An accident involving an 80,000-pound truck is one of the most terrifying things that can happen to anyone on the road. Your injuries can devastate your physical health, keep you out of work, and even render you permanently disabled. These damages can be costly, but you shouldn’t have to bear them alone. As the injured victim, you have rights. Let our Stroudsburg truck accident lawyers handle the legal hurdles so that you receive proper compensation for your injuries.
Munley Law’s experienced truck accident lawyers have the knowledge and experience necessary to get you the compensation you deserve for the injuries you sustained in a Stroudsburg tractor-trailer crash. You can be sure that your case is in good hands. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation.
$32 Million Wrongful Death
$26 Million Truck Accident
$17.5 Million Car Accident
$12 Million Product Liability
$9 Million Truck Accident
$8 Million Truck Accident
$8 Million Truck Accident
$7.5 Million Auto Accident
$6.9 Million Garbage Truck Accident
$6.5 Million Traumatic Brain Injury
$5 Million Medical Malpractice
$5 Million Bus Accidents
How a Truck Accident Lawyer in Stroudsburg Can Help
Commercial trucking accident cases present different challenges than run-of-the-mill car accidents. Multiple parties can often be involved, such as the trucking company, the shipping company, and a third-party broker. With insurance policies worth millions of dollars, the insurance company for the trucking company will do whatever it can to prevent paying the amount of your claim. The adjuster will bully you and try to get you to settle for an amount that is much less than what your personal injury claim is worth.
It takes a personal injury attorney with specialized knowledge and years of experience to handle these unique cases. The Stroudsburg truck accident lawyers at Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys are experts in all federal and state trucking regulations and have tried hundreds of truck accidents nationwide. Our Stroudsburg truck accident attorneys have been recognized by our peers and prestigious legal organizations as the best in the industry. They frequently travel around the U.S. to speak at conferences and educational programs relating to truck accident litigation, trucking regulations, investigation, and evidence.
Munley Law has been helping trucking victims throughout Pennsylvania for 65 years. Our law firm’s founder, Robert Munley, pioneered trucking litigation, and much of his experience and knowledge was passed down to his children. We have received national recognition for our work — Munley Law is the only law firm in Pennsylvania with three board-certified truck accident attorneys in Truck Accident Law. In 2020, our founder was honored by the American Association of Justice’s Trucking Litigation Group by renaming their annual award after Robert Munley. No other truck injury law firm in Monroe County has the same experience, knowledge, and resources as Munley Law.
Why Are Truck Crashes Different Than Car Wrecks?
While our talented lawyers are skilled in all areas of personal injury law, they are exceptionally knowledgeable regarding the complexities of truck accident cases. These cases are often much more complicated than an accident involving two passenger vehicles because when a truck is involved, that means the trucking company is involved. These companies often have a lot of resources at their disposal and can pose an intimidating challenge to someone without an experienced attorney. The right lawyer for you will have experience in this arena and know about the specific types of evidence that apply in truck accident cases, such as driver training records and vehicle maintenance reports.
Cases involving truck accidents are also complicated because fault and negligence are not always as clear-cut as they may seem. In most regular car accident cases, the parties involved are the drivers of the cars involved and their insurance companies. This can be a relatively straightforward type of accident from a legal perspective but is not typically the case in a truck accident. There are many instances where the fault may be found on the side of the truck and trucking company, whether it’s the driver, the cargo loader, the company’s policy as a whole, the person/people responsible for vehicle repair, the manufacturer, and more.
Beyond that, the truck’s cab and trailer are often separately owned and insured. Even the driver’s role can differ based on the specific company; some truck drivers work as direct employees, while others are independent contractors. Many times, the truck is either being leased or is owned by another person or entity.
All this is to say that with a truck accident, it’s common for several parties and insurance companies to be involved. These cases are complicated and detailed and require a great deal of legal expertise in this specific field. You can trust that your experienced Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys will know precisely how to proceed based on the details of your case.
