After a truck crash, trucking companies often activate legal and insurance teams within hours, and early legal guidance can help preserve evidence, protect your claim, and prevent costly mistakes.
Munley Law has spent nearly seven decades representing injured Pennsylvanians in complex trucking litigation. Our attorneys are recognized by organizations such as the American Association for Justice and Lawdragon, and we are the only Pennsylvania firm with three attorneys certified in Trucking Accident Law.
Truck accident claims often involve multiple liable parties, federal trucking regulations, catastrophic injuries, and aggressive insurance companies. Acting quickly allows us to secure critical evidence before it disappears.
The sooner you contact a Pennsylvania truck accident lawyer, the more time there is to investigate your case. With more evidence, we can negotiate from a position of strength while you focus on recovery. Contact us for a free consultation today.
Contact a Truck Accident Lawyer at Munley Law
Call Us At 844-686-5397 When Should You Contact a Pennsylvania Truck Accident Lawyer After a Crash?
You should contact a Pennsylvania personal injury lawyer as soon as possible after being involved in a truck accident.
Most trucking companies have legal departments at their disposal, meaning the driver and their company immediately have legal representation that you likely do not have. Many logistics and freight companies will require the driver to notify leadership immediately following an accident, allowing their team to gather legal resources from the outset. You deserve that same chance, so while there are steps you should take following the accident, such as:
- Call 911: Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes 75.37.46 requires drivers to report any accident that results in a fatality or bodily injury, renders a vehicle undrivable, or involves a highly automated vehicle.
- Avoid movement if you cannot do so safely, especially if you think you have head or spinal injuries
- Allow EMS to assess you, or seek an immediate evaluation at the hospital
Call a Pennsylvania truck accident attorney next once you have ensured your physical safety and addressed significant injuries. At Munley Law, we accept calls for consultation 24/7, meaning that if you have an accident at 2 a.m., you can still reach out to set up a consultation and protect your rights as an injury victim.
What Happens If You Wait Too Long to Hire a Truck Accident Lawyer?
O
ur Pennsylvania truck accident lawyers may provide support and legal advocacy at any point in your case. However, if you wait to contact them, this can become more difficult for many reasons. Truck accident cases can be more complicated than other accident cases due to the often higher values and multiple involved parties.
To be most effective, we must work quickly to secure evidence that may not be otherwise preserved afterward. Many components, such as the event data recorder, can easily go missing if they are not explicitly requested, but they can provide key evidence for winning your case.
The other party’s insurance company will likely contact you a day or two after the accident. Without the guidance of an attorney, you may find yourself unknowingly saying or doing something that can damage your case.
While none of these things are guaranteed to be the downfall of your case, they may affect what you can recover, how long negotiations take, or if you end up taking your case to court. So, if you are waiting to determine when to hire a truck accident lawyer, the safest answer is as soon as you can.
How Long Do You Have to File a Truck Accident Claim in Pennsylvania?
Among the legal reasons you are better off contacting an attorney early on are time limit considerations. Civil cases in Pennsylvania are subject to a statute of limitations, which may only grant you between 6 months and two years to file a claim against the responsible parties. The Pennsylvania code allows most truck accident victims two years, though claims against government entities are limited to six months.
If your accident was with a private entity, you might think that two years gives you enough time that you don’t have to worry about acting immediately. Though this is technically true, truck accidents present unique challenges to effectively litigate. When you delay obtaining an attorney, you lose valuable time to build your case and firmly negotiate before feeling the pressure to pursue a lawsuit or accept an agreement. This is a pressure that insurance companies may use as leverage to reduce your settlement amount.
Why Do Pennsylvania Truck Accident Cases Take Time to Resolve?
Two years to decide to sue for your injuries can feel like a long time. Truthfully, it is a good amount of time to simply file the paperwork. However, there are several steps that must be taken before a lawsuit, which can take months to complete, prior to making that decision. In many situations, a judge would not be pleased to see that you have not attempted to resolve the situation prior to taking it to the courts.
While the initial investigation may take some time, it typically involves gathering documents and photographs, as well as interviewing witnesses. This process can be unpredictable, making it ideal to begin as soon as possible. Some of this documentation will be related to the final costs of your treatment and the expectation of ongoing financial burdens you may incur due to your injuries.
Determining a Prognosis Can Take Months
In many instances, you may not be aware of the full extent of your injuries and whether they are permanent until you have sought medical treatment. Many of the injuries sustained from a truck accident may require ongoing or long-term treatment, and if you do not wait to determine your long-term needs, you may miss the opportunity to claim damages for anticipated future medical costs or changes in your quality of life.
