Philadelphia Truck Accident Lawyers-Truck Accident Overview
OUR PHILADELPHIA TRUCK ACCIDENT LAWYERS HAVE HELPED OTHERS AND THEY CAN HELP YOU...
Philadelphia truck accident victims are often overwhelmed by the aftermath of an accident involving a truck. On top of dealing with serious injuries, the financial stress and emotional trauma can take its toll on the victim and members of their family. In addition, trying to understand the myriad of legal issues surrounding this type of claim can be daunting. It doesn't have to be. In this article we will walk you through key issues involving a truck accident lawsuit. We will cover types of accidents, various causes, common injuries, possible liable parties, trucking industry regulations that might affect your claim and much more. We will conclude by providing important tips and do's and don'ts regarding your truck accident claim.
Truck accidents that result in serious injury and wrongful death are a bigger issue than most might suspect. Reportedly one in eight motor vehicle fatalities involve a large commercial truck. These big trucks, otherwise known as big rigs, semi's or 18-wheelers are an important part of the U.S. transportation system and economy and we do not question the trucking industry's value to society. It is when negligence comes into play, that they must be held accountable. When you have been injured in a trucking accident, you often find that you are facing large legal teams and teams of insurance agents for the trucker and trucking company. This prospect can be intimidating, but it shouldn't be. This is where our experienced Philadelphia truck accident lawyers step in; they are used to doing battle with these large corporations and will fight to protect your rights and get you the financial compensation that you will need to deal with your injuries and losses.
CALL FOR HELP... OUR PHILADELPHIA TRUCK ACCIDENT LAWYERS OFFER A FREE INITIAL CONSULATION
Types of Truck Accidents
A Philadelphia truck accidentcan involve a truck car accident, a truck pedestrian accident, a truck motorcycle accident, a truck bicyclist accident, a truck accident at work, a truck train accident and several other scenarios. A car truck accident is the most common and can produce devastating consequences for the people in the passenger car. The average commercial truck when fully loaded can weigh over 260 times more than the car. For obvious reasons, the driver of the truck rarely sustains serious injuries in these types of accidents, but the same does not hold true for the driver and passengers in the car. Pedestrian truck accidents can occur when a truck is required to make a wide turn, but either doesn't judge correctly and does not have the room to make the turn without the rear end of the truck running over the sidewalk. A person on the walkway may be in the driver's blind spot and get run over. The same type of scenario can play out for a bike rider or motorcyclist who gets hit while in the driver's blind spot making a turn. Delivery trucks are often involved in accidents due to the fact they are attempting to look up an address and are driving distracted. In fact some reports show that distracted driving caused over 80% of all motor vehicle accidents last year alone, 3 times that of accidents caused by a drunk driver. Cement truck, dump trucks and box trucks each have their own unique safety issues and are commonly involved in accidents.
YOU NEED AN ALLY...
Common Causes
A Philadelphia truck accident is frequently caused by truck driver negligence. This might include driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, driving while overly fatigued, distracted driving due to cell phone use, road rage incidences, improper lane changes, speeding, tailgating, driving too fast for road or visibility conditions and more. Many truckers are paid by the mile. While they are required to keep mileage logs, some are known to post inaccurate information so they can continue to drive past legal limitations posed on driving hours, in order to bring home a bigger paycheck.
Driver negligence is not the only cause of accidents. Other factors include design defects, manufacturing defects, parts defects, lack of maintenance, poor road conditions and more. Brakes can fail or a tire may blowout, etc., which makes it easy to understand why there are often multiple parties responsible for the accident and resulting injuries. This is another important reason to work with our Philadelphia truck accident lawyers.Uncovering all liable parties takes knowledge and extensive investigation. They know where to look.
OUR PHILADELPHIA TRUCK ACCIDENT LAWYERS ARE NOT AFRAID TO TAKE ON LARGE TRUCKING COMPANIES...THEY'VE DONE IT BEFORE WITH POSITIVE RESULTS...
Truck Accident Injury
As mentioned above, the truck driver is rarely injured in a Philadelphia truck accident.The driver and passenger however, can sustain life altering injuries such as closed head injury, open head injury, traumatic brain injury, concussion, spinal cord injury, back injury, paralysis, abdominal trauma, chest compression, broken bones, fractured bones, facial trauma, amputations, severe lacerations and even wrongful death. The emotional trauma due to such a violent event can also cause post-traumatic stress syndrome in some. Our Philadelphia truck accident lawyers will do their best to see that none of the expenses related to these injuries come out of your pocket. They have your future physical and financial well-being in mind, and have a good understanding of what it can take to treat these injuries over a lifetime.
Potential Liable Parties
Now that you understand related causes that can contribute to an accident, you understand why it is very common to name more than one defendant in a Philadelphia truck accidentThe truck manufacture, a parts manufacturer, a lessor or lessee of the truck, an independent owner-operator, the shipper whose load is being hauled, the owner of the trailer, etc. can all be partially liable in addition to the truck driver or trucking company. It takes skilled attorneys to track down all possible liable parties; rely on their expertise to get to the bottom of this information.
