If you were seriously injured in a truck accident in Lower Merion Township, the trucking company’s insurance team is already working to limit what they pay you. You need attorneys who handle truck accident cases specifically — not a general personal injury firm that takes the occasional truck case.
Munley Law is the only firm in Pennsylvania with three board-certified truck accident lawyers. Our attorneys handle cases throughout Montgomery County from our Philadelphia office. Call today for a free consultation.
Contact a Truck Accident Lawyer at Munley Law
Call Us At 844-686-5397 Why Choose Our Board-Certified Truck Accident Attorneys?
Most personal injury attorneys handle truck accidents the same way they handle car accidents. They’re not the same.
Commercial trucking cases involve federal FMCSA regulations, driver log analysis, electronic control module data, multiple potentially liable parties, and commercial insurance policies that carriers fight hard to protect. You need attorneys who know that landscape.
Daniel Munley and Marion Munley each hold triple board certification in Truck Accident Law, Civil Trial Law, and Civil Trial Advocacy from the National Board of Trial Advocacy — the highest credential available in this practice area. Marion Munley served as chair of the American Association for Justice’s Trucking Litigation Group and was named to the National Trial Lawyers Top 10 Trucking Trial Lawyers list. Munley Law is the only firm in Pennsylvania with three NBTA-certified truck accident attorneys on staff.
Our truck accident results include:
- $26 million settlement for a brain injury victim struck by a tractor-trailer
- $19.8 million settlement for a family of three killed by a distracted truck driver
- $11 million settlement in a commercial vehicle accident
- $9 million settlement in a separate commercial vehicle case
- $8 million settlement (multiple cases)
What Are the Major Causes of Trucking Accidents in Lower Merion Township?
Lower Merion sits along several high-traffic commercial corridors — Lancaster Avenue (Route 30), the Blue Route (I-476), and Route 1. Tractor-trailers travel these roads daily, and several factors contribute to serious crashes:
- Driver fatigue: FMCSA Hours of Service rules exist for a reason. Violations are common, and a fatigued driver has reaction times comparable to someone over the legal limit.
- Distracted driving: A momentary lapse behind the wheel of an 80,000-pound vehicle can be fatal.
- Mechanical failure: Brake failures and tire blowouts are often traced to deferred maintenance — which is the trucking company’s responsibility, not just the driver’s.
- Improperly loaded cargo: Cargo that shifts in transit can cause a jackknife or rollover. The loading company can be held liable separately from the driver and carrier.
- Weather conditions: Trucks require significantly longer stopping distances in rain, ice, or fog. Lancaster Avenue and the Blue Route both see dangerous winter driving conditions.
- Speeding and aggressive driving: Tight delivery schedules put drivers under pressure to exceed posted speed limits, particularly on I-476, where speed differentials between trucks and passenger vehicles increase crash severity.
What Federal Regulations Can Affect Your Claim?
Commercial truck drivers and carriers are regulated by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). Violations of these regulations often become the foundation of a liability case.
Hours of Service rules limit how long a driver can operate a vehicle before taking mandatory rest. A driver is allowed a maximum of 11 hours of driving within a 14-hour window, after which they must take a 10-hour break. Electronic logging devices (ELDs) automatically record this data — and it’s among the first things we request after a crash.
Drug and alcohol testing rules require carriers to test drivers after any serious accident. If the trucking company failed to conduct a post-accident test, or if test results were positive, that becomes critical evidence.
Vehicle inspection requirements require drivers to complete pre-trip and post-trip inspections, and for carriers to maintain maintenance records. Skipped inspections or ignored repair orders are grounds for negligence.
When a trucking company violates FMCSA regulations, and someone gets hurt as a result, those violations are evidence of negligence — not just regulatory paperwork. Munley Law’s attorneys have been working with FMCSA regulations in truck accident litigation for decades.
What to Do After a Truck Crash in Montgomery County?
The steps you take in the hours and days after a crash affect what evidence is available later.
- Call 911 immediately. A police report establishes the basic facts of the crash and triggers the investigation.
- Get medical attention right away. Even if you feel fine, some serious injuries — particularly traumatic brain injuries and internal bleeding — don’t produce immediate symptoms. Gaps in medical treatment give insurance adjusters room to argue your injuries weren’t serious.
