Causes of I-85 Truck Accidents in North Carolina

The contributing factors in most I-85 truck accidents can be traced to aspects of commercial trucking and the interstate system. As a major freight route, I-85 is known to magnify risks when safety precautions are neglected. Some of the most frequent causes include:

• Driver fatigue associated with extended highway driving and strict delivery timetables
• Exceeding speed limits, distracted driving, or unsafe lane changes in areas of high congestion
• Tailgating other vehicles in dense, stop-and-go, or heavy traffic
• Vehicle mechanical failures, including those involving brakes, tires, and general maintenance
• Improperly loaded or secured cargo or trailers
• Weather, road construction, and increased merging traffic near off-ramps

Why Truck Accidents on I-85 Are Especially Dangerous

I-85 is one of the busiest freight corridors in North Carolina. I-85 regularly requires passenger vehicles moving at highway speeds to travel near large, fully loaded commercial vehicles. A tractor-trailer collision with a passenger car can create size and weight differentials, which can result in catastrophic injuries and complicated claims. In many cases, interchange and merge zone accidents on I-85 are a primary cause of these high-speed collisions.

Congestion, frequent merging, and sudden slowdowns can increase the risk of chain-reaction collisions, especially near major population centers and interchange areas. The frequency and outcome of large-truck crashes are evident in national fatality reporting. In 2023, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reported that 4,354 people died in large truck crashes that year.

Liability in Truck Accident Cases Extends Beyond the Driver

The driver of the truck is often not the only defendant in a truck accident claim. Commercial transportation is a multi-tiered enterprise, and liability may attach to:

• The trucking company
• A maintenance provider
• A broker
• A cargo loader
• Any third party whose decisions impacted the safety of the trip

Federal and state regulations guide hours-of-service compliance, inspections, driver qualification standards, and recordkeeping. When any of those obligations are unmet, the liability analysis may change rapidly. For some perspective on how serious truck-related fatalities can be, in 2024, the United States Department of Transportation counted 5,384 vehicles in fatal and non-fatal crashes involving large trucks in North Carolina.

Evidence and Investigation in I-85 Truck Accident Cases in North Carolina

Truck cases are driven by the evidence, and much of the important evidence may be controlled by the carrier or its affiliates. Important sources of evidence in a trucking case can include: 

• The driver qualification file
• Electronic logging device records
• Emails
• Inspection and maintenance records
• Text messages
• Cargo records
• Data from on-board event recorders
• Dispatch records

Evidence from the crash scene, witness interviews, and conditions on I-85 may also be relevant to issues like visibility, traffic flow, or construction/work zones. It is essential to learn the North Carolina personal injury statute of limitations so that your investigation begins before critical evidence is destroyed. A good plan for the investigation of evidence also quickly establishes whether the claim involves a single defendant or multiple defendants who are jointly responsible.

A skilled North Carolina I-85 truck accident attorney has handled this process before, and they can do so for you, too.

FAQs

How Are Truck Accident Claims Different From Car Accident Claims in North Carolina?

Truck accident claims present different, and often more complex, issues than those involving cars. Safety regulations by federal agencies may be at issue. For example, claims often require a review of commercial carriers, and they may also involve issues with driver records, hours-of-service logs, and vehicle maintenance.

Additional parties, along with additional insurance coverage, may be involved. Interstate issues may also broaden the scope of the investigation as well as the number of potential defendants.

Who Can Be Held Responsible for an I-85 Truck Accident?

A liability claim in an I-85 truck accident may also name parties other than the truck driver, depending on the circumstances surrounding the collision. The responsibility for unsafe conditions can fall on the trucking company or vehicle owner involved in an accident, maintenance contractors, and/or third-party cargo loaders.

Establishing fault requires examining contractual terms, operational control, and the fulfillment of safety responsibilities by each entity in the commercial transportation network.

What Role Do Federal Trucking Regulations Have in These Cases?

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations address issues central to commercial trucking, such as driver hours, vehicle inspections, vehicle maintenance, and recordkeeping. These rules are found at 49 C.F.R. Parts 350 to 399. If a carrier or driver violated a regulation applicable to them, those violations may be used as evidence when evaluating whether safety standards were followed.

How Long Do I Have to File a Truck Accident Claim in North Carolina?

North Carolina has strict statutes of limitations on personal injury claims, including truck accident cases. Generally, an injured person has three years from the date of injury to file a claim, per N.C. Gen. Stat. § 1-52. If the deadline is missed, the ability to pursue a claim may be barred, even if the injured party has a valid case. This is why it’s crucial to hire an I-85 truck accident lawyer early on.

Schedule Your Consultation with Our I-85 Truck Accident Attorneys Today

Serious truck accidents on I-85 can result in injured victims being burdened with physical, financial, and legal consequences. Roberts Law Firm, P.A., provides North Carolina representation to clients with complex truck accident claims involving interstate carriers and commercial vehicles.

Careful evaluation of a trucking claim and strategic advocacy may be critical for pursuing accountability and fair compensation after a serious truck accident. Book a consultation today.

North Carolina I-85 Truck Accident Resources

• How Cargo Shift Causes Rollover Truck Crashes on Interstate Freight Corridors in North Carolina