DON'T LET THE INSURANCE AGENTS OR ATTORNEYS INTIMIDATE YOU...
Oversight of the Trucking Industry
A division of the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) called the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), regulates the rules regarding safety for commercial truck drivers. Some of these regulations include hours of service they can drive, license requirements, ongoing training and more. Due to this federal oversight, an accident involving a commercial truck is not handled in the court system in the same manner as an accident involving two motor vehicles. Also, most Americans are unaware that many commercial trucks now carry a similar version of the "black box" that airlines place in their commercial planes. The trucking company rarely offers up this data voluntarily following an accident, and the attorney must officially request it. In many cases this critical evidence that contains the speed, braking distance and RPMs will strengthen your case. This is one more reason you should rely on the knowledge and experience of our Philadelphia truck accident lawyers.
OUR PHILADELPHIA FIRM WORKS ON A CONTIGENCY FEE BASIS IN MOST CASES...
Keys to Strengthening your Case
Time is of the essence when it comes to gathering key evidence in a truck accident case. The trucking company will most likely dispatch an investigative team to the accident scene to photograph evidence, etc. While most of us do not want to believe someone would work to slant the evidence in their favor, it does happen. This is why you need someone on your side to gather as much evidence as possible. If you are able to take photos from your phone or other device, get pictures of all of the vehicles involved in the truck wreck. Get pictures of the debris strung about, marks on the road whether they be skid marks or gouges, gather information from any eye witnesses and write down everything you can remember about the accident. If your injuries prevent you from doing this, do what you can to get an objective bystander to do this for you. Of course in the best case scenario you should immediately call our Philadelphia truck accident lawyers who will get to the scene quickly while the evidence is fresh. Do not take an insurance agent up on their offer to have your vehicle fixed without first talking to your attorney. Many use that for the appearance of good will, when in fact they are trying to get rid of critical evidence.
TAKE THE NEXT STEP...CALL TODAY FOR AN INITIAL CONSULTATION
Your attorney needs to take needed steps to protect your rights immediately following an accident. The sooner you bring an attorney on board the better, in regards to building a solid and successful legal claim. In your initial consultation they will review the evidence in your case, answer all of your questions regarding a personal injury lawsuit, and will give you their recommendation on the best course of legal action pertinent to your unique situation. If you choose to move forward and work with our Philadelphia truck accident lawyers, they will immediately get to work in your behalf.
Philadelphia truck accident victims are often overwhelmed by the aftermath of an accident involving a truck. On top of dealing with serious injuries, the financial stress and emotional trauma can take its toll on the victim and members of their family. In addition, trying to understand the myriad of legal issues surrounding this type of claim can be daunting. It doesn't have to be. In this article we will walk you through key issues involving a truck accident lawsuit. We will cover types of accidents, various causes, common injuries, possible liable parties, trucking industry regulations that might affect your claim and much more. We will conclude by providing important tips and do's and don'ts regarding your truck accident claim.
Truck accidents that result in serious injury and wrongful death are a bigger issue than most might suspect. Reportedly one in eight motor vehicle fatalities involve a large commercial truck. These big trucks, otherwise known as big rigs, semi's or 18-wheelers are an important part of the U.S. transportation system and economy and we do not question the trucking industry's value to society. It is when negligence comes into play, that they must be held accountable. When you have been injured in a trucking accident, you often find that you are facing large legal teams and teams of insurance agents for the trucker and trucking company. This prospect can be intimidating, but it shouldn't be. This is where our experienced Philadelphia truck accident lawyers step in; they are used to doing battle with these large corporations and will fight to protect your rights and get you the financial compensation that you will need to deal with your injuries and losses.
CALL FOR HELP... OUR PHILADELPHIA TRUCK ACCIDENT LAWYERS OFFER A FREE INITIAL CONSULATION
Types of Truck Accidents
A Philadelphia truck accidentcan involve a truck car accident, a truck pedestrian accident, a truck motorcycle accident, a truck bicyclist accident, a truck accident at work, a truck train accident and several other scenarios. A car truck accident is the most common and can produce devastating consequences for the people in the passenger car. The average commercial truck when fully loaded can weigh over 260 times more than the car. For obvious reasons, the driver of the truck rarely sustains serious injuries in these types of accidents, but the same does not hold true for the driver and passengers in the car. Pedestrian truck accidents can occur when a truck is required to make a wide turn, but either doesn't judge correctly and does not have the room to make the turn without the rear end of the truck running over the sidewalk. A person on the walkway may be in the driver's blind spot and get run over. The same type of scenario can play out for a bike rider or motorcyclist who gets hit while in the driver's blind spot making a turn. Delivery trucks are often involved in accidents due to the fact they are attempting to look up an address and are driving distracted. In fact some reports show that distracted driving caused over 80% of all motor vehicle accidents last year alone, 3 times that of accidents caused by a drunk driver. Cement truck, dump trucks and box trucks each have their own unique safety issues and are commonly involved in accidents.