- Do not speak to the trucking company’s insurance adjuster. They are not trying to help you. Anything you say will be used to reduce or deny your claim. Direct all contact to your attorney.
- Preserve everything. Don’t repair or dispose of your vehicle. Save any clothing you were wearing. Keep every medical record and bill.
- Call Munley Law. We move quickly on truck accident cases because evidence disappears fast — ELD data can be overwritten, dashcam footage gets deleted, and witnesses’ memories fade. The sooner we’re involved, the more complete the investigation.
“At Munley Law, our mission is simple: to provide all injury victims equal access to justice, even against the most powerful entities. For almost 70 years, we have been the voice for the injured, the forgotten, and those who need someone to stand beside them in their darkest hour.”
Marion Munley
Types of Injuries Caused By Truck Accidents
Because of the size and weight of commercial trucks, crashes with passenger vehicles typically produce severe injuries:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries and paralysis
- Broken bones requiring surgical repair
- Internal organ damage and bleeding
- Severe burns and lacerations
- Crush injuries and amputations
These injuries often require long-term rehabilitation and can permanently affect a person’s ability to work and live independently. If you were injured near Lower Merion, Bryn Mawr Hospital and Lankenau Medical Center are the closest major trauma facilities.
Who Can Be Held Liable for Your Truck Wreck?
One of the key differences between a truck case and a car accident is the number of parties who may share responsibility:
- The truck driver — fatigue, impairment, distraction, or reckless driving
- The trucking company — inadequate training, pressure to skip rest breaks, or policies that encourage speeding to meet delivery schedules
- The vehicle owner or lessor — failure to maintain the truck in safe operating condition
- The cargo loading company — improperly secured or overloaded cargo that caused the driver to lose control
- The manufacturer — defective parts or design flaws in the truck or its components
- The maintenance provider — missed safety issues during required inspections
Identifying every liable party matters because each typically carries separate insurance coverage. Missing one means leaving compensation on the table.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I File a Truck Accident Lawsuit in Montgomery County?
Personal injury lawsuits arising from accidents in Lower Merion are filed in the Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas in Norristown. Pennsylvania gives you two years from the accident date to file (42 Pa.C.S. § 5524). If the accident involved a government vehicle, the deadline may be shorter. Munley Law’s Philadelphia office handles Montgomery County cases directly.
How Long Do I Have to File a Claim in Pennsylvania?
Two years from the date of the accident under 42 Pa.C.S. § 5524. Claims involving government vehicles may require written notice within six months. The sooner you contact an attorney, the more time there is to gather evidence and build the case properly.
What If the Truck Driver Is an Independent Contractor?
Trucking companies sometimes classify drivers as independent contractors to limit their liability exposure. Pennsylvania courts look at the actual nature of the working relationship, not just the contract label. If the company controlled how, when, and where the driver worked, they could still be held liable.
What If I Was Partially Responsible for the Crash?
Pennsylvania follows a modified comparative negligence rule (42 Pa.C.S. § 7102). You can recover damages as long as you are 50% or less at fault — your compensation is reduced by your percentage of responsibility. Insurance companies routinely try to inflate a victim’s share of fault to reduce what they pay. Our attorneys push back on those assessments.
How Long Does a Truck Accident Case Take?
More complex than standard car accident cases — typically one to three years. The added complexity comes from the multiple liable parties, federal regulatory issues, and the severity of injuries involved. We move as efficiently as possible while building the strongest case.
How Much Does it Cost to Hire a Lower Merion Twp. Truck Accident Lawyer?
Nothing upfront. We work on a contingency basis, meaning we only get paid if we win your case.
You don’t pay anything unless we win. Call Munley Law’s Philadelphia office today for a free consultation.
Marion Munley
Marion Munley has been practicing personal injury law for nearly 40 years. She is triple board-certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy for Truck Accident Law, Civil Trial Law, and Civil Practice Advocacy. She currently serves as Vice President of the American Association for Justice, an organization dedicated to safeguarding victims’ rights. Marion has won many multimillion-dollar recoveries for her clients, including one of the largest trucking accident settlements in history. She has been named a Top 10 Super Lawyer in Pennsylvania since 2023, a Best Lawyer in America, and was recently inducted to the Lawdragon Hall of Fame.
