Lower Merion Township Truck Accident Lawyer

Truck accidents are among the most devastating types of accidents that happen anywhere in America. A full-loaded 18-wheeler can weigh as much as 80,000 pounds, more than 13 times the weight of even the largest passenger SUV. While truck crashes only make up a fraction of the total number of vehicle crashes in Pennsylvania in a given year, they are among the most dangerous. Despite only accounting for about 6% of all crashes on our state’s roads in 2023, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, truck accidents caused more than 11% of all motor vehicle-related deaths in the same time frame.

With hundreds of thousands of large trucks registered in the state of Pennsylvania, preventing all crashes would be the ideal outcome, but that is unfortunately impossible — reckless and negligent decisions and actions by truck drivers, trucking companies, manufacturers, and more continue to risk the health and safety of drivers on roads throughout the state and across the country. If you or someone you love suffered a serious injury in a truck crash, it’s important to find a Philadelphia truck accident lawyer you can trust to help you navigate this difficult situation.

At Laffey Bucci D’Andrea Reich & Ryan, our lawyers have spent decades working with injured victims across the state who suffered serious harm caused by a trucking accident. Through our efforts, we have secured tens of millions in verdicts and settlements, and we are committed to using that knowledge and experience to help ensure that you achieve the legal outcome you deserve. If you or someone you love was seriously injured in an accident involving a truck, don’t hesitate to reach out and schedule a free case evaluation with a member of our firm today.

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Common Types of Truck Crashes

Truck collisions, especially ones involving tractor-trailers, can take many forms and have different risks associated with each. Some of the most common types of truck crashes that can occur on the road include:

  • Rollover accidents: This type of crash occurs when the truck entirely leaves its wheels and rolls over. In many situations, this is the most dangerous and damaging type of truck accident, both because of the size of the falling object and the likely causes of it. Rollover accidents are typically caused by a speeding driver, taking too sharp of a turn, or poor weight distribution of the cargo inside the vehicle.
  • Head-on collision: This type of crash occurs when the truck collides with a vehicle traveling in the opposite direction. It is most common when a driver loses control of their vehicle, whether due to mechanical failure, poor road conditions, or reckless actions taken behind the wheel. Some of the most frequent causes of head-on crashes with trucks involve fatigued drivers and driving under the influence.
  • Rear-end accidents: This type of crash occurs when the truck slams into the back of the vehicle in front of it. While this type of accident can occur with any combination of vehicles, the sheer mass of a fully loaded truck can both crush the car it hits and propel that car forward, potentially causing further collisions and damage.
  • T-bone accidents: This type of crash occurs when a truck drives into the side of another vehicle, typically at intersections. In many cases, the truck driver slammed into the side of the vehicle, ran a red light, or failed to adequately check for oncoming traffic before entering the intersection.
  • Jackknife accidents: This type of crash occurs when a truck pulling a trailer either brakes improperly or makes a dangerous turn, causing the trailer to swing around its pivot point. Not only is the skidding trailer dangerously unpredictable, but these types of accidents most often occur when road conditions are slick and already hazardous for other drivers on the road.
  • Underride accidents: This type of crash occurs when a vehicle slides underneath the truck’s trailer. This type of collision can occur either from the side or rear of a truck and should be prevented by underride guards. However, these guards either may not be present or not strong enough to prevent a car from going underneath the truck.
  • Sideswipe accidents: This type of crash occurs when the truck hits another vehicle with the sides of each making the initial contact. These typically occur when truck drivers try to change lanes without properly checking their blind spots or lose control of their vehicle due to a mechanical failure.

No matter what specific type of truck crash occurred, the damage and consequences of the collision are likely to be severe. Understanding the specific differences can help your Philadelphia truck accident attorney better understand what factors may have contributed to your accident, which can highlight who and what can be held accountable for damages.

Common Causes of Truck Accidents in Pennsylvania

There may not be a single minute where a truck isn’t on the road anywhere in America. Trucks transported more than 11 billion tons of cargo across the country in 2023, according to American Trucking Associations. The trucking industry continues to be a core part of shopping and commerce.

With so many drivers and vehicles on the road at all times, different factors, mishaps, and circumstances lead to different types of crashes. Some of the most common causes of big rig collisions include:

  • Driver error: Truck drivers, like any motorist, can make mistakes and take reckless actions. With tight deadlines and packed shipping schedules, actions and decisions that truck drivers and the companies that manage these drivers make can lead to fatigue, overuse of stimulants, and other dangerous issues. Other factors that fall under driver error include failing to obey road laws, driving aggressively, and driving under the influence.
  • Fatigue: As mentioned above, fatigue can be an extremely dangerous factor leading to truck crashes. While federal hours of service regulations and other restrictions in order to mitigate the problems surrounding drivers staying behind the wheel for too long, but these rules are often skirted or outright ignored. In these types of situations, both the truck driver and the trucking company that set a dangerous schedule can potentially be held liable.
  • Mechanical failure: Keeping any truck or car well-maintained is a core part of owning and operating a vehicle and is especially so for trucks. Any brake failure, burst tire, speed restrictor malfunction, or other type of mechanical problem can lead to a serious crash and devastating injuries. Depending on the ownership of the truck and what part fails, the truck driver, the company that owns the trailer or vehicle, the maintenance crew, or the vehicle manufacturer could be held liable in crashes caused by a mechanical failure.
  • Unsecured or overloaded cargo: Trucks are held to extremely strict weight regulations in Pennsylvania, depending on the vehicle and trailer specifications. The largest semi-trucks can weigh up to 80,000 pounds in total, including the weight of the cargo and the weight of the vehicle itself. Exceeding the weight limit is extremely dangerous. In addition, cargo needs to be carefully loaded and secured in the trailer to prevent it from shifting during transit. Both of these factors can have devastating consequences for both the truck driver and any vehicles sharing the road with the big rig.

