Carbondale Car Accident Lawyer

Don’t Fight the Insurance Company Alone. Our Carbondale Car Accident Attorneys Can Help.

Known as The Pioneer City, Carbondale is a beautiful town with incredible American history and some of the best trails and parks in Pennsylvania. Running through Carbondale are roadways like the Scranton Carbondale Highway, PA-106, and Brooklyn Street. Sitting just east of Carbondale are US-6 and Roosevelt Highway. While these roadways help residents and tourists explore the town that sparked America’s Industrial Revolution, they are also the sites of many Carbondale car accidents.

In the aftermath of an accident, dealing with insurance companies, accident claims, police reports, and medical care can be a daunting task. So many accident victims accept their losses because they are too overwhelmed. They don’t know where to begin, they don’t know where to turn, and they just want to move on with their lives.

This is where Munley Law comes in. Our expert Carbondale car accident lawyers have decades of experience in personal injury litigation. We offer free consultations where you will sit down with our compassionate Carbondale personal injury lawyer who will walk you through the claims process and give you a fair assessment of your case. At Munley Law, we believe you should never have to walk through a car accident alone and you should never pay for someone else’s mistake. If you or your loved one were injured in a car accident in Carbondale, Pennsylvania, call Munley Law today.

How Will a Munley Carbondale Car Accident Lawyer Help My Case?

The car accident lawyers at Munley Law have been in practice since the 1950s. We have won millions for our clients over the years, including a $17.5 million wrongful death settlement from a car accident.

Here are the following steps we’ll use to win your case:

• Determine who is at fault for your car accident. Believe it or not, many parties can be at fault. Of course, the negligent driver is almost always responsible, at least partly. However, other parties may be held accountable for the crash, including the car manufacturers, the maintenance technicians, the local municipality, or the car or trucking company.
• After the fault is determined, we will prove the at-fault parties owed you a duty of care. Duty of care is how a person is supposed to act toward others. In car accident situations, a driver’s duty of care is to be as careful as possible on the road. They are required to solely focus on the road, make sure they are aware and awake, and not cognitively impaired at all.
• Next, we will prove that the at-fault party or parties failed to perform this duty of care. We will pour over the police report, medical records, security footage, and eyewitness testimony to discover if the other driver was texting at the time of the accident. We will take note if the driver had been driving for a long time and was perhaps driving while fatigued. The accident report will tell us if the driver was impaired by drugs or alcohol at the time of the accident. We will work with an accident reconstruction team to determine exactly how the accident happened and how it was the other driver’s fault.
• The next thing your Munley Law car accident lawyers will prove is that the negligence of the other driver directly caused your injuries. This is one of the main reasons it is essential to seek medical care immediately following an accident. Medical records are key to proving your injuries came from the Carbondale car accident.
• Finally, we will determine the damages you should receive from the other party or parties. The damages can include current and future medical expenses, lost wages or loss of future earnings, capacity, pain and suffering, and wrongful death.

The amount of damages you will recover largely depends on the severity of your injuries. However, your Munley car accident lawyer will work to ensure you recover the highest amount of compensation possible.

What Are the Common Types of Carbondale Car Crashes?

Different types of car crashes can create different types of injuries to the victim and property damage to their vehicle. According to the most recent data from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, Lackawanna County saw 2,459 car accidents, with 18 fatalities and over 1,000 injured victims.

According to the PennDOT, the most common car accidents in 2021 were:

• Single-Vehicle, Fixed Object Accidents:  Most car accidents in Carbondale and across the state of Pennsylvania were single-car crashes that involved hitting a stationary object like a tree, guardrail, curb, or parked car. The severity of the injuries in a single-vehicle car accident is highly dependent on how fast the driver was going at the time of impact. About 20% of all motor vehicle crash deaths occur when a motorist hits a fixed object alongside the roadway.
• Rear-End Accident: A rear-end accident happens when one vehicle hits another vehicle from behind. In many cases, a rear-end accident commonly occurs because the driver in the rear did not leave enough room between themselves and the car in front of them. If the car in front of the rear driver stops short, the driver will hit the back of the other vehicle, especially if he or she is speeding at the time of the collision.
• Head On Collision: While any car accident can be dangerous, a head-on collision is particularly notorious for serious injury and death. The extreme force of two vehicles hitting each other (especially at high speeds) from the opposite direction can cause catastrophic injuries to the drivers and passengers in both vehicles. This is especially true if a passenger car is involved in a head-on collision with a commercial truck.
• Sideswipe Accident: A sideswipe accident usually occurs during merging on a highway or on any multiple-lane road. A sideswipe accident happens when a car merges into a neighboring lane and hits another car usually going in the same direction. Brooklyn Street is a curvy, hilly, two-lane highway. It is extremely easy for a driver to have multiple blind spots while navigating the road, easily causing a sideswipe accident.
• Pedestrian Accidents: Pedestrian accidents are when a motor vehicle hits a person walking or biking on or near the roadway. Although pedestrian accidents are still common in Pennsylvania as a whole, they have gone down in Lackawanna County since 2016. In 2020, only there were only 2 pedestrian accidents.
• Rollover Crash: A rollover crash can cause serious injury and death. This type of accident happens when a driver loses control of his or her car and the vehicle literally rolls over onto its roof. In Carbondale, rollover crashes can happen easily with the curvy roadways. These types of accidents often happen on the highway when a car is usually accelerating at a high speed and has enough force to fully flip over.
• Underride Accident: An underride accident happens when a smaller passenger car gets stuck under a semi-truck. The outcome is often fatal for the driver and passengers in the smaller vehicle. Pennsylvania highways are a hub for the trucking industry, including roadways in Carbondale.

