After getting T-boned by a tractor-trailer, you may be dealing with severe injuries and unsure where to turn. While every truck accident is different, the truck driver, the company that owns the truck, or other parties may be liable to compensate you if you were injured in a collision.
Ostroff Godshall Injury and Accident Lawyers are experienced in handling side-impact truck accidents in Bethlehem and can help explore your legal options. Our skilled attorneys can uphold your rights throughout the case process and fight tirelessly for your best interests.
Causes and Injuries in Side-Impact Truck Accidents
Side-impact truck crashes, commonly called T-bone accidents, can result from various scenarios. Reckless driving behaviors like speeding, failing to stop at a traffic stop or light, making improper or unsafe lane changes, failing to yield the right of way, following too closely, and drunk driving can cause a truck to crash into the side of another motor vehicle.
A side-impact truck accident can leave victims grappling with serious and wide-ranging injuries such as:
Numerous parties might owe you monetary compensation after a side-impact truck collision. One of the first potentially liable parties is the truck driver. In addition to the truck driver, the company they work for or the company that owns the truck may also be legally liable.
Suppose that one of the factors in the side-impact accident was a defective braking system that made it impossible for the truck driver to stop, resulting in a collision with another vehicle. In that case, the company that manufactured the truck or defective vehicle component could be on the hook for your damages. Your Bethlehem attorney can investigate the side-impact trucking collision to determine who may be at fault.
Legal Action After a Side-Impact Truck Crash in Bethlehem
When pursuing a legal claim for damages after a side-impact truck wreck, our local lawyers can explain the various types of compensation you may be entitled to receive. These can include economic damages, non-economic damages, and in some cases, punitive damages.
Economic and Non-Economic Damages
Economic damages can pay for losses such as property damage, lost wages, and medical bills from the accident. Non-economic damages refer to intangible losses such as pain and suffering, as well as loss of life’s pleasures due to the injuries sustained in the side-impact crash.
Punitive Damages
Punitive damages are not included in all cases. However, these may be recoverable in circumstances where the truck driver, truck company, or other liable party acted with gross negligence (in other words, a blatant disregard for others’ safety).
Deadline for Bringing a Claim
It’s important to observe the statute of limitations when considering a claim for compensation after a side-impact truck collision. Pennsylvania law sets a strict two-year time limit on most truck accident cases, making it essential to contact a Bethlehem attorney as soon as possible after a T-bone crash.
Reach Out to a Bethlehem Side-Impact Truck Accident Attorney
In addition to the significant property damage that side-impact truck accidents in Bethlehem can inflict, you may suffer severe physical injuries that take months or years to recover from. In some cases, these injuries can cause permanent harm.
Ostroff Godshall Injury and Accident Lawyers will help you seek justice for your ordeal. In one case involving a limited tort Lehigh County resident, we obtained a $900,000 settlement for hip, wrist, rib, and head injuries sustained in a T-bone crash caused by a tractor-trailer driver who ran a red light while distracted by his cell phone. You should not try to face the insurance company or legal system on your own. To speak with one of our lawyers about your potential case, call our office today for a free consultation.
