Office Locations Raleigh Personal Injury Truck Accidents Flatbed Truck Accidents

Flatbed trucks are used to transport a wide range of items, including oversized and odd-shaped objects, that are not prone to damage in weather. These large vehicles feature a flat body and have no sides or roof around the bed of the truck.

The trucks are ideal for carrying loads that would be too wide for other types of trucks. They also pose a unique safety threat to anyone sharing the road with them.

At Martin & Jones, our Raleigh truck accident attorneys help individuals and families who have been injured in traffic accidents. We are seasoned lawyers who fight aggressively for clients to maximize their compensation.

The risk of an accident is an unfortunate part of driving for anyone. Trucks pose a particularly serious threat, because of the size of the vehicles, the speeds at which they travel, and the stress commonly put on truckers to spend long stretches of time behind the wheel.

How Flatbed Truck Accidents Happen

Traffic accidents happen. When trucks are involved, the risk of serious and even fatal injuries increases because of the size of the vehicles.

Several factors commonly lead to truck and other accidents across North Carolina:

• Speeding and aggressive driving
• Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
• Drowsy driving
• Distraction
• Vehicle defects and failure

What makes flatbed trucks useful is also what makes these vehicles particularly dangerous. Drivers who hit the road without sufficient training or experience or in trucks that have not been properly inspected and maintained increase the threat.

Flatbed trucks’ oversize loads make handling the vehicles more difficult by changing the braking and steering dynamics. Heavy cargo can jar loose in a crash, creating new hazards. Cargo that is not properly secured can slide around or off the truck, even if there is no collision.

Loose cargo commonly causes two types of accidents:

• Jackknife: If the flatbed is a trailer, the shifting weight of moving or falling cargo on the trailer can push the vehicle so hard that it spins around.
• Rollover: The sudden movement or change in weight can also cause the truck to roll over completely.

In June 2023, for example, a flatbed truck driver was injured when the vehicle overturned on I-540 in Raleigh. The truck was carrying a forklift, along with a load of bricks, cardboard boxes, and wooden pallets. Highway Patrol told a local news outlet that officers believed the driver was impaired at the time of the crash.

These kinds of accidents can lead to multi-car pileups involving vehicles traveling behind the trucks. Spilled cargo creates a sudden and unexpected new obstacle for those and other vehicles.

An incident involving a flatbed truck carrying a manufactured home underscores the threat. Wendell Falls Parkway was closed for a stretch in April 2024 after the cargo clipped power lines and brought down electric wires.

Common Injuries in Flatbed Truck Collisions

Each truck accident lawyer at our firm is capable of handling cases involving the following injuries:

• Scarring and disfigurement
• Damage to internal organs
• Head and neck injuries
• Spinal cord injuries
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Death

Anyone who is injured in a flatbed truck accident in North Carolina has the right to seek compensation from those responsible. That includes the truck driver and his or her employer, as well as insurers. A Raleigh truck accident lawyer at Martin & Jones can help you take action.

Who Is Liable for a Truck Accident?

An essential part of receiving compensation for injuries in an accident is identifying the people or entities who are legally responsible for the crash. Liability varies based on the circumstances, but multiple parties may be on the hook in many cases.

Truck Drivers

Truck drivers, like other motorists, are legally required to operate their vehicles in a reasonably safe manner. That means complying with traffic laws, staying alert, and taking basic steps to ensure that their vehicles are in good working order. Truck drivers are also expected to refrain from dangerous behavior while behind the wheel, like texting and driving or operating a vehicle while impaired by alcohol or drugs.

Trucking Companies

If the truck driver is working for a transportation or other company at the time of the collision, that entity may also be held responsible. Businesses generally are considered liable for accidents caused by employees in the course of their jobs.

Trucking companies routinely try to avoid liability for collisions by classifying drivers as independent contractors rather than employees or arguing that the drivers were acting outside of the scope of their jobs at the time.

There may also be other ways to hold a trucking company liable. A business that owns the truck may be vicariously liable. It also could be responsible if it fails to meet minimum inspection and maintenance requirements for ensuring that the vehicle is in good working order. Or it could be liable for allowing the truck to be driven by someone who has not been provided the appropriate training.

Insurers

Various insurance companies may also be on the hook when truck accidents happen. There is the truck driver’s insurer, the insurer for the company that employs the driver, and the insurer for the company that owns the truck.

Speak With a Raleigh Flatbed Truck Accident Lawyer Immediately

If you have been injured in a flatbed truck accident or other type of crash, the Raleigh personal injury trial lawyers at Martin & Jones offer compassionate, results-driven representation. There are time limits for filing a traffic accident lawsuit in North Carolina, so please contact our offices right away for a free, no-obligation consultation.

Our truck accident lawyers can be reached online or by phone at 1-800-662-1234. We have offices in Raleigh, Durham, and Wilmington and serve clients throughout the state.