Pittston Truck Accident Lawyer

Truck accidents are often much more damaging than the standard passenger vehicle collision. Given the size of tractor-trailers versus a passenger car, the injuries can be more severe, and the impending legal battles are all the more complex. But as a victim, you do not have to handle it alone. A Pittston truck accident lawyer can guide you through the personal injury claims process, ensuring you get the compensation you need to move forward.

Munley Law understands that trucking accidents pose unique challenges, often at the expense of the injury victims. Our legal team has taken on the insurance and trucking companies for previous clients, and we are prepared to do the same for you. For a no-obligation, free consultation, call our Pittston truck accident lawyer.

What Are the Causes of Most Truck Accidents in Pittston, PA?

No two truck accidents are the same, making understanding why they occur all the more valuable. Knowing the cause of a truck accident is critical to a victim’s financial recovery, as it ultimately will be used to determine liability.

Some of the most common causes of Pittston truck accidents are:

Driver Error

Driver error is one of the leading causes of large truck accidents. This includes:

• Driving Fatigued: Despite laws to limit how much time a truck driver can be behind the wheel, driver fatigue still occurs.
• Distracted Driving: Anything that diverts a driver’s attention from the road is considered distracted driving. This can include activities like using a mobile phone, eating, or even utilizing navigational systems, as they distract a driver from the roadway.
• Impaired Driving: No one should get behind the wheel after drinking; however, for truck drivers, the laws limiting alcohol consumption are even more significant. Commercial drivers cannot consume alcohol. Within four hours of operating their truck, and can be given a DUI for a blood alcohol content of 0.04 — half the legal limit compared to other motorists.
• Speeding and Aggressive Driving: Speeding or engaging in aggressive driving behaviors can result in accidents, particularly given the size and weight of trucks.

Given the size of the truck compared to passenger vehicles, the truck driver must also be mindful of blind spots, especially when merging or encountering multiple lanes of traffic. In instances where the driver is not in proper control of the vehicle or fails to exercise safe maneuvering, they can be held liable.

Mechanical Failures

Not all truck accidents are a result of human error. Mechanical failures can also cause truck accidents. Things like faulty or inadequately maintained brakes, tire blowouts, and steering or transmission system failures can also lead to large truck accidents.

Environmental Factors

Semi-trucks require special training to drive, especially in areas like Pittston, where weather and road conditions can be lackluster given the time of year. If drivers cannot operate their vehicles safely in poor weather conditions like rain, sleet, snow, or fog, they are more likely to cause a collision.

Further, Pennsylvania’s roadways are often riddled with potholes, leading to less than smooth roadways and more significant potential for accidents.

Improper Loading

Some accidents may be the fault of the trucking company or the loading company. While proper maintenance is critical, overloading a truck or having unsecured loads can sometimes lead to mechanical issues on these large vehicles and make them harder to navigate.

An overloaded truck’s weight capacity can affect its stability and maneuverability, leading to wrecks. Further, improperly secured cargo can shift during transport, causing the truck to tip over or lose control.

If you suspect improper loading was the cause of your catastrophic injuries, the Munley Law can help.

Regulatory Violations

There are regulations to keep truck drivers and other road users safe from harm’s way. However, accidents are likely to occur when trucking companies do not abide by these regulations, extend the hours of service a driver may operate, or hire inexperienced or unlicensed drivers.

Having an experienced legal team like Munley Law to investigate and address the specific circumstances of each truck accident in Pittston is crucial in identifying the cause, establishing liability, and ensuring victims receive the justice and compensation they deserve.

Who is Responsible for My Pittston Truck Accident?

Liability in a truck accident claim refers to the legal responsibility of the at-fault party for the damages caused by the accident. Determining liability in truck accident cases can be complex, as it involves traffic regulations and federal trucking law.

Establishing liability is crucial as it determines who is at fault and who is responsible for compensating the victims. Several parties may be found liable for a truck accident. This includes truck drivers, trucking companies, cargo loaders, manufacturers, maintenance providers, and other drivers.