Our Trucking Lawyers Protect the Rights of the Injured
At Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys, our clients are our top priority. We will work to:
- Determine the specific cause or causes of the truck accident that led to your injuries
- Collect critical evidence from the scene of the trucking accident
- Identify regulatory violations that may have contributed to your accident
- Work closely with medical professionals to document the extent of your injuries
When you are involved in an accident with a large commercial truck in Stroudsburg and Monroe County, it can be catastrophic. Your injuries can be life-changing; you may be unable to work or will suffer a disability that can last a lifetime. You’ll need compensation to help you recover from such a traumatic event.
Our team will not only help you get compensation for your medical bills, but also for the other financial hardships you incur, including lost wages, long-term care, altered quality of life, and pain and suffering.
Chat live, fill out our email form, or call today for a FREE and confidential consultation. We do not get paid unless we win your case; you never pay anything upfront.
What Should You Do to Protect Your Accident Claim?
- Seek medical care immediately. Right after your accident, your first step is to contact emergency services right away. You will need a record that the accident occurred for your insurance claim. When medical services arrive at the scene, get checked out immediately. Even if you don’t think you are injured, it’s always best to have a medical professional examine you.
- Exchange information with other parties. While you most certainly need to report the crash, and the police will, therefore, have detailed records of all parties’ information, it is wise to take note of this information yourself as well. Here is the information you should take down:
- Truck driver’s name, address, phone number, and email address
- The other driver’s insurance
- Driver’s license number for the truck driver
- Name and contact information for the truck driver’s employer
- Check for witnesses. It’s wise to make note of whether the crash was witnessed by any third parties, which may be able to provide helpful information. You are within your rights to ask for the information of anyone on the accident scene (though they are under no legal obligation to provide it to you). Later on, you can also check the accident report to see if the responding officer spoke to any witnesses you were not aware of at the time.
- Document the accident. Use your phone to take photos of the accident, and of both vehicles. If you are injured, document your injuries immediately.
- Record all your expenses, including medical records, vehicle repairs, and lost time at work.
- Do not sign anything. Trucking companies and their insurance companies have teams of lawyers working on their behalf with the goal of paying out as little as possible in the event of a truck accident. Do not sign anything or accept any settlement without consulting Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys. You need an experienced Stroudsburg truck accident law firm on your side to make sure you are treated fairly.
- Contact a Stroudsburg truck accident attorney immediately. You likely haven’t experienced a truck wreck before, and it can be overwhelming. Even if your injuries aren’t severe, you are unlikely to get a fair settlement unless you have a legal representative. At Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys, we provide a free consultation to answer your questions, take a look at the evidence, and help you determine how to proceed from here.
What Should You Ask Your Stroudsburg Truck Accident Attorneys?
When securing an experienced truck accident lawyer, there are several things you’ll want to look for and questions you’ll want to ask. Perhaps first and foremost is ensuring that your attorney has a lengthy and legitimate record in handling commercial truck accidents specifically. These can be very complex cases and often involve resistance on the side of the trucking company. You’ll want an attorney that’s familiar with this type of law and the minutiae of trucking regulations.
Beyond that, you will want to be sure your attorney has real trial experience. While your goal may be a settlement, there is always a chance that these cases are taken to court. In that case, you will want to be confident that your attorney can successfully represent you in court and draw on many years of trial experience. At Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys, every single lawyer has years of real courtroom experience, and can fight for you in that setting should that prove necessary.
Below are some additional questions to ask your Stroudsburg truck accident lawyer:
- What is your success record as a truck accident lawyer?
- How often have you settled versus going to trial?
- How likely is it that my specific truck accident case will settle versus going to trial?
- Based on the evidence, who is responsible for the truck accident?
- What kind of damages, and how much compensation, do you think I am eligible for in my truck accident case?
- Do you think I have a case? Or do you advise that I should file a personal injury claim with my own insurance company?
- How involved will I be in the hands-on decision-making?
