Truck & Car Accidents

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), each year nearly 500,000 large trucks are involved in traffic accidents in the United States. Approximately 5,000 of these accidents involve semi trailer trucks and result in fatalities. In fact, one of every eight traffic fatalities is caused by a collision with a large truck. Most deaths that occur in these accidents are the passengers of the automobiles. Drivers of trucks typically remain uninjured.

The attorneys of Munley, Munley & Cartwright in Scranton, Pennsylvania, have successfully litigated cases involving serious injuries and wrongful death from car, bus or tractor-trailer accidents. Victims of catastrophic accidents may be entitled to collect for pain and suffering, loss of capacity for the enjoyment of life, disability, inconvenience, and of course, medical bills and lost wages.

NHTSA sponsored a study that concluded that approximately twice as many car drivers would die in collisions with light trucks than in similar collisions involving another car of the same weight as the light truck. For the same reasons, occupants of passenger cars and light trucks have a much higher fatality rate when in collisions with large trucks and buses, than the occupants of those vehicles. In 2004, one in eight traffic fatalities resulted from a collision involving a large truck.

Eighteen-wheelers, tour buses, vans and oversized SUVs are crowding highways in Pennsylvania and across the country's highways. The popular 15-passenger vans that carry sports teams and school or church groups are exempt from all federal motor vehicle safety standards, despite NHTSA's own advisories against allowing pre-school and school-ages children to be transported in them. The rollover risk of these vehicles increases dramatically with the number of occupants.

The average automobile weighs approximately 3,000 pounds, while a typical, fully-loaded large commercial truck can weigh 80,000 pounds or more. While statistics show that truck drivers are generally more careful on the road that automobile drivers, collisions caused by a trucker's negligence can lead to the most catastrophic injuries on the road.

If you have been in a car-truck collision, follow these steps:

• Do not sign anything given to you by an insurance company without consulting us, first. Insurance companies do not represent your interests. Your best decision is to educate yourself about your legal rights and speak to an attorney. You may have to sue to obtain the money to which your are entitled.
• Don't be fooled by insurance adjusters who pretend to represent your interest. They will often attempt to convince you to sign papers and take settlement offers which are well below the compensation to which you are entitled.
• Document your injuries early, get competent medical treatment and take photographs in the hospital, or when you get home.
• Keep track of all expenses related to your injury, including prescription receipts, logged mileage for trips to doctors' offices or physical therapy appointments, and home care expenses.
• Keep on ongoing, detailed list of all health care providers and facilities that you see to help you deal with your injuries.
• Follow all treatment instructions and keep all scheduled appointments with your doctors and therapists to document your active cooperation with the healing and rehabilitation process.

Large trucking companies have their own investigators and attorneys fighting for them, you need someone on your side. Please contact the Pennsylvania lawyers of Munley, Munley & Cartwright for a free consultation by calling toll-free at 1-800-318-LAW1.

TRACTOR TRAILER ACCIDENT QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

• What are some of the dangers associated with large trucks on the roadways?
• What are some of the causes of tractor-trailer collisions on Americas highways and secondary roads?
• Why is a traffic accident involving a commercial truck more likely to cause injury than one involving a passenger car?
• Are there any state or federal regulations governing truck drivers?
• What are the regulations regarding prohibited conduct for truck drivers?
• What role does alcohol and drug use play in tractor trailer wrecks?
• Are there trucking regulations governing the number of hours a truck driver can operate in a 24 hour period?
• How do I handle trucking companies or their insurance carriers after a truck accident?
• What is the statute of limitation in Pennsylvania for filing a personal injury claim because of a tractor-trailer accident?
• Why should a lawyer be hired as soon as possible?
• Who can be sued in an accident involving commercial trucks?
• What kind of a lawyer should I hire?
• Is the investigation of a truck accident important?
• Are expert witnesses necessary to prove fault in a truck accident case?
• What are the qualifications of Munley, Munley & Cartwright, PC?
• Where will my case be filed?
• How much does your firm charge to handle a tractor-trailer truck accident personal injury claim?