• Truck Drivers: Truck drivers can be held liable for an accident if they act negligently. This includes driving under the influence, driving fatigued, or driving recklessly.
• Trucking Company: In some cases, liability extends to the trucking company, specifically if the accident resulted from inadequate training, maintenance, or violation of safety regulations.
• Cargo Loaders: If it is found that improper loading or overloading by cargo loaders contributed to an accident, the loaders can be held responsible for the accident.
• Truck Manufacturers: If a mechanical failure caused by a manufacturing defect led to the accident, the manufacturer could be held responsible.
• Maintenance Providers: Truck drivers and the trucking company are responsible for properly maintaining the vehicle to ensure the driver’s and others’ safety on the roadways. If the truck was not maintained, leading to an accident, they can be held liable because of neglect from a mechanic or other party.
• Other Drivers: Some accidents are not the fault of any of the aforementioned parties and can occur because of another driver’s negligence on the road. In the case of a multi-vehicle collision, the driver causing the crash would be held responsible.

Establishing liability is often a complex process as the insurance company will want to mitigate their client’s role in the accident to reduce the compensation they must provide. Further, truck accidents often involve several parties, making determining liability more complex.

In addition, trucking often involves interstate travel, and understanding and applying multiple jurisdictions’ laws can be challenging.

However, this does not mean you shouldn’t pursue legal action for your injuries. Instead, call a Pittston truck accident lawyer to guide you.

What is Comparative Negligence in Pennsylvania?

Establishing negligence involves proving that the party at fault breached a duty of care, leading to the accident. However, it is not enough to know who caused the accident; it is also essential to know if any other involved parties had a role in the collision.

Pennsylvania follows a comparative negligence system, where compensation is adjusted based on the victim’s degree of fault in the accident. Specifically, a truck accident victim must be less than 51 percent liable in a collision. Otherwise, they are barred from seeking compensation.

How Can A Pittston Truck Accident Attorney Help My Car Accident Claim?

Undergoing the truck accident claims process alone can be daunting. As medical bills pile, you may wonder about your financial recovery options. This is where a Pittston truck accident lawyer comes in. You should not suffer financially because of someone else’s negligence, nor should you take them on in court alone.

An experienced attorney will help you:

• Gather evidence
• Determine the negligent party
• Calculate damages
• Handle negotiations
• Represent you in court

Further, most truck accident lawyers work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you don’t pay for anything upfront. Instead, you only pay a percentage of your settlement or verdict once the claim or case has concluded. And if you don’t win, you don’t pay.

How Does a Truck Accident Attorney Determine Compensation?

After a truck accident, the insurance company will do anything in its power to minimize the compensation you receive for your catastrophic injuries. However, accident victims should know that there are losses for which they can recover compensation.

The Pittston, PA truck accident attorneys of Munley Law will help you calculate the total amount of compensation you may be entitled to, including losses for:

• Injuries sustained
• Medical expenses, including treatment, rehabilitation, and medical devices
• Future medical care
• Emotional distress
• Lost wages
• Property damage
• Wrongful death

The toll this traumatic experience will take on you and your family is not something you have to burden alone. A truck accident attorney can help you get the proper damages awarded.

Recently Injured in a Truck Accident? Call Munley Law.

When you get on the road, you never expect that the large vehicles you pass by will cause a life-altering accident. But when a truck driver, trucking company, or other party acts negligently, causing you to become injured, know that you have options.

At Munley Law, we work with recently injured victims to determine what went wrong leading to the semi-truck accident. We have taken on the insurance company, truck driver, and trucking company for past clients, and we can do the same for you.

If you or a loved one were involved in a large truck accident in Pittston, PA, and need legal representation, contact us for a no-obligation, free consultation.

Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys

1170 PA-315
Wilkes-Barre, PA 18702
(570) 399-0406