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Fargo Truck Accident Lawyers
Holding trucking companies accountable in North Dakota
Drive along Interstates 29 and 94, US Highways 81, 10, and 52, or any of the roads that run through Fargo and you’ll see many different types of trucks. Trucks are involved with the local oil fields, construction, and delivering the products so many of our residents enjoy. However, these benefits come with a price. Trucks are dangerous because of their weight, dimensions, the cargo they carry, and the difficulty in controlling them. When accidents do happen, victims may suffer catastrophic or permanent injuries. Many truck accident victims die – including the truckers themselves.
Since 1979, Larson Law Firm P.C. has fought for truck accident victims and their families. Our experienced Fargo personal injury attorneys work aggressively to show how your accident happened, and who is responsible. We work to show the full scope of your financial damages and personal suffering. We demand full compensation for your losses and for the deaths of loved ones.
How can we help?
- How dangerous are truck accidents?
- What types of truck accidents do you handle in Fargo?
- Why do truck accidents happen in Fargo?
- What laws govern truck operation in Fargo?
- What types of injury claims do your Fargo truck accident lawyers handle?
- Who are the defendants in a Fargo truck accident case?
- What damages can I claim if I’m in a Fargo truck accident?
- How soon should I file my Fargo truck accident case?
- Do you have a truck accident lawyer near me?
Free Case Evaluation
Call 701-484-4878 now or fill out the form above to receive a free confidential consultation.
How dangerous are truck accidents?
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) reported that in 2020, 4,998 large trucks and buses were involved in deadly crashes. According to the Institute for Safer Trucking, in 2019, 70 percent of the trucks involved in deadly accidents in North Dakota weighed more than 26,000 pounds. Twenty-one people died in 2019 in North Dakota truck accidents.
What types of truck accidents do you handle in Fargo?
At Larson Law Firm P.C., our Fargo truck accident lawyers have the experience, skills, and resources to handle every type of North Dakota truck accident. Common types of truck accidents include:
- Jackknife accidents. This type of truck accident normally occurs when the truck’s tires lose traction with the highway. The trailer of a tractor-trailer then rotates toward the tractor at a 90-degree angle. The truck driver and anyone near the truck may be hurt while trying to avoid the jackknifed truck.
- Truck rollovers. Trucks have a higher center of gravity than cars, which makes them prone to rolling over. Some of the causes of truck rollover accidents are speeding through a turn, a tire blowout, or shifting cargo.
- Blind spot accidents. The length and width of large trucks combined with the lack of windows create blind spots. Drivers need to be extra cautious so they can see behind the truck, both sides of the truck, and directly in front of the truck. Trucks should be equipped with the latest visual technology.
- Wide-turn accidents. Long trucks need lots of room to complete their turns. Many drivers use several lanes to complete their turn. Any cars near the truck can be crushed if the driver isn’t careful.
- Underride accidents. It’s easy for a small car to slide under a truck when an accident happens, usually killing the occupants of the car. Trucks traveling in Fargo should have underride guards in their rear and on their sides. There’s a good argument to be made to have side guards, too.
- Cargo overloads and unsecured cargo. Trucking companies and truck drivers need to ensure that the inventory they carry is properly secured. Different types of cargo require different materials and procedures for fully securing the cargo. The cargo must also comply with specific weight limits. If the cargo moves while the truck is in operation, the driver can lose control of the truck. If the cargo spills, anyone near the spill can be hurt by the spill or by the truck.
Our Fargo truck accident lawyers also handle truck head-on crashes, rear-end collisions, broadside accidents, multiple-vehicle truck accidents, single-vehicle accidents, and other types of wrecks.
Why do truck accidents happen in Fargo?
Most truck accidents are the result of negligence by someone: a trucker, a trucking company, or another third-party (like a driver or a manufacturer). Sometimes the road itself is deadly, but more often than not, it’s operator error in some form that causes a truck wreck.
Some common causes of Fargo truck accidents including:
- Speeding
- Tailgating
- Violating any other North Dakota traffic rules
- Driving while fatigued
- Driving while intoxicated or under the influence of drugs
- Driving while distracted, such as by texting or using a smartphone
- Failing to back out/back up safely
Our Fargo truck accident lawyers work with our own investigators, the police, truck part experts, truck industry professionals, and traffic reconstruction professionals to show how your accident happened, and why the defendants should be held liable.
