Truck accidents can turn lives upside down in an instant. When an 80,000-pound commercial vehicle collides with a smaller passenger car, 
the aftermath is often physically, emotionally, and financially devastating. If you or a loved one has been involved in a truck accident in Pennsylvania, you likely have more questions than answers, especially about what kind of 18-wheeler accident compensation you can expect.
At Munley Law, each highly skilled and experienced Pennsylvania truck accident lawyer understands this is not just about numbers on a page. It is about helping you rebuild your life, get necessary medical care, and protect your financial future from someone else’s negligence. We combine the legal excellence of a nationally recognized team with the kind of personal, compassionate support you expect from folks right here in your community. We are your neighbors, here to help you through this difficult time.
Understanding the Different Types of Truck Accident Damages
Pennsylvania truck accident victims may be entitled to compensation under personal injury law. These damages generally fall into two categories: economic and non-economic damages, with some cases also qualifying for punitive damages. Here, we’ll break down each type of truck accident compensation.
Economic Damages Cover Your Tangible Losses
Economic damages are the most straightforward damages to calculate, as they represent the direct financial costs you have incurred or will incur due to the accident. You can calculate these with documentation like bills, receipts, and employment records. Common examples include:
Medical Expenses
Medical expenses often comprise the largest portion of economic damages in severe truck accident cases. They include everything from the immediate aftermath to long-term care:
- Emergency care: Ambulance rides, emergency room visits, and initial hospitalization
- Surgeries and procedures: Costs associated with any necessary operations to repair injuries
- Doctor’s visits and specialist consultations: Appointments with orthopedists, neurologists, physical therapists, psychologists, and any other specialists involved in your recovery
- Medications and medical devices: Prescription drugs, crutches, wheelchairs, prosthetics, and other necessary equipment
- Rehabilitation and therapy: Physical therapy, occupational therapy, cognitive therapy, and any other ongoing treatments designed to help you regain function
- Future medical costs: For severe injuries, we work with medical experts to project the cost of future treatments, therapies, and potential long-term care you will need. This can include home modifications for accessibility or ongoing personal care assistance.
Lost Wages and Loss of Earning Capacity
If your injuries prevent you from working, you are entitled to compensation for your lost income.
- Past lost wages: This covers the income you missed from the accident date until you can return to work, or until we resolve your case.
- Future lost wages and loss of earning capacity: You can claim damages for diminished earning capacity if your injuries are permanent or significantly impact your ability to perform your job, or any job, at the same level as before the accident. This considers your age, education, work history, and potential career trajectory.
Property Damage
This covers the cost to repair or replace your vehicle and any other personal property damaged in the collision. If your vehicle is totaled, you are entitled to its fair market value.
Out-of-Pocket Costs
Accidents often create a cascade of unexpected costs. These can include:
- Transportation to and from medical appointments
- Childcare expenses if your injuries prevent you from caring for your dependents
- Household services you can no longer perform, such as cleaning, cooking, or yard work
- Mileage for medical appointments
Non-Economic Damages Address Your Intangible Losses
These damages are more subjective and aim to compensate you for the emotional and psychological impact of the accident. While they do not come with a bill, their impact on your life can be profound.
- Pain and suffering: This is the most common non-economic damage. It accounts for the physical pain, discomfort, and agony you experience due to your injuries.
- Emotional distress and mental anguish: The trauma of a truck accident can lead to significant psychological issues such as anxiety, depression, PTSD, fear of driving, and sleep disturbances. These emotional burdens are compensable.
- Loss of enjoyment of life: If your injuries prevent you from participating in hobbies, activities, or daily routines you once enjoyed, whether playing with your children, pursuing a favorite sport, or simply enjoying walks, you can claim damages for this loss.
- Disfigurement and permanent disability: If your injuries result in permanent scarring, disfigurement, or a lasting disability that alters your appearance or ability to function, you can recover compensation for these lifelong changes.
- Loss of consortium: In cases where the accident severely impacts your relationship with your spouse, your spouse may be able to claim damages for the loss of companionship, affection, and support.
Quantifying non-economic damages is more subjective, but our firm uses proven legal strategies, expert testimony, and day-in-the-life videos to present the true impact of your injuries to insurers, judges, or juries.