- Do you have experience facing large corporate legal teams in truck accidents?
- What materials do you need from me?
What Caused Your Truck Crash?
Accidents involving large trucks, big rigs, 18-wheelers, and tractor-trailers can prove devastating to the innocent victims involved. Common causes of truck accidents include:
- Driver Fatigue – One of the most common causes of truck accidents, truck driver fatigue and drowsy driving are extremely dangerous. Trucking companies sometimes impose unrealistic deadlines that force commercial truck drivers into working longer hours than federal trucking regulations allow. This creates a very real danger for the occupants of passenger vehicles and also for truck drivers. If a violation of the hours of service regulation contributed to your accident, we know what evidence to look for, and we’ll hold the negligent parties responsible.
- Distracted Driving – Distracted driving has become a huge problem in this country and the cause of many commercial truck accidents. When a truck driver is distracted, the resulting accident could be catastrophic. Texting while driving a truck, eating while driving, looking at paperwork, or taking attention off the road for any reason while driving a truck can cause a fatal truck accident.
- Poor Maintenance and Inspection – Trucking companies must perform regular maintenance and inspection on their vehicles to keep them in safe working order. When trucking companies ignore or delay necessary truck inspections and maintenance they risk the lives of their drivers and the general public. Negligent truck companies may try to save money by allowing drivers to use large trucks and other equipment that hasn’t been properly maintained. This lack of adequate truck maintenance can lead to serious truck accidents. A knowledgeable Stroudsburg trucking accident attorney will look at the records of the truck repair schedule, which may show a lack of necessary maintenance.
- Reckless Driving – While most truckers take great care on the road, some truck drivers fail to put safety first. Truck accidents happen when a truck driver is driving recklessly, such as speeding, tailgating, changing lanes quickly, making unsafe turns, violating the rules of the road, or driving too fast for road conditions. If negligent actions from a truck driver, including the use of drugs or alcohol, caused an accident that injured you or a loved one, you may have a case.
- Negligent Hiring/Training – A trucking company may have hired an inexperienced truck driver, performed no background check or an inadequate background check, and then did not provide adequate training for the trucker on the particular size and weight vehicle they would be driving. If a trucking company’s negligent hiring or training practices led to your truck accident injuries, you may have a case against the trucking company. Contact the Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys truck accident lawyers today.
- Violation of Trucking Regulations – The FMCSA regulations limits the hours a truck driver can drive, as well as limit the maximum amount of weight a truck is allowed to carry. The FMCSA provides rules for proper loading and tie-down requirements, truck maintenance and inspection procedures, licensing and driver testing, and restricts the use of drugs and alcohol. Truck drivers and trucking companies must comply with all federal and state trucking regulations. When they don’t comply, and their negligence causes a truck crash, they can be held liable for any injuries. Truckers and trucking companies are required to keep logs and shipping schedules, which need to be updated and contain the correct information.
- Overloaded Trailers – Large trucks already weigh a massive amount, and overloading them or incorrectly loading truck cargo can cause a very dangerous situation. Overloading and other unsafe loading practices can make it very difficult for a trucker to correctly maneuver a truck, cause cargo shifts, cause a rollover, or greatly impact stop times, resulting in a collision.
- Underride accidents – When a car rear-ends a truck (or gets pushed forward into the truck when rear-ended by another vehicle), the car can slide under the truck on impact, shearing off the top of the car and killing vehicle occupants. If you’ve been injured or a loved one killed in a truck crash, call Munley Law today.
Frequently Asked Questions About Truck Accidents in Monroe County
Q: What are the Most Common Types of Injuries?
