Philadelphia Truck Accident Lawyer
Were you injured in a truck accident in Philadelphia? You may expect the truck driver or trucking company to accept responsibility and provide you with the funds you need to offset the harm they caused you. Unfortunately, many trucking companies and insurance companies are more concerned about their bottom line than they are about making things right with you after a truck wreck.
After a truck accident, truck drivers and carriers often take extraordinary steps to deny responsibility and limit their obligation to support crash victims. This behavior leaves victims needing professional legal assistance to secure fair compensation for their losses.
Don’t get pushed around by big companies and their insurers. Contact Eisenberg, Rothweiler Winkler, Eisenberg & Jeck, P.C. for help getting the money and accountability you’re owed. Consultations are free and come with no obligation, so there’s no risk in speaking with a Philadelphia truck accident lawyer from our firm.
Truck Accident Statistics in Philadelphia
The following crash facts from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation shed light on the frequency and severity of truck accidents statewide:
- In one recent year, there were 6,344 “heavy truck” crashes throughout the state of Pennsylvania, which accounted for 6.1 percent of statewide crashes that year.
- That year, 2,523 (39.8 percent) of all truck accidents resulted in injuries. Injury crashes involving heavy trucks accounted for 5.6 percent of all such crashes in Pennsylvania that year.
- That same year, 110 Pennsylvania truck accidents resulted in fatalities. Fatal crashes involving heavy trucks accounted for 10.4 percent of fatal crashes statewide.
Truck Accident Liability in Philadelphia
Truck drivers are not the only parties responsible for the operation of their vehicles. Depending on the circumstances, any of the following parties may be liable in a Pennsylvania truck accident case:
- Truck drivers and owner-operators
- Truck owners
- Trucking companies
- Cargo loading teams
- Manufacturers of defective truck parts
- Negligent truck repair shops or mechanics
- Government entities responsible for road maintenance
Common Causes of Trucking Accidents
A truck accident may be the result of multiple contributing factors, such as:
- Distracted driving
- Texting while driving
- Driving under the influence
- Driver fatigue
- Driving too fast for conditions
- Following too closely
- Failure to check blind spots
- Failure to yield the right of way
- Running red lights or stop signs
- Improper turning or merging
- Driver inexperience
- Cargo shifts and spills
- Overloaded cargo in trailers
- Jackknifing and rollovers
- Underride and override collisions
- Defective truck parts
- Poorly maintained trucks
- Poor road conditions
Common Injuries Associated with Trucking Accidents
When a large truck hits a much smaller passenger vehicle, the smaller vehicle’s occupants usually suffer more severe injuries. Common truck accident injuries include:
- Head and neck injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
- Spinal cord injuries (SCIs)
- Partial or total paralysis
- Seatbelt and airbag injuries
- Abdominal injuries and internal bleeding
- Arm, elbow, wrist, and hand injuries
- Dislocated and broken bones
- Permanent scarring or disfigurement
- Amputation or loss of limb
- Leg, knee, ankle, and foot injuries
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Potential Compensation for Semi-Truck Accidents
A successful third-party claim against a truck driver or another at-fault party could provide you with compensation for:
- Hospital bills and other crash-related medical expenses
- Lost wages from any time you miss work due to your injuries
- Projected losses in earning capacity, if your injuries are permanent
- Subjective losses, such as pain, suffering, and lost quality of life
How Big Truck Companies Fight Paying Fair Compensation to Truck Accident Victims
Many truck accidents cause significant property damage and catastrophic injuries, resulting in expensive legal claims. Big trucking companies and their insurers would prefer not to pay these legal claims and often deny liability by:
- Blaming the accident on victims or other road users
- Claiming the driver was an independent contractor or non-employee
- Repairing or junking trucks to hide evidence of mechanical defects
- Deleting or concealing documentation of unsafe company practices
How a Truck Accident Lawyer Can Help
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If you sustained injuries in a Philadelphia truck accident due to the negligence of the truck driver or another party, you shouldn’t have to deal with this situation alone. You don’t deserve to have your legitimate injury claim minimized, denied, or delayed by penny-pinching trucking companies or insurance providers.
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Working with a knowledgeable trucking accident attorney in Philadelphia is the best way to protect your rights and demand what you are owed for your losses. A lawyer can investigate the crash, collect valuable evidence, and hold negligent parties liable for the full extent of your accident-related losses.
The Dangers of Semi and Tractor-Trailer Trucks
Semi-trucks and tractor-trailers are significantly more dangerous than other vehicles on the road because:
BIG RIGS ARE MUCH HEAVIER AND LARGER
Large commercial trucks are several times larger and heavier than most other vehicles on the road. Increased size and weight mean these vehicles hit with greater force and cause more destruction in the event of a collision.
LARGE TRUCKS TAKE LONGER TO SLOW DOWN
Brake systems must work much harder to slow or stop larger loads. As a result, big rigs are especially hazardous and prone to rear-end collisions in dense or unpredictable traffic.
COMMERICAL VEHICLES ARE MORE COMPLEX
Large commercial vehicles are not simply big passenger vehicles. Big trucks have complicated control systems unfamiliar to most drivers, which can prove dangerous when operated by inexperienced or distracted drivers.
Truck Accident FAQs
Injuries sustained in a trucking accident tend to be more serious due to the sheer size of the trucks involved. The average weight for a standard empty semi-truck is anywhere from 18-21,000 lbs, and trucks can carry up to 42-46,000 lbs of cargo (with a maximum of 80,000 lbs distributed across all wheels).
As mentioned, injuries from a truck accident tend to be more severe than those seen in passenger car collisions. The most common trucking accident injuries include traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, amputation or loss of limb(s) and wrongful death.
There are various reasons why trucking accidents occur. For instance, truck drivers can slam into other vehicles if they are tired or fall asleep behind the wheel. Comedian Tracy Morgan was seriously injured in a truck accident with a drowsy truck driver. In other cases, maintenance issues on semi-trucks can lead to an accident. Unqualified or dangerous truck drivers cause crashes. These are only three of many possible examples.
Depending on the circumstances, you can potentially hold several parties accountable — including the truck driver and the company they work for. However, it is often the case that the trucking company does not own the tractor-trailer attached to the semi-truck; a third-party leasing establishment does. This is often a source of contention and can further complicate a claim.
In some cases, you may be able to hold the manufacturer of the truck and/or the maintenance facility who last worked on the vehicle liable if a defective part is to blame for the accident or poor maintenance occurred. If the accident was caused by improperly packed cargo, then you can potentially hold personnel who loaded the truck responsible.
Since so many parties can be liable, it is highly recommended that you seek experienced legal counsel if you have been involved in a truck accident.
The answer to this question is dependent on several factors. Such factors include the total cost of past, present and future medical bills, lost wages, as well as pain and suffering. These details vary from case to case. Some cases do not settle, so our firm prepares every case for trial to achieve the maximum amount of recovery for each of our clients.
As soon as you take care of yourself and your family, you should contact legal counsel. Our firm has experience investigating and litigating complicated truck accident claims. We understand that your life has been profoundly impacted and we will work tirelessly to see that you are properly compensated for damages. To schedule a free consultation with one of our Philadelphia truck crash lawyers, call (215) 546-6636 or contact us online. Se Habla Español.
Contact an Experienced Pennsylvania Truck Accident Lawyer for Help with Your Claim
If you’ve been injured in a truck accident in Philadelphia, contact Eisenberg, Rothweiler, Winkler, Eisenberg & Jeck, P.C.
You could be owed money from the at-fault party, and a Philadelphia personal injury lawyer with our firm can help you demand it.
