Truck accidents are a common type of roadway collision that can lead to serious or even fatal injuries for one or multiple individuals involved. While there can be multiple factors that lead to a truck accident, someone’s negligence is often the reason.
Starting a truck accident lawsuit can be a complicated process, and your ability to recover compensation can depend on the available evidence, the extent of your injuries, the facts of the accident, and more. A respected truck crash attorney has the knowledge, tools, and experience to handle your case and seek the maximum compensation you are entitled to claim.
Pursuing a Truck Accident Lawsuit
Pennsylvania law implements no-fault rules in motor vehicle accidents, including truck accidents. This means that even when the truck driver was completely at fault for the collision, your own personal injury protection (PIP) would usually apply to pay certain costs associated with the incident.
PIP does not cover pain and suffering but can pay for losses such as medical bills and missed wages. However, PIP is often not sufficient to cover the breadth of the costs sustained by truck accident victims. An injured person may be able to pursue additional compensation outside of PIP and file a claim against the at-fault party in several circumstances. For example, when the person sustained serious injuries in the truck collision, they may be entitled to file a lawsuit for monetary damages not included in PIP as well as any other losses not covered by their personal policy.
Another factor that can impact the type of compensation a person can claim is whether or not they carried limited tort or full tort insurance on their vehicle at the time of the truck accident. When the person purchased limited tort insurance, they would usually not be entitled to compensation for pain and suffering unless they were severely injured in the wreck.
However, if they carried full tort insurance, they may be entitled to pain and suffering damages as well as economic damages for costs like medical bills. An attorney could evaluate your potential truck accident lawsuit and advise what compensation you may be eligible to claim.
Leading Causes of Truck Collisions and Injuries
Truck collisions happen for many different reasons, but before you file a lawsuit, you need to prove that you are entitled to bring forward a claim and that someone is legally liable for the accident. Some of the leading causes of truck wrecks include reckless driving, distracted driving, fatigued driving, drunk or drugged driving, and speeding.
Improperly loaded or overweight trucks, faulty brake systems, or poor training procedures can also play a role in a serious truck collision. Any of these factors can indicate negligence and lead to a situation where a truck strikes another motor vehicle. Potential truck accident injuries can range from spinal cord injuries to brain injuries to broken bones.
Depending on the facts and circumstances of your accident, there could be one or multiple liable parties in your case. These can include the truck driver, the truck company, the truck manufacturer, the company responsible for loading the truck, and even the company that conducts maintenance on the truck.
Call Truck Accident Attorney About Starting a Lawsuit
When you are claiming compensation in a truck accident lawsuit, you need to make sure that you have someone on your side from the beginning that puts your best interests front and center. Whether the fault lies with the truck driver, truck company, or any other party, an attorney can investigate liability and seek the best possible outcome for your case.
Ostroff Godshall Injury and Accident Lawyers can provide the zealous legal representation you need and deserve. Give our office a call today and ask to speak with one of our attorneys about starting a truck accident lawsuit.
