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Pittsburgh Fatal Truck Accident Lawyer

If You Lost a Loved One in a Truck Accident in Pittsburgh, Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys is Here For Your Family.

Accidents are a devastating reality of the road. But when a truck is involved in an accident, the likelihood of fatalities and severe consequences is substantially higher. If you lost a loved one in a truck accident, our Pittsburgh fatal truck accident lawyers are deeply and immeasurably sorry for your loss. We know you must be experiencing unfathomable pain, and that you want to achieve justice for this terrible wrong.

At Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys, our goal is to take on the legal challenges that come with fighting for justice, so that you and your family can focus on emotional recovery. Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys’ truck accident lawyers in Pittsburgh who have been recognized as the best in the country in truck accident litigation. […]

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What to Do If Dangerous Weather Caused a Pennsylvania Truck Accident

Driving in the winter or under various dangerous weather conditions can be a challenge, regardless of the vehicle you’re driving. Rain, snow, sleet, fog, and sun glare can all affect driver performance. Conditions affecting visibility and traction entail longer brake times with an increased chance of losing control of the vehicle.

If you find yourself involved in a truck accident caused by dangerous weather conditions, your immediate priority should be safety—move to a secure location if possible and call emergency services right away. Following the accident, document the weather conditions with photos and gather witness information, as these details will be critical when working with insurance companies or Pennsylvania truck crash attorneys to establish how weather factors contributed to the accident.

The Dangerous Combination of Large Commercial Semi-Trucks and Adverse Weather Conditions

There are over 120,903 linear miles of roadways across Pennsylvania, […]

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How to File a Truck Crash Lawsuit

After a collision with a truck, you need maximum compensation for your injuries

The nation’s #1 semi-truck accident lawyers explain how to file your truck crash lawsuit

As the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) reports, 499,000 trucks crash each year. Correspondingly, those collisions cause 107,000 serious injuries. In addition, 4,415 semi-truck accidents are fatal. Truck crashes cause tremendous pain and suffering for accident victims and their families. Because filing, fighting, and winning a truck accident lawsuit is incredibly difficult, these collisions also cause a lot of confusion. To answer some of the most frequently asked questions, the nation’s #1 tractor-trailer accident lawyers explain how to file a truck crash lawsuit.

For the best chances for winning your truck accident case and maximizing your compensation payout, you need to hire an experienced semi-truck collision lawyer. Who you choose matters. To speak to an award-winning and record-setting truck accident lawyer from Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys for FREE, […]

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FMCSA Proposes New Under-21 Commercial Driver Pilot Program

Proposed pilot program would allow 18-20 year old drivers to operate commercial motor vehicles

The nation’s leading accident lawyers weigh in on the under-21 commercial driver program

On September 4, 2020, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), a division of the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) announced a new proposal. Under the proposed program, the FMCSA would allow 18-, 19-, and 20-year-olds to operate commercial motor vehicles (CMVs). 49 states and the District of Columbia already permit drivers 18-20 with Commercial Drivers Licenses (CDL) to operate CMVs in-state. However, the proposed FMCSA program would enable these under-21 drivers to deliver goods across state lines. As of now, the under-21 commercial driver pilot program is still open for public comment and awaiting approval.

Eligible under-21 commercial drivers

The FMCSA’s proposed pilot program applies to two categories of drivers. […]

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Mobile apps for truckers

Technology and the modern truck driver

When Apple first introduced the iPhone in 2007, we could not have predicted how significantly smartphones would change our world. Of course as the technology has improved over the years, so has the number and quality of mobile applications (“apps”) on both iOS (AppStore) and Android (Google Play) operations systems. But did you know there exists a large subculture of apps for truckers? Below, we’ll outline some of the popular apps designed specifically for truckers.

Note: Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys does not encourage truck drivers to use their smartphones while they are driving – there is no room for error on the road and distractions already abound. It is a way to endanger your life and the lives of others.  If you do use one or more of the apps described here, please be sure to access them before you hit the road or at a rest stop – […]

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Bethlehem Truck Accident Lawyer

Truck accident cases in Bethlehem, PA, are complex. Every case requires the unique skill set of the experienced Bethlehem truck accident lawyers at Munley Law. Compared to other smaller vehicles, trucks are massive and capable of incredible devastation when they get in an accident. Victims who survive often have to deal with at least one serious injury, sky-high medical bills, wage loss, and many other issues. For victims of these truck accidents, recovery can be long and arduous. There are also significant cost implications and possible loss of income. 