What Causes Accidents in Carbondale?

Not all accidents can be avoided and many times, accidents are just that – accidents. However, accidents can also happen because of negligence. When an accident is caused by negligence, the person at fault needs to be held accountable.

• Driving Under the Influence: 2017 was the five-year high for alcohol-related car accidents. Across the state of Pennsylvania, there were over 10,000 accidents involving drugs or alcohol, including 280 fatalities. Drugs and alcohol cause fatigue, slower reaction times, and impaired judgment. All these factors make the roads less safe, not only for the impaired driver but for the other drivers who are sharing the road.
• Drowsy Driving: As stated before, Pennsylvania highways are major trucking routes. Truck drivers are often pressured to drive long hours in order to speed up delivery times. Driving while fatigued can cause the driver’s reactions to slow down, or even make the driver fall asleep at the wheel.
• Distracted Driving: Distracted driving is anything that takes the driver’s focus off the road. Texting, emailing, playing with the radio, eating, and talking to other passengers are all examples of distracted driving. Distracted driving is one of the most common causes of car accidents in Carbondale and in the entire United States.
• Speeding: In today’s rushed society everyone is always in a hurry and many don’t follow the speed limit. Speed limits are set in place for a reason. Professionals study traffic patterns on Pennsylvania roadways and decide the safest speed limit for that particular road. Traveling above the posted speed limit can cause drivers to lose control of the car or make it impossible to slow down in time to avoid a rear-end collision.
• Poor Road Conditions: Any less-than-perfect road conditions can make driving dangerous. Snow and ice make the roads slippery, while a bad rainstorm or heavy fog can make it difficult for the driver to see what’s right in front of them. Potholes and uneven pavement can cause terrible car accidents.
• Improper Road Signage: Road signs are one of those things that you don’t really appreciate until they are gone or posted incorrectly. Wind, car accidents or even theft can cause road signs to go missing. If a road sign is posted improperly, a driver can enter a highway on the wrong side, or turn down a one-way street, causing a devastating accident.

If you believe your accident was caused by the negligence of another driver, call Munley Law today for your free consultation. You will speak with a seasoned Carbondale car accident lawyer who will work around the clock to secure the maximum compensation for you and your family.

What Are the Most Common Injuries From Carbondale Car Accidents?

Since accidents are always unpredictable, many victims are not financially prepared to take on the sudden costs of medical care. Often, victims cannot return to work right away (or perhaps ever) and face mounting medical bills without a steady paycheck.

If you suffered one of the injuries below, contact a Munley Law car accident lawyer in Carbondale. We will make sure you are compensated for your medical costs and more.

The most common injuries from Carbondale car accidents include:

Spinal Cord Injuries

Spinal cord injuries can cause lifetime pain and discomfort. Since the spinal cord is the main messenger from the brain to your body, a spinal cord injury can get very serious very quickly. In the mildest of injuries, car accident victims may suffer herniated discs or whiplash. Although these are considered the more mild forms of spinal cord injuries, they are still extremely serious and can leave the victim in excruciating pain.

In more extreme cases, spinal cord injuries can lead to partial or complete paralysis, which changes the course of a person’s life forever.

Brain Injuries

Carbondale car accident victims may suffer from concussions, which are violent shocks to the head. Concussions should be taken seriously. Headaches, confusion, difficulty in concentration, and loss of consciousness are common symptoms.

A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is when a person’s brain suffers a blow from the force of the impact of a car accident. Traumatic brain injuries can leave the victim completely impaired for the rest of his or her life. Victims may need to relearn to walk, talk, eat, and take care of themselves. In the worst cases, TBI victims will never be able to live on their own again.

Lacerations and Broken Bones

Lacerations are cuts and scrapes that occur from a car accident. Deep cuts from shards of glass or metal from the vehicle can lead to serious infections and terrible scarring. Victims should seek medical attention right away.

Broken bones can halt a person’s life for several months. It can be difficult to work, travel, or do basic household chores. A severe broken bone or fracture may even require surgery. Pain and discomfort from a broken bone can last a lifetime.

Burns

Car accident victims can suffer from burns if they are ejected from the vehicle during the crash. Road rash can be severe skin abrasions when a person is thrown from or dragged by a vehicle. In some cases, the impact of a car accident can cause one or both vehicles to go up in flames, resulting in horrible burns to multiple victims.

Burns require specialized care, which can be quite expensive. Oftentimes, victims have to travel out of state in order to get the best care. A Munley Law car accident attorney will help you secure compensation to cover the costs of medical care, as well as any travel costs.

Contact a Carbondale Car Accident Lawyer Now

Car accident victims in Carbondale have two years to file a lawsuit following a car accident. to recover losses from their car crash. While this may seem like a long time, medical bills pile up quickly and the claims process can be lengthy. Call Munley Law today for a free consultation to get the process started.

If you were involved in a car accident in Carbondale and need help with the insurance company, our car accident attorneys are ready to take your call. Contact our Carbondale, PA office today to schedule a free consultation with one of our experienced attorneys. You don’t pay unless we win your case.

Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys

41 N. Main St.,
Carbondale, PA 18407
(570)280-2502