YOU NEED AN ALLY...
Common Causes
A Philadelphia truck accident is frequently caused by truck driver negligence. This might include driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, driving while overly fatigued, distracted driving due to cell phone use, road rage incidences, improper lane changes, speeding, tailgating, driving too fast for road or visibility conditions and more. Many truckers are paid by the mile. While they are required to keep mileage logs, some are known to post inaccurate information so they can continue to drive past legal limitations posed on driving hours, in order to bring home a bigger paycheck.
Driver negligence is not the only cause of accidents. Other factors include design defects, manufacturing defects, parts defects, lack of maintenance, poor road conditions and more. Brakes can fail or a tire may blowout, etc., which makes it easy to understand why there are often multiple parties responsible for the accident and resulting injuries. This is another important reason to work with our Philadelphia truck accident lawyers.Uncovering all liable parties takes knowledge and extensive investigation. They know where to look.
OUR PHILADELPHIA TRUCK ACCIDENT LAWYERS ARE NOT AFRAID TO TAKE ON LARGE TRUCKING COMPANIES...THEY'VE DONE IT BEFORE WITH POSITIVE RESULTS...
Truck Accident Injury
As mentioned above, the truck driver is rarely injured in a Philadelphia truck accident.The driver and passenger however, can sustain life altering injuries such as closed head injury, open head injury, traumatic brain injury, concussion, spinal cord injury, back injury, paralysis, abdominal trauma, chest compression, broken bones, fractured bones, facial trauma, amputations, severe lacerations and even wrongful death. The emotional trauma due to such a violent event can also cause post-traumatic stress syndrome in some. Our Philadelphia truck accident lawyers will do their best to see that none of the expenses related to these injuries come out of your pocket. They have your future physical and financial well-being in mind, and have a good understanding of what it can take to treat these injuries over a lifetime.
Potential Liable Parties
Now that you understand related causes that can contribute to an accident, you understand why it is very common to name more than one defendant in a Philadelphia truck accidentThe truck manufacture, a parts manufacturer, a lessor or lessee of the truck, an independent owner-operator, the shipper whose load is being hauled, the owner of the trailer, etc. can all be partially liable in addition to the truck driver or trucking company. It takes skilled attorneys to track down all possible liable parties; rely on their expertise to get to the bottom of this information.
DON'T LET THE INSURANCE AGENTS OR ATTORNEYS INTIMIDATE YOU...
Oversight of the Trucking Industry
A division of the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) called the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), regulates the rules regarding safety for commercial truck drivers. Some of these regulations include hours of service they can drive, license requirements, ongoing training and more. Due to this federal oversight, an accident involving a commercial truck is not handled in the court system in the same manner as an accident involving two motor vehicles. Also, most Americans are unaware that many commercial trucks now carry a similar version of the "black box" that airlines place in their commercial planes. The trucking company rarely offers up this data voluntarily following an accident, and the attorney must officially request it. In many cases this critical evidence that contains the speed, braking distance and RPMs will strengthen your case. This is one more reason you should rely on the knowledge and experience of our Philadelphia truck accident lawyers.
OUR PHILADELPHIA FIRM WORKS ON A CONTIGENCY FEE BASIS IN MOST CASES...
Keys to Strengthening your Case
Time is of the essence when it comes to gathering key evidence in a truck accident case. The trucking company will most likely dispatch an investigative team to the accident scene to photograph evidence, etc. While most of us do not want to believe someone would work to slant the evidence in their favor, it does happen. This is why you need someone on your side to gather as much evidence as possible. If you are able to take photos from your phone or other device, get pictures of all of the vehicles involved in the truck wreck. Get pictures of the debris strung about, marks on the road whether they be skid marks or gouges, gather information from any eye witnesses and write down everything you can remember about the accident. If your injuries prevent you from doing this, do what you can to get an objective bystander to do this for you. Of course in the best case scenario you should immediately call our Philadelphia truck accident lawyers who will get to the scene quickly while the evidence is fresh. Do not take an insurance agent up on their offer to have your vehicle fixed without first talking to your attorney. Many use that for the appearance of good will, when in fact they are trying to get rid of critical evidence.
TAKE THE NEXT STEP...CALL TODAY FOR AN INITIAL CONSULTATION
Your attorney needs to take needed steps to protect your rights immediately following an accident. The sooner you bring an attorney on board the better, in regards to building a solid and successful legal claim. In your initial consultation they will review the evidence in your case, answer all of your questions regarding a personal injury lawsuit, and will give you their recommendation on the best course of legal action pertinent to your unique situation. If you choose to move forward and work with our Philadelphia truck accident lawyers, they will immediately get to work in your behalf.
