Attorney Michael Leizerman has dedicated his career to educating himself and others about the often-complicated rules and regulations that determine where a truck accident case should be tried. Michael can work with local counsel to make those determinations, as well as to develop a trial strategy that is most advantageous to you.
If you or a family member has been the victim of a crash involving a tractor-trailer, semi-truck or other commercial vehicle, add the representation of a nationally reputable truck accident attorney to your legal team. Michael is a respected attorney, author and speaker who has devoted his professional career to protecting victims of truck accidents. He has handled numerous complicated truck accident cases across the country, and his knowledge on the specifics of truck accident law is recognized by members of the legal community from coast to coast.
Or contact me online. All information is kept confidential. I will not accept a case in a state where I'm not ethically permitted under the circumstances.
Last month, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) released safety data from 2011, including the following: One-third of truck occupant fatalities occurred when occupant was not wearing a seatbelt; 64% of large truck fatal crashes occurred on rural roads; … [Read more]
Read more >Citing violations such as hiring drivers who hadn’t received their commercial driver’s license, and employing drivers who didn’t pass drug and alcohol tests, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration recently idled 26 bus operations that serviced passengers on Interstate 95 … [Read more]
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I am honored that West Thompson—the world’s largest publisher of legal books—asked me to write this multi-volume book on truck accident law in 2004. I had already begun the project for my own reference. My book includes the federal regulations that are the same in each state for interstate tractor-trailer crashes, as well as state law that differs in areas, like whether there are monetary limits or “caps” in the lawsuit, whether you can receive punitive damages, and the varying technical requirements for filing a lawsuit.
I have handled cases across the country. I am licensed in several states, and have local counsel in many states who I trust and work with closely. Select your state to learn more:
In North Carolina, commercial traffic resulting from industrial, retail and agricultural entities shares the state's highways. Major roads such as Interstate 40, Interstate 85 and Interstate 77 service urban centers such as Charlotte, Raleigh and Greensboro. And the state's system of two-lane highways helps commercial vehicles reach rural points throughout the state. That traffic leads to more than 5,200 fatal and non-fatal truck accidents every year, crashes that leave thousands of motorists injured or dead. If you are suffering following a truck accident in North Carolina, contact an attorney who understands the complicated web of legal jurisdictions in the United States, and how choosing the right jurisdiction can greatly impact the settlement amount that victims receive.
I regularly engage in continuing legal education presentations around the country, including the following events in or near North Carolina:
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (Title 49, Parts 350-399) govern all vehicles engaged in interstate traffic.
There are some situations where a tractor-trailer or other commercial motor vehicle is involved in only intrastate travel. For example, an appliance store in Charlotte may own a truck that only makes in-state deliveries.
The North Carolina Department of Public Safety has adopted Title 49, Parts 382, 383, 384, 390, 391, 392, 393, 394, 395, 396, 397, 398, and 399 of the federal regulations.
For an overview of laws that affect trucks operating only in North Carolina, visit our North Carolina Trucking Laws page.
Your truck accident case may be larger than you think. My experience often enables me to maximize awards, well beyond what the co-counsel originally expected. My book Litigating Truck Accident Cases, published by West Publishing, is considered the definitive work on handling truck accident cases. Contact me if you are seeking co-counsel on your case.
Fatal Truck Accidents: 151 per year
Non-Fatal Truck Accidents: 5,376 per year
Accident Locales: 73%(Rural), 27%(Urban)
Carrier Fact: 41% of North Carolina's truck accidents involve carriers whose principle place of business is not North Carolina.
In 89% of North Carolina truck accidents, weather conditions were NOT a factor.
Interstate 26: I-26 is a major route in America's Interstate Highway system running from Tennessee to South Carolina. The portion of I-26 that runs from Mars Hill, North Carolina east to I-240 in Asheville, North Carolina carries signage reading FUTURE I-26 because it does not yet meet all of the standards of the U.S. Interstate Highway system.
Interstate 40: Running 421 miles through North Carolina from the Tennessee border to Wilmington, North Carolina, I-40 contains the stretch of highway known popularly as "tobacco Road" because it links the Universities whose sports teams comprise the Tobacco Road rivalry.
Interstate 77: Beginning at the South Carolina state line, I-77 passes through or near the cities of Charlotte, Lake Norman, and Statesville.
Interstate 85: The second-longest Interstate in North Carolina behind only I-40, I-85 spans 233 miles of the state from the South Carolina border to the border of Virginia and ultimately links the major cities of Atlanta, Charlotte, Greensboro, Richmond, and Washington, D.C.