What laws govern truck operation in Fargo?
Our Fargo truck accident lawyers understand the various state and federal laws that regulate the trucking industry. Some of the many rules we review are:
- The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) hours of service, which were enacted to help ensure truck drivers don’t drive while they are tired.
- The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) rules that govern how cargo should be loaded.
- The rules for obtaining a commercial driver’s license.
- The rules for keeping electronic records.
- The rules that govern the weight and dimensions of trucks.
- Industry safety laws and regulations.
What types of injury claims do your Fargo truck accident lawyers handle?
At Larson Law Firm, P.C., our Fargo truck accident lawyers understand why catastrophic and serious injuries from truck accidents happen. Trucks are longer, wider, taller, and heavier than most cars. When a truck strikes a car, a motorcycle, a bicycle, or a pedestrian, the force is likely to send the victims to the hospital. Many truck accident victims live with a lifetime of pain.
Our personal injury lawyers are skilled at handling all types of injuries, including:
- Spinal cord damage and paralysis
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Traumatic amputations/Loss of limb
- Burn injuries
- Compound, simple, complex, and other types of broken bone injuries
- Crush injuries, including internal bleeding and organ damage
- Ligament, muscle, and nerve damage
- Vision loss
- Loss of hearing
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Injuries that result in death
Who are the defendants in a Fargo truck accident case?
Our Fargo truck accident file claims against every person and every company responsible for your accident. The defendants may include:
- The truck driver
- The truck driver’s employer
- A trucking broker who arranged the shipment
- The company that requested the shipment
- The company that received the shipment
- Manufacturers of defective truck parts
- Drivers of other vehicles
- The North Dakota Department of Transportation
- Other applicable people or entities
Truck companies are generally directly liable if their employees are negligent. If you are a driver or passenger in another vehicle, or even if you are driving the truck but are not covered by workers’ comp, we may be able to hold the company liable if they:
- Fail to run background checks on the drivers they employ
- Fail to educate their drivers about traffic safety
- Overload their trucks
- Fail to monitor the electronic logs truck drivers must keep
- Fail to regularly inspect their trucks
- Fail to use current truck safety technology
- Pressure their drivers to meet unreasonable delivery schedules
- Are otherwise negligent
In addition to driver and trucking company negligence, our Fargo truck accident lawyers may file your claim against a manufacturer of a defective truck part, or a state agency that failed to properly design or maintain the road where the accident happened.
What damages can I claim if I’m in a Fargo truck accident?
Most Fargo truck accident victims live with permanent injuries. Some victims’ lives are never remotely the same as before the accident. Even when a victim’s injuries heal, the treatment and healing time can take months or years. At Larson Law Firm, P.C., our personal injury lawyers demand compensation for all your current and future:
- Medical expenses, including surgeries, rehabilitative care, assistive devices, medications, and other medical costs
- Lost income and benefits, including financial losses while receiving medical care and if you have a permanent disability that prevents you from working partially or completely
- Daily physical pain and emotional suffering
- Scarring and disfigurement damages, including psychological help
- Loss of bodily function
- Loss of consortium (the enjoyment of marital relations)
- Property damage
We also file wrongful death claims if a close family member died in a Fargo truck accident.
How soon should I file my Fargo truck accident case?
The statute of limitations for truck accident claims is generally six years. If a loved one died, the wrongful death claim must be filed within two years.
Please don’t wait two years or six years. Contact us today. We need to investigate the accident, begin your claim, and speak with your doctors as soon as possible.
Do you have a truck accident lawyer near me?
Our Fargo truck accident lawyers meet accident victims and families at our Fargo office located at 3220 South 18th Street, Suite 8C. We also meet clients at our law offices in Minot and Bismarck.
Our lawyers will meet truck accident victims in their homes or a healthcare facility if they are too immobile or sick to come to our office. Our lawyers also discuss cases with clients via video conferences by appointment.
Speak with our respected Fargo truck accident lawyers today
Attorney Mark Larson is certified as a civil trial specialist by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. He understands the laws that regulate the trucking industry and the safety standards that truck drivers and trucking companies need to meet. He understands how shipments are arranged. Mark and all our Fargo truck accident lawyers at Larson Law Firm P.C. fight to hold the defendants who caused your truck accident accountable for all your financial and personal damages. Contact us to schedule a free initial consultation by calling us or filling out our contact form.