Truck Accident Lawyer
Philadelphia Trucking Accident Attorney to Prosecute Negligence in Trucking
Semi Tractor Trailer Truck Attorneys • 18 Wheeler Accidents Law• Big Rig Accidents • Tanker Truck Accidents • Dump Truck Accidents
In Pennsylvania, legislators and trucking companies have tried to address roadway safety. These oversized trucks have caused many accidents. The horrible problem just repeats itself time and time again, resulting in more personal injury claims than ever before. People are lucky to come out of a trucking accident alive let alone with injuries to be compensated for! The consequences to the Pennsylvania truck accident victim are very substantial. Many people never fully recover from their personal injuries if they do make it out alive.
Negligence of Truckers
Many accidents occurred during times of intoxication, error, fatigue, loads that are too large, equipment failure, fatigue, not following standards, traffic violations, dangerous cargo, and delivery times that are unreasonable. There are more people at fault than just the drivers. Some people load trucks too full, delivery times should not be so unreasonable, along with many other factors. The roads need to be safer for everyday commuters.
Responsibility Under the Law
Part of the responsibility for preventing truck accidents is on the shoulders of other drivers. It is not an onerous weight however, because most of the things we can do to avoid being in any truck accident are things we should be doing anyway for the sake of safe and courteous driving.
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Stay out of the truck driver’s large blind spots.
A big rig has four blind spots much bigger than those of a small vehicle, one on each side of the truck. Because the trucker is seated so high relative to other drivers, he needs you to be further away from him to be visible. The general rule is that if you cannot see the trucker directly or in one of his mirrors, he cannot see you, and though you can obviously see his vehicle, he cannot see yours.
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Never dart in front of a big rig.
You may suddenly realize your exit is coming right up, but if there is an 18-wheeler blocking your access to the exit lane, slow down and let it pass rather than speeding up and darting in front of it to make the exit.
If you misjudge the time you have in that maneuver, the truck may well be unable to slow down for you to cross in front of it. In such a collision, the smaller vehicle always fares worst and truck accident injuries tend to be more severe than those of other accidents
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Change lanes if you see a big rig speeding down the hill behind you.
Never assume that it will slow down before hitting your vehicle. Sometimes, on a downhill grade, the truck’s massive weight overpowers the driver’s ability to stay within the speed limit. Or in some cases there is a mechanical failure that prevents the driver from braking effectively.
You might also want to use your horn to alert other drivers further down the hill. In mountainous areas there are always extra truck lanes running uphill next to the downhill highway and a good trucker can always steer into one of these lanes to stop his vehicle. In the flatter areas such as are found in mid-western states like Missouri and Kansas, visibility and safety can be greater.
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Always allow a trucker to change lanes if you see him signaling.
Again, because of the truck’s size and weight, the driver needs extra time and distance to change lanes and cannot do it impulsively, as so many small vehicles do.
It is good driving courtesy to stay out of the trucker’s way and allow him to get his behemoth to where he needs it to be. He may be preparing to exit and needs to start early so as to be ready when the exit comes up. Or he may be behind schedule and wanting to get into the fast lane and be off to his next drop-off point. There is no benefit to getting in his way.
Increases in Motor Vehicle Injury Law Suits
Truck accidents are increasing as the number of 18-wheelers increases. As a passenger car, SUV, or light truck driver, you will almost certainly sustain severe injury should you be involved in a truck accident. As accidents increase, so do law suits. Typically, a person injured in an accident needs a truck accident attorney to fight for their full and fair compensation to cover medical costs, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
Truck Accident Personal Injury Cases
Truck accident personal injury cases can be complex and time-consuming. There may be a lot of discovery required, to examine the trucker’s log book, ascertain facts about his driving qualifications, delivery schedule and job history, about the truck’s load and maintenance, about your emergency medical care and injury complexities, and many other factors.