No matter the cause of the accident, maintaining a safe vehicle is an important responsibility held by many parties. Determining who can be held liable for the crash can be a difficult process, but an experienced Philadelphia truck accident lawyer can help you navigate your case and ensure those responsible are held accountable.

Results That Make a Difference

Laffey Bucci D’Andrea Reich & Ryan is proud to fight for settlements and awards that make a difference. Because at our law office, our goal is to fight for those who have been wrongfully harmed.

  • $1 million

    A car accident resulting in serious personal injuries to the plaintiff

  • $2 million

    A tragic case where a man suffered serious permanent injuries when a tree fell onto his car while he was driving along a public road in Bucks County, Pennsylvania

  • $4.4 million

    A car crash where the motor vehicle accident resulted in two passengers being killed and another injured, after a restaurant served too much alcohol to the driver of their vehicle

  • $478,650 settlement

    For a 67-year-old New Jersey man who suffered serious injury in a motor vehicle accident on the Atlantic City Expressway

  • $9 million

    A car crash resulting in a passenger suffering permanent quadriplegic injuries

Who Can Be Held Liable for a Truck Accident in Philadelphia?

Determining liability can be an extremely complicated and time-intensive process, which is why it’s so important to work with a law firm that has experience investigating and winning these types of cases. Understanding where to look and what to look for, as well as who to speak with, is vital to ensure a thorough and complete picture of who can be held liable for damages related to your crash and injuries.

Determining liability is only part of the puzzle — proving it is a much larger hurdle, especially given the structure of how trucking companies can be run. In many cases, the truck driver is technically not considered an employee of the shipping or trucking company and is instead classified as an independent contractor. There’s a laundry list of reasons why these businesses are structured this way, but navigating the potential bureaucracy and obfuscation of responsibilities is an important part of your Philadelphia truck accident attorney’s job.

During the investigation, every possible factor needs to be considered, and every piece of evidence needs to be inspected. Some key pieces of information that can play a major role in determining who beyond the truck driver can be held liable include:

 

  • The truck driver’s logbooks and hours-of-service records
  • Inspection and maintenance records for the truck
  • Data from the truck’s electronic control module (ECM) or black box

These records should provide clear details proving whether or not the only point of failure was driver action and will prove invaluable when negotiating for the maximum compensation possible. Whether your case can be settled out of court or if it ends up going to trial, our experienced attorneys at Laffey Bucci D’Andrea Reich & Ryan have the experience you can rely on to argue your case. In addition to the driver, some of the parties who, depending on the contributing factors, could be held liable include:

  • The trucking company: Overscheduling, poor management, failure to properly maintain vehicles, and more are all potential factors that could result in the company that hired or works with the truck driver being held liable.
  • The truck manufacturer or mechanics: In cases of mechanical failure, both the company that built the truck or those responsible for keeping it in proper working order could be held liable after an accident.
  • The company shipping the cargo: If the truck was either loaded past its weight limits, was loaded improperly, or if the cargo was improperly secured, the company and people responsible for the goods being transported could be held liable for a truck crash.

Whenever you are the victim of a truck accident, you have the right to fight for compensation to cover damage to your vehicle, medical bills, rehabilitation costs, pain and suffering, and more. Depending on your situation, there is a chance that the insurance company for the truck driver, trucking company, or other relevant parties may approach you with a settlement offer before you have a chance to explore your legal options.

This offer is almost always significantly lower than what you could potentially recover, so you should always bring the offer to your lawyer to review. No matter what, you should never sign or agree to an offer before you have the chance to fully review the legal documents with an expert.

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How Can a Philadelphia Truck Accident Lawyer Help With My Case?

Truck crashes can result in some of the largest settlements and verdicts of any type of motor vehicle accident case. Because of the amount of money involved and the severity of the damage related to these types of crashes, there will likely be considerable pushback from the insurers and companies that will be required to pay damages in order to mitigate the payout they should be liable for. Negotiating with or arguing against a team of lawyers on your own is never a good idea — even if you are well-versed in the law, a single person simply cannot match the resources of an entire legal team.

At Laffey Bucci D’Andrea Reich & Ryan, our Philadelphia truck accident lawyers have dedicated their professional lives to understanding and practicing law. We understand just how devastating a truck accident can be, both to the victims of the crash and to their family and loved ones.

Working with an experienced law firm like ours will give you access to the wealth of knowledge of our entire legal team and the committed efforts of legal experts who work tirelessly to defend the rights of our clients.

If you or your loved one was seriously injured or killed in a truck accident, give our firm a call or fill out our online form to schedule a free case evaluation today.

By knowing that your case is in skilled hands, you can have some peace of mind.

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Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

1100 Ludlow Street, Suite 300
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107
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