Don’t deal with the burden of a truck accident alone. You need a law firm with experience. Munley Law is an award-winning truck accident law firm serving residents of Bethlehem, PA. If you or a loved one has been in a truck accident in Bethlehem, PA, or the Lehigh Valley, our attorneys can help you get the compensation you deserve. […]

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FMCSA Issues Final Rule on Truckers’ Hours of Service

FMCSA announces final revision to trucker hours of service rules

On May 14, 2020, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), a division of the federal Department of Transportation (DOT), announced four regulatory changes. These revisions are meant to provide truck drivers with greater flexibility while preserving the safety of commercial truck operators, manufacturers, and retailers. FMCSA Acting Administrator Jim Mullen stated that the changes were based on thousands of suggestions from drivers and other trucking industry members and comments from the public over the last two years. The agency predicts that these amendments will provide $274 million in annualized cost savings.

What Do the FMSCA Revisions Change?

The FMCSA revisions make the following changes to Hours of Service (HOS) regulations:

Expansion of the “Short-Haul” Exception: The FMCSA imposes tracking, reporting, and other requirements for commercial truck drivers, […]

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Covid and Easing of Truck Safety Regulations

According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), the incidents of truck crashes in the state of PA are among the highest in the nation.  The FMCSA, an arm of the US Department of Transportation, is tasked not only with tracking the safety records of commercial motor vehicles, but also with regulating the industry.  They are focused on reducing large truck and bus crashes, injuries and fatalities.  They perform roadside inspections, investigate truck crashes and develop and enforce safety regulations.

In 2013,  the FMCSA Hours of Service regulations to limit truck driver fatigue went into effect in an attempt to reduce the number of truck crashes. The rules specify the maximum number of consecutive hours that commercial truckers can drive,  the frequency and length of their rest breaks and number of hours of required off duty time.  Most drivers are limited to 11 hours of driving over a 14 hour workday.   […]

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Risks to Truckers During Coronavirus Epidemic

Trucking can be a lonely job during the best of circumstances.  Drivers spend extended amounts of time away from family and friends while they drive their rigs across long highways.  But driving during a pandemic, with all individuals asked to maintain social distancing of 6 feet, creates a whole new level of isolation.   Long haul drivers are spending nearly 24 hours a day in their trucks – cooking, sleeping, “relaxing” all done within the confines of their cab. 

Truck drivers are keenly aware that if they contract COVID-19, they have the potential to spread it around over the vast geographic area that they travel.  They are also aware that without their continuing to work, not only do they not have an income, but ever increasing demand for shipped goods, will not be delivered.  As more and more states ask their residents to stay at home, […]

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Feds abandon driver fatigue test, put “millions of lives at risk”

Feds drop another transportation safety rule, scrap sleep disorder testing

In the latest slash to federal regulations, many of which concern public safety, federal transportation agencies have dropped efforts to improve detection of sleep apnea, a breathing disorder linked to driver fatigue and deadly train and truck accidents.

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) have moved to leave testing to individual transport and rail companies.

New York’s  MTA and some private transportation companies made moves in the last year to test their drivers and engineers for sleep apnea, a sleep disorder linked to deadly crashes. Metro North in New York found that more than 11% of their drivers tested had sleep apnea.

What is sleep apnea? Why should drivers and engineers be tested?

Obstructive  sleep apnea is a disorder that causes the throat muscles to relax and close the wind pipe during sleep. […]

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Trucking companies to increase testing for deadly sleep apnea

Truck drivers face high risk for sleep apnea

Trucking companies may more frequently screen their drivers for sleep apnea in an effort to combat drowsy driving accidents.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a disorder that causes breathing to start and stop during sleep, leading to less restful sleep and increased drowsiness. For drivers, especially truckers, bus drivers, or train engineers, drowsiness can become deadly.

Why test truck drivers for sleep apnea?

