Collisions involving large vehicles like those from Enterprise can cause serious harm because they are big in size and heavy in weight. The aftermath of an incident like this can be stressful and confusing, but you’re not alone.
You shouldn’t be left to deal with the impact of a truck accident on your own. Our Enterprise truck accident lawyers in Concord will manage the entire legal process for you. At DeMayo Law Offices, we have helped over 125,000 people since opening our doors in 1992.
With more than 250 years of combined experience, our Concord truck accident lawyers have recovered over $1 billion in compensation. Contact us today for a free consultation.
Common Causes of Enterprise Truck Accidents in Concord
Enterprise truck accidents in Concord often occur due to several overlapping causes. Many of these are rooted in the unique challenges posed by rental trucks driven by non-professionals:
- Inexperience: Many renters have limited experience operating large trucks, which must be handled differently from passenger vehicles. Misjudging vehicle dimensions, braking distance, and turning radius can lead to accidents.
- Improper vehicle operation: Difficulty with mirrors, blind spots, and controls can cause drivers to make unsafe maneuvers or fail to notice surrounding hazards.
- Overloading: Some renters exceed the truck’s recommended cargo weight or distribute it unevenly, affecting vehicle stability and braking.
- Fatigue: Long hours driving unfamiliar vehicles can lead to fatigue and reduced reaction times.
- Distraction: Like all drivers, renters may be distracted by phones, GPS, or other activities inside the truck.
- Failure to follow traffic laws: Speeding, improper lane changes, failure to yield, and other traffic violations contribute to collisions.
- Road and weather conditions: Slippery roads, poor visibility, and narrow lanes increase the difficulty of safely operating large rental trucks.
While many accidents involving Enterprise trucks are the result of driver error, other contributing factors may include poor maintenance, hazardous road design, or defects in the vehicle manufacturing.
A Concord personal injury lawyer can help investigate these issues to determine liability. Your Enterprise truck accident attorney in Concord will also understand how to handle the legal side of things, including problems that often arise in these types of cases.
For a free legal consultation with an enterprise truck accident lawyer serving Concord, call (877) 333-1000
Legal Framework Governing Rental Truck Accidents in North Carolina
North Carolina’s laws concerning vehicle accidents apply broadly to all motor vehicles on public roads, including rental trucks.
However, commercial rental trucks like those provided by Enterprise often fall into a gray area, as their drivers may not meet all commercial licensing or training requirements.
These are examples of legal aspects your Concord Enterprise truck accident lawyers will consider on your behalf:
- Licensing requirements: North Carolina requires drivers operating vehicles over a certain weight or with certain features to hold a commercial driver’s license (CDL). Rental trucks of a certain size may require a CDL, but many Enterprise trucks fall under weight limits that exempt drivers from this requirement.
- Liability under North Carolina’s contributory negligence rule: North Carolina is one of the few states that follow a strict contributory negligence standard. This means if an injured party is found even slightly at fault for the accident, they may be barred from recovering damages. This legal framework affects how fault is determined in rental truck accident cases.
- Negligence claims: Injured parties may pursue negligence claims against the driver, rental company, or other responsible parties. To succeed, they must prove duty, breach, causation, and damages.
- Vicarious liability: Rental companies like Enterprise may be held liable under certain circumstances, such as if they negligently rented to an unqualified or intoxicated driver or failed to properly maintain their vehicles.
- Statute of limitations: Personal injury claims arising from truck accidents in North Carolina generally must be filed within three years of the accident date, or two years for wrongful death claims
Because of the many factors involved in rental truck cases, determining legal responsibility can involve multiple parties and a detailed examination of the facts.
Concord Enterprise Truck Accident Lawyer Near Me (877) 333-1000
Liability Issues Specific to Enterprise Truck Accidents
Liability in Enterprise truck accidents can be complicated due to the rental arrangement as well as potential parties that may be involved. Here’s what you should know about being the victim of a truck-related collision:
- The driver: The primary responsibility usually lies with the person driving the rental truck. Their actions before and during the accident are scrutinized for negligence, including adherence to traffic laws and safe driving practices.
- Enterprise Rent–A–Truck: Although generally a rental company is not responsible for driver actions, exceptions may arise. Enterprise could be liable if it rented a vehicle to someone obviously unfit to drive, such as a person visibly intoxicated or an individual who presents a suspended license. Enterprise is also responsible for maintaining safe and roadworthy vehicles.
- Employers of the driver: If the rental driver was operating the vehicle within the scope of employment, the employer may share liability under the doctrine of respondeat superior.
- Third parties: Other drivers, vehicle manufacturers, or road maintenance entities may also bear partial responsibility if their negligence contributed to the accident.
Because rental trucks are often driven by individuals unfamiliar with large vehicles, establishing liability may require investigating rental agreements, driver qualifications, and Enterprise’s policies for renting trucks.
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Contact Our Enterprise Truck Accident Law Firm in Concord for Help Today
A collision with an Enterprise truck can leave you dealing with painful injuries and financial strain on top of a lot of unanswered questions. If you or a loved one was hurt in an incident like this, it’s important to know that you don’t have to deal with the legal or financial consequences on your own.
At DeMayo Law Offices, our Concord Enterprise truck accident lawyers are ready to stand by your side and work with you to understand what happened. As Your North Carolina Law Firm™, we want to protect your rights and help you pursue the compensation you deserve.
Reach out to our Concord Enterprise truck accident law firm today. The sooner you get in touch with us, the sooner we can start working toward holding the at-fault party or parties accountable for the injuries and damages they caused you. Call now.
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