Punitive Damages Hold Wrongdoers Accountable
Unlike economic and non-economic damages, which aim to compensate the victim, punitive damages are intended to punish the at-fault party for particularly egregious, reckless, or malicious conduct, and to deter similar future behavior. Courts rarely award these damages in Pennsylvania truck accident cases and reserve them for situations demonstrating outrageous or willful and wanton behavior. Examples of conduct that might warrant punitive damages include:
- Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol
- Excessive speeding or reckless driving by the truck driver
- A trucking company knowingly violating federal safety regulations, such as forcing drivers to exceed hours-of-service limits or failing to maintain vehicles
- Falsifying driver logs
Factors That Influence Compensation in Pennsylvania Truck Accident Cases
There is no one-size-fits-all answer to the question of how much tractor-trailer accident compensation you can expect. Every case is different. That said, several key factors influence the value of your truck accident claim in Pennsylvania:
Severity of Your Injuries
Catastrophic injuries, such as traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, amputations, and severe burns, that require extensive medical treatment, long-term care, and result in permanent disabilities, will lead to significantly higher settlements than less severe injuries. The more your injuries impact your life, the higher your potential compensation.
Liability and Fault
Establishing clear liability for your accident is paramount. Truck accident cases are complex because multiple parties could be responsible, including:
- The truck driver: For negligence like distracted driving, fatigued driving, speeding, or DUI
- The trucking company: For negligent hiring, inadequate training, pressuring drivers to violate regulations, or failing to maintain their fleet properly
- The truck owner: If different from the trucking company
- The loader or shipper: If the cargo was improperly loaded or secured
- The manufacturer: If a defective truck part contributed to the accident
Pennsylvania follows a modified comparative negligence rule. This means that if a court finds you partially at fault for the accident, it will reduce your compensation by your percentage of fault. For instance, if the court awards you $100,000 but finds you 20% at fault, you would receive $80,000. However, if it determines that you are more than 50% at fault, you cannot recover any damages from the other parties.
Available Insurance Coverage
Unfortunately, the amount of available insurance coverage can cap your recovery. However, in truck accident cases, more insurance coverage is often available than in a standard car crash. Federal law typically requires commercial trucking companies to carry minimum liability policies of $750,000 to $5 million, depending on the type of cargo.
Strength of Evidence
A strong case is built on compelling evidence. This includes:
- Police reports
- Witness statements
- Photos and videos of the accident scene, vehicle damage, and injuries
- Medical records and bills
- Black box data from the truck
- Trucking company records
- Expert testimony
Negotiation Skills and Legal Representation
Insurance companies are formidable opponents. They have vast resources and often try to minimize payouts. Having our experienced truck accident attorneys on your side is crucial. We know their tactics, how to value your claim accurately, how to negotiate effectively, and when to take your case to court if we cannot reach a fair settlement.
Full Tort vs. Limited Tort Options
You likely chose full tort or limited tort coverage when you purchased your auto insurance.
- Limited tort: This option generally restricts your ability to sue for non-economic damages unless your injuries meet a serious injury threshold defined by law.
- Full tort: This option allows you to seek compensation for all damages, including pain and suffering, without restrictions.
Statute of Limitations
Pennsylvania’s statute of limitations for most personal injury claims, including truck accidents, is two years from the accident date. This means that in most cases, you must file a claim within two years of the accident date. There are very limited exceptions, such as the discovery rule if your injury was not immediately apparent. However, acting quickly is vital because waiting too long can jeopardize your ability to recover compensation.
Why Hire Munley Law to Help You Recover Compensation After a Truck Accident?
When your future is uncertain after a truck accident, you need a team you can trust. At Munley Law, truck accident litigation is what we are known for nationwide. Our firm has been a pioneer in truck accident law for decades, earning recognition as leaders in this complex area of personal injury.
What sets us apart is not just our record of multimillion-dollar recoveries or our national reputation. It is the way we treat our clients. As a family-run firm, we provide personal attention and care you will not find at large, impersonal firms. When you hire Munley Law, you become family. We will keep you informed, answer your questions, and fight relentlessly for your right to full and fair semi-truck accident compensation.
Contact Munley Law to Take the Next Step After Your Pennsylvania Truck Accident
You do not have to face the aftermath of a truck accident alone. Let our highly qualified Pennsylvania truck accident lawyers, committed to your comfort and justice, guide you on your path to recovery. Contact Munley Law today to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation.
We will listen to your story, assess the details of your accident, explain your rights, and provide an honest evaluation of the truck accident compensation you might be able to expect. We work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you pay no attorney fees unless we recover compensation for you.