Truck drivers’ concern with sleep apnea is twofold. Their profession makes them both more likely to develop sleep apnea, and more at risk of death from its effects.

Driving a truck involves sitting for long periods of time, eating at truck stops along the road, and irregular sleeping schedules. Factors that can contribute to sleep apnea include obesity, smoking, bad diet, and poor sleep habits. […]

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Safety group files suit for tougher trucker training laws

Several groups, including the Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, Citizens for Reliable and Safe Highways (CRASH), and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters filed suit against the DOT and the U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), seeking stiffer rules for training entry-level truck drivers.

Bloomberg reported that regulators have missed deadlines set by two laws passed by Congress since 1991. According to the article, the FMSCA issued a rule in 2004 that only requires 10 hours of classroom work on such topics as driver wellness and hours of service. The watchdog groups say that rule is inadequate, because it doesn’t require any training for entry-level drivers on how to operate commercial vehicles, according to the complaint.

In 2012, Congress passed a second law (the “Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act” also known as MAP-21) requiring the DOT to issue the entry-level training rule, […]

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Fatal truck crashes becoming a common occurrence

There were 3,921 fatalities and 104,000 injuries from truck crashes in 2012, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). That’s over ten fatal crashes and over 284 injuries a day. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) reported that fatal truck crashes were up over 18% between 2009 and 2012, although the annual distance trucks travel on the highway is down 2.67% and the number of trucks is down 2.86%.

A recent story by NBC News talked about the surge in truck accidents and lack of public outcry. Fatal truck accidents are all too common, averaging nearly 11 times every single day in this country, killing nearly 4,000 people each year, and injuring more than 100,000, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).

The NBC report likened those numbers to a commuter jet crashing every single week of the year, […]

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Are Stricter Penalties Needed to Keep Truck Drivers Focused on the Road? A Pennsylvania Personal Injury Lawyer Weighs In.

An investigation by an ABC news station in New York over a three-week period found that truck drivers on some of New York’s busiest highways are texting or talking on their cell phones while driving.

The investigative reporter said that the hidden camera investigation caught “truck drivers routinely, illegally and dangerously texting and talking on phones.” One camera caught a truck driver and his co-workers, all in the front seat, with all with eyes, including the drivers, focused on a cell phone. On another highway, a truck driver was filmed using two phones simultaneously while driving.

According to Eyewitness News 7 in New York, the Department of Transportation says that last year nearly 16,000 truckers were ticketed for using their cell phone, but only 4 of those were suspended and taken out of service. Eyewitness news referred to this as an epidemic and deadly problem. […]

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Pennsylvania Receives Truck Safety Award from U.S. DOT

The Pennsylvania State Police announced this month they received the prestigious 2012 Safety Enforcement Improvement Award from the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).

The award, presented at the FMCSA’s annual leadership conference, is presented to the one state “that demonstrates the greatest improvement to its truck safety enforcement program in terms of cost efficiency and traffic enforcement.”

“This achievement is truly a great honor for the Pennsylvania State Police and our motor carrier enforcement partners,” said State Police Commissioner Frank Noonan when announcing receipt of the award.

More than 100,000 trucks were inspected in PA in 2011, representing a 35 percent increase over the number of inspections performed just three years ago, according to the press release.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports in 2010, the most current year of data, 164 people died in crashes involving a large truck in Pennsylvania. […]

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Preliminary Truck Crash Data For 2009 Released

Preliminary statistics on 2009 tractor trailer crashes have just been released. The Large Truck and Bus Crash Facts: Early Release is based on crash data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), as well as preliminary total vehicle miles traveled (VMT) data from the Federal Highway Administration.

Among the highlights:

• Of the 286,000 police-reported crashes involving large trucks in 2009, 2,987 (1 percent) resulted in at least one fatality, and 51,000 (18 percent) resulted in at least one nonfatal injury.

• Single-vehicle crashes made up 20 percent of all fatal crashes, 16 percent of all injury crashes, and 35 percent of all property damage only crashes involving large trucks.

• Almost two-thirds (64 percent) of all fatal crashes involving large trucks occurred on rural roads, and just over one-fourth (26 percent) occurred on rural and urban Interstate highways. […]