While safety standards for cars, pickups, and SUVs have improved over the past several decades, there’s still only so much that airbags, seatbelts, and modern vehicle designs can do to reduce the harm a T-bone or sideswipe crash can cause. That’s especially true for crashes involving tractor-trailers and other commercial trucks, which outweigh the typical commuter car by so much that even a relatively low-speed collision can have catastrophic consequences.
No matter how traumatic your accident was or what losses you’ve sustained as a result, you have a right to demand civil compensation from any person you can prove at fault for the wreck through their own negligence, including a long-haul truck driver. If you’ve been hurt in a side-impact truck accident in Hershey, our seasoned attorneys are ready to fight for your rights and get you every cent of restitution you deserve for the injuries you should never have experienced.
Where Do Side-Impact Truck Wrecks Typically Happen?
Most of the time, side-impact collisions between standard commuter cars happen at intersections where two or more roads going in different directions come together at a set of traffic lights or stop signs. While T-bone truck accidents in Hershey can and sometimes do happen in places like this, they also tend to happen on or near highway entrance and exit ramps, where a merging trucker might not see a smaller car near them until it’s too late to avoid a crash.
When it comes to filing suit over this sort of incident, the important thing isn’t where the accident happened but rather how it happened and whether you can prove it happened because of a specific reckless or careless act by the trucker who hit you. Whether it’s an overt violation of a traffic law or a momentary lapse in concentration, any negligent act that directly leads to an otherwise avoidable injury could be the basis for a civil lawsuit.
Getting Paid Fairly While Avoiding Comparative Fault
Any truck driver found liable for a side-impact truck wreck in Hershey based on their negligence—and any trucking company found vicariously liable for their employee’s negligence—can be made to pay for the full value of economic and non-economic losses caused by the crash, including:
- Physical pain and discomfort
- Psychological trauma and suffering
- Loss of life’s pleasures
- Medical bills, including expected costs of future care
- Personal property damage, including car replacement costs
- Lost working ability and work earnings
If you’re found to have played a role in causing your own injuries through your own negligent driving, a court may assign a percentage of comparative fault to you and either reduce the total amount of money you can recover or prevent you from getting paid at all. This is one of many legal and procedural obstacles that Ostroff Godshall Injury and Accident Lawyers can help you navigate.
A Hershey Attorney Can Help with a Side-Impact Truck Accident Lawsuit
Getting sideