Inexperienced Truck Driver Accident Lawyer

If Your Accident Was Caused by an Inexperienced Truck Driver, Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys Will Fight for Your Rights

One of the most important factors in determining the likelihood of a truck driver’s involvement is their experience as a driver. The more inexperienced they are, the more likely they are to cause or be involved in a devastating truck accident. And right now, for a variety of reasons, there are more inexperienced truck drivers on the road than ever. This is a dangerous situation. If you or a loved one has been injured in a truck driver accident, and you believe the driver’s inexperience played a role, our truck accident lawyers can fight for you.

Going up against a powerful trucking company alone is not something anyone should have to do, least of all when you should be focusing on nothing but recovery. For over 60 years, our team of truck accident attorneys has been handling truck accident claims throughout the United States. We understand the complexities of these claims and will work hard to make sure you get the maximum amount of compensation for your injuries. Contact a Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys truck accident lawyer today for a free initial consultation.

How Does Inexperience Play a Part in Truck Accidents?

Truck driving is a job that requires years of experience to perfect. Manning a 20,000-pound vehicle, and being able to maneuver that vehicle in the event of a hazard, is not something learned overnight. For this reason, inexperience often plays a role when truck driving accidents are concerned. In fact, studies have proven that both age and experience are important factors when assessing truck accidents.

This study from the National Surface Transportation Safety Center for Excellence in particular notes that “the first year of driving a CMV is riskier in terms of crash rates, crash involvement, and moving violations, regardless of age.” The study goes on to explain that rates are even higher when age and a lack of experience are combined; drivers over the age of 55 and with less than a year of truck driving experience had higher accident rates than their younger, equally inexperienced counterparts. However, research has shown that inexperience was the top factor in determining the likelihood of a driver being involved in a crash.

Speak to a Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys inexperienced truck driver accident lawyer today to determine whether driver inexperience may have played a role in your accident. We are prepared to fight for you and ensure receive the justice and compensation you deserve.

Why Are There So Many Inexperienced Truck Drivers on the Road?

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics has reported that historically, injury rates for truck drivers are far higher than the average for all private industry occupations. Across the nation, truck driving is statistically one of the most dangerous jobs for American workers.

There are a variety of factors in play that lead to the abundance of inexperienced truck drivers currently on the road. At the moment, we are experiencing an all-time trucker shortage in the US; in fact, there is currently a shortage of about 80,000 drivers, and it is only increasing. The industry is therefore rushing to fill open spots, which may mean that lots of new and less experienced drivers are being put on the road.

In addition, truck driving has an incredibly high turnover rate. In a recent article from the New York Times, the turnover rate in 2019 was an incredible 91 percent. Because of this constant turnover, there is an ever-present need for new, inexperienced drivers on the road.

What Should I Do After an Accident With an Inexperienced Truck Driver?

After an accident of any kind, particularly one that involves a truck, your primary goal should always be to seek medical care. Only once you are sure that you are stable should you worry about any of the following actions.

Call the police. After seeking medical care, you should call the police as soon as possible. At the scene, the police will make a report that will ultimately be used as a record of what occurred. This report can be of great help to you during the mediation process, so it’s wise to get the police to the scene quickly.

Exchange information with other parties. While you most certainly need to report the crash, and the police will therefore have detailed records of all parties’ information, it is wise to take note of this information yourself as well. Here is the information you should take down:

• Driver’s name, address, phone number, and email address
• Driver’s insurance company and policy information
• Driver’s license number for the driver of the truck
• Name and contact information for the truck driver’s employer

Check for witnesses. It’s wise to make note of whether the crash was witnessed by any third parties, who may be able to provide helpful information. You are within your rights to ask for the information of anyone on the scene (though they are under no legal obligation to provide it to you). Later on, you can also check the accident report to see if the responding officer spoke to any witnesses you were not aware of at the time. 

Document the accident. Use your phone to take photos of the accident, and of both vehicles. If you are injured, document your injuries immediately.

Call a lawyer. You should contact a Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys truck accident lawyer as soon as possible after your accident. Truck accident cases are far more complex than the average personal injury suit, so you’ll want to get an experienced lawyer involved at the very beginning. Our Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys truck accident attorneys will work to find and preserve essential pieces of evidence that a less experienced lawyer may not even know to look for. This evidence is absolutely essential in proving liability for the collision.

Speak wisely. In the aftermath of an accident, you will be contacted by insurance agents. You need to be extremely careful in what you say here, as you do not want to unintentionally admit fault or give away any information that they can use against you. This is why it’s extremely important to contact a Munley truck accident lawyer as soon as you can after the accident. Your attorney can advise you on what to say and ensure you follow all of your legal obligations without unintentionally damaging your case.

What Are Common Injuries in Inexperienced Truck Driver Accidents?

The injuries that can be sustained from a truck accident with an inexperienced truck driver are often incredibly severe. Common injuries from an accident that involves a truck include:

• Internal injuries and bleeding
• Lacerations
• Spinal cord injuries and paralysis
• Head and neck injuries
• Death
• And more

All of these injuries, of course, come along with the catastrophic mental and emotional trauma of having been in an accident. The lawyers at Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys want to make sure that you receive proper compensation that can help cover your medical bills, make up for lost wages, and ease some of the pain and suffering you’re almost certainly experiencing.

Why Do I Need a Dedicated Inexperienced Truck Driver Accident Lawyer?

The attorneys at Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys, while skilled in all areas of personal injury, are particularly knowledgeable when it comes to the complexities of truck accident cases. These types of cases tend to be inherently more complicated than a car accident that involves two non-commercial drivers and passenger vehicles. This is because when an accident involves a truck, the mediation process automatically involves the trucking company. These companies often have a lot of resources at their disposal and can pose an intimidating challenge to someone without an experienced attorney on their side. The right lawyer for you will have experience in this arena and know how to obtain and use the specific types of evidence that apply in truck accident cases, such as driver training records and vehicle maintenance reports.

Truck accident cases are also complicated due to the fact that determining fault and negligence can be extremely complex. In most regular car accident cases, the parties involved are the drivers of the cars involved and their insurance companies, and one or more of these parties is at fault.

In a truck accident case, however, the list of possibly liable parties is long: the truck and trucking company, the driver, the cargo loader, the company’s insurance, the person/people responsible for vehicle repair, the manufacturer, and more. Even the driver’s role can differ based on the specific company; some truck drivers work as direct employees, while others are independent contractors. Even in a case where it’s certain that the driver’s inexperience played a role in the accident, it’s important to have a lawyer that can determine whether other parties may be partially liable as well.

These cases are complicated and require a great deal of legal expertise in this specific field. You can trust that your experienced Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys truck accident attorney will know precisely how to proceed based on the details of your case.

Frequently Asked Questions About Inexperienced Truck Driver Accidents

What Compensation is Available in an Inexperienced Truck Driver Accident?

In any personal injury case, the compensation you receive is dependent on the details of your accident, such as the extent of your injuries and the cost of your medical bills. Your Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys truck accident attorney will examine your case closely in order to determine what kind of compensation you may be eligible for. They will guide you through the process of gathering evidence to ensure that every piece of relevant information is accounted for. Generally, the compensation you receive will cover the following areas:

• Your medical bills
• The damage to your vehicle
• The cost of physical or psychological therapy
• Lost wages
• A lowered future earning capacity
• Mental and emotional pain and suffering

What if You Were Partially At Fault for the Truck Crash?

If you believe you were partly at fault for the accident, don’t lose hope. The notion of comparative fault means that legally multiple parties can share fault for an accident, and you still may be able to receive compensation.  The modified comparative negligence law in Pennsylvania states that you are eligible to receive compensation for the accident if you are less than 51 percent at fault.

If you are 51 percent or more at fault for the accident, you are not eligible to receive compensation. Determining fault is an extensive process, and it’s one that your lawyer can walk you through from start to finish. The trucking company’s insurance carrier may try to assign you an unfairly high portion of fault, but your Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys truck accident lawyer will ensure that you are not assigned a higher percentage of fault than you deserve. Remember that with Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys, hiring an attorney is entirely risk-free. We do not get paid unless we win your case.

Why Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys?

If you have been the victim of a truck accident, you know that it is a challenging, traumatic, and overwhelming experience. Here at Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys, it is our goal to bear a bit of that struggle for you by providing you with the best counsel and most experienced lawyers you will find in Pennsylvania.  In fact, we have extensive experience in truck accident cases specifically and have a fantastic track record in winning our clients satisfactory settlements. Visit our client victories page to explore the millions we have won for the victims of these accidents.

Having a Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys truck accident attorney on your side will help ensure you are not assigned a higher percentage of fault than you deserve and will make sure you receive the maximum amount of compensation. Trucking companies are incredibly powerful and spare no expense when it comes to defending their own, so allow us to fight back on your behalf. Our team of excellent, highly experienced lawyers and legal support staff will work tirelessly for you so that you can rest easy and get back to doing what you love. Contact us today to get started.