Family of Marine killed in truck crash receives $8M settlement

Representing the Stevens family has been one of the greatest honors of our careers. It has been our privilege to advocate on their behalf and bring this case to a just resolution.  Read more about the case below.

On Monday, the truck accident lawyers at Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys reached an $8 million settlement in a case stemming from a deadly truck accident in Susquehanna County. The crash claimed the life of 27-year-old Staff Sergeant Andrew Stevens.  Stevens was an active duty Marine and the father of two young boys. He served multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan and was in town for his sister’s wedding. His wife Katherine Stevens was represented by Marion Munley, Robert W. Munley, III, and Caroline Munley. The case was scheduled for trial this week before the Honorable John Jones of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. […]

Truck Accident Lawyers, Local Officials Say No to Bigger Trucks

Bigger Trucks Threaten Public Safety and Infrastructure

“Bigger Trucks: Bad For America’s Local Communities,” a letter written by over 1,000 local government leaders, was presented to Congressional Capitol Hill offices on February 22, 2018.  The letter, signed by mayors, local engineers and public works employees, argues that “Longer and heavier trucks would cause significantly more damage to our transportation infrastructure, costing us billions of dollars that local government budgets simply cannot afford, compromising the very routes that American motorists use every day.” Currently, federal limits are 80,000 pounds in gross vehicle weight.  Notably, some states allow heavier trucks on roads that are not a part of the interstate system.

According to the Washington Post, one 40-ton truck can do as much damage to a road as 9,600 cars.  And the Coalition Against Bigger Trucks cites a US Department of Transportation study stating that increasing truck weight to 91,000 pounds  “would negatively affect more than 4,800 bridges, […]

Bipartisan Underride Bill Could Prevent Deadly Crashes

Truck underride bill to require new safety standards

Lawmakers from both parties recently introduced a potentially life-saving bill to mandate that underride guards be installed on the front and sides of large trucks. The Stop Underrides Act of 2017 was introduced by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D- N.Y.) and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) as well as Reps. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) and Mark DeSaulnier (D-Calif.).

Under the current federal law, underride guards are only required for the back of trucks. The proposed bill would also require an update of the outdated standards for underride guards on the rear of a truck. Guards would be required to be tested and would need to prevent a vehicle traveling at 35 mph from sliding under a tractor trailer. The standard would apply to single-unit trucks, semis and trailers weighing more than 10,000 lbs.

The goal of this new legislation is to prevent deadly truck underride crashes. […]

The race for driverless truck and car technology

Driverless vehicles are being tested on roads right now. The LA Times published that in a race to embrace driverless vehicles, Washington has cleared away regulatory hurdles for automakers and brushed aside consumer warnings about the risk of crashes and hacking. The NHTSA earlier this year published a voluntary policy on automated driving systems and said it is working on more policies. Basically, the industry is left to regulate itself.

Tesla’s new electric semi-truck unveiled

Last week Tesla introduced a fully electric semi-truck. The truck is equipped with Enhanced Autopilot, the second generation of Tesla’s semi-autonomous technology. It’s equipped with automatic braking, lane-keeping, and lane departure warnings.

Our Scranton truck accident lawyer is concerned that enough testing is done on autonomous semi-trucks before they are introduced onto public roadways. While the electric truck business is still in the early stages and won’t be prevalent for years, […]

Truck Accident on I-81 in Wilkes-Barre

Tractor trailer crash on I-81 in Wilkes-Barre – a truck accident lawyer’s perspective

A truck accident near the Highland Park Boulevard exit in Wilkes-Barre, PA this morning shut down Interstate 81 when one tractor trailer rear-ended another at around 4 a.m. One driver was trapped inside his truck and was taken to the hospital to be treated for injuries.

Wilkes-Barre truck accident lawyer and former chairman of the American Association for Justice Trucking Litigation Group Dan Munley notes the significance of the time of the crash: “Leading indicators show that at the time of the crash, the truck driver would have been at an increased risk for a fatigue-related accident.” A complete investigation will determine whether fatigue played a role in this case.

The human body operates on a 24-hour cycle, during which we are programmed to need rest at certain times of day. […]