All accidents can cause a vast range of injuries, and most truck accidents are no exception. One of the most common types of injuries in all motor vehicle accidents is whiplash, which impacts the soft tissue of the neck and is usually associated with rear end collisions. Other types of injuries include:
- Disc injuries
- Back and neck injuries
- Lacerations
- Spinal cord injuries (or paralysis)
- Broken bones
Any injury that occurs as a result of an accident such as this is devastating. If you or one of your loved ones has been hurt as a result of a truck accident, please, seek the aid of an experienced car accident attorney. Our Stroudsburg truck crash lawyers are talented, professional, and committed above all else to fighting on your behalf. We will win you the compensation you are owed for your immense suffering, and we don’t get paid until we do so.
Q: How Dangerous is a Truck Accident?
Thanks to major highways that run right through our area, a high volume of truck and passenger vehicle traffic moves through Monroe County every day. And with such a high amount of traffic, the number of truck accidents increases exponentially.
According to the National Safety Council, large trucks account for 9 percent of all vehicles involved
Passenger vehicles offer little protection against the size and weight of a big rig or tractor trailer. In the event of a crash, it is most often the passengers in smaller vehicles who suffer the worst injuries or death. But, there’s a reason truck driving is considered one of the most dangerous jobs in America. At Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys, our truck accident attorneys represent truck drivers, passengers, pedestrians, bikers, and others who suffered serious injury in an accident with a tractor trailer in Stroudsburg.
Q: How is a Personal Injury Settlement Determined?
Your Stroudsburg accident attorney will examine your case closely in order to determine what kind of compensation you may be eligible for. They will guide you through the process of gathering evidence to ensure that every piece of relevant information is accounted for. Some of the factors that can play a role in determining a settlement amount are:
- Your medical bills
- The damage to your vehicle
- The cost of physical or psychological therapy
- Lost wages
- Evidence that the accident has prevented you from taking on other work
- Any evidence that shows the accident has prevented you from living and enjoying your life to the fullest
Q: Is There a Time Limit for My Accident Claim?
Yes. In Pennsylvania, you have up to two years after the accident to file a personal injury claim. If you try to file a claim after two years, chances are your case will be denied. That’s because evidence can fade quickly after an accident so it’s very important to speak with a truck injury attorney as soon as possible to learn what your legal options are.
Q: Why Types of Compensation Could I Receive After a Trucking Accident?
Depending on the severity of your accident, you may receive the following compensation for your personal injury claim:
- Economic damages: Economic compensation refers to any monetary losses you may have experienced because of the accident. This includes but is not limited to medical expenses; lost wages; lost earning capacity; and property damage.
- Non-economic damages: This type of compensation is meant to pay for any non-monetary losses you have. The most popular type of compensation is pain and suffering, compensation for the physical, mental, and emotional pain you and your family are dealing with because of the accident. Other types of non-economic damages include mental anguish; loss of enjoyment of life; loss of companionship; and loss of consortium.
Munley Law is Here to Protect Your Rights
Truck accidents happen. The Stroudsburg truck accident attorneys at Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys believe in justice for the injured first and foremost. To ensure that everyone can have access to the justice system regardless of income, we do not collect a fee for our services unless we win your case. You pay nothing upfront or out of pocket. If you’ve been injured in a truck accident involving a large commercial truck, semi-truck, 18-wheeler, or tractor-trailer, contact a Stroudsburg truck accident law firm today for a FREE consultation and legal advice.
Personal Injury Claims We Handle in Stroudsburg, PA:
- Stroudsburg personal injury lawyer
- Stroudsburg car accident lawyer
- Stroudsburg workers compensation lawyer
- Stroudsburg rideshare accident lawyer
- Stroudsburg Uber accident lawyer
- Stroudsburg Lyft accident lawyer
- Stroudsburg bicycle accident lawyer
- Stroudsburg motorcycle accident lawyer
- Stroudsburg medical malpractice lawyer
- Stroudsburg birth injury lawyer
- Stroudsburg premises liability lawyer
- Stroudsburg product liability lawyer
- Stroudsburg brain injury lawyer
- Stroudsburg catastrophic injury lawyer
- Stroudsburg wrongful death lawyer
Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys
27 N 6th St,
Stroudsburg, PA 18360
(570) 338-4494