Identifying All Responsible Parties
In a truck accident, there are often a number of parties that may be liable. Pennsylvania Statute 7102 lays out the comparative negligence guidelines in civil cases. These laws establish that an individual is eligible to collect damages for their injuries as long as they are not determined to be more at fault than all other parties combined.
It is important to identify all responsible parties to avoid the unfair assignment of blame and ensure you recover all eligible damages. If you find yourself limited on time to investigate fully, you may be unprepared to challenge the trucking company if they try to allocate blame to you when it should belong to another party.
Negotiations
One of the skills you hire an attorney for is negotiation. Most accident claims begin with simply negotiating with the insurance company. Generally, the insurance carrier will try to keep your case out of court, as there’s no predicting what a judge or jury may decide.
However, negotiations in a truck accident may take more time than other types of accidents due to the value of the case. Truck accidents often cause significant damage, and insurance companies typically aim to minimize payouts. Consequently, they may resist higher value claims more strongly, prolonging settlement negotiations or necessitating a lawsuit.
Why Do Truck Accident Victims Across Pennsylvania Choose Munley Law?
If a Pennsylvania truck accident has left you injured, you should be able to focus on your recovery and returning to your life, not battling with an insurance claim. At Munley Law, our personal injury attorneys provide excellent legal services, backed by a firm with almost 70 years of experience fighting for Pennsylvania injury victims.
Marion Munley and Daniel Munley are both board-certified by the Academy of Truck Accident Attorneys (ATAA) and members of its Board of Regents. The National Trial Lawyers Association named Marion and Daniel Munley to the Top 10 Trucking Trial Lawyers, and Marion Munley is the first woman to lead the Trucking Litigation Group under the American Association for Justice.
Frequently Asked Questions About When to Consult a Truck Accident Attorney in Pennsylvania
Should I Still Hire a Truck Accident Lawyer If I Already Spoke to the Insurance Company?
Yes. Many truck accident victims speak with insurers before realizing how complicated these claims can become. An attorney can still step in to protect your rights, handle future communications, and evaluate whether anything said to the insurer can affect your claim.
Insurance adjusters may attempt to obtain recorded statements or encourage quick settlements before the full extent of injuries is known. Legal representation helps ensure your claim reflects both current and future damages.
What Evidence Should I Keep for My Truck Accident Lawyer?
Some of the most valuable evidence includes black box data, dash camera footage, driver logs, police reports, witness statements, medical records, and trucking company records (which your attorney can obtain). Photographs from the crash scene and documentation of injuries are also critical.
Because trucking companies control much of this evidence, acting quickly helps preserve materials before they are lost, destroyed, or overwritten.
What If I Cannot Afford to Hire a Pennsylvania Truck Accident Lawyer?
You can still obtain legal help. Most truck accident lawyers, including Munley Law, work on a contingency fee basis. That means you pay no upfront legal fees, and attorney fees are only collected if compensation is recovered for you. This arrangement allows injured victims to pursue legal representation without adding to their financial stress during recovery.
Why Is Early Medical Treatment Important After a Truck Accident?
Seeking immediate medical care protects both your health and your legal claim. Some serious injuries, including traumatic brain injuries and internal injuries, may not show symptoms immediately after a crash. Medical records also create documentation connecting your injuries to the accident, which can become important evidence during settlement negotiations or litigation.
Why Should I Not Accept the Trucking Company’s First Settlement Offer?
Early settlement offers are often lower than the full value of a claim. Insurance companies may attempt to resolve cases quickly before victims fully understand their injuries, future medical costs, or lost earning capacity. Before accepting any settlement, it is important to understand whether the offer covers all current and anticipated damages.
What Damages Can My Pennsylvania Truck Accident Lawyer Help Recover?
Truck accident victims who act quickly have a better chance of securing maximum compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, future treatment costs, pain and suffering, rehabilitation expenses, and reduced earning ability. In fatal accidents, surviving family members may also pursue wrongful death damages. The value of a claim depends on the severity of the injury, long-term prognosis, liability evidence, and available insurance coverage.
Consult Munley Law’s Pennsylvania Truck Accident Attorneys Today
At Munley Law, we offer free case consultations and work on a contingency fee basis. We charge no fees unless we win.
Contact us today to discuss your options and get the help you deserve.
Daniel W. Munley
Daniel W. Munley is a nationally recognized, leading truck accident lawyer. He has been board certified in Truck Accident Law by the NBTA as well as being a charter member for the American Association for Justice Trucking Litigation Group. Daniel often takes part in speaking engagements presenting the latest cutting-edge technology and trial techniques to help attorneys nationwide protect the rights of truck accident victims. Additionally, Daniel has secured numerous multi-million dollar settlements for victims, including the largest truck accident settlement for an individual plaintiff on record in Northern Pennsylvania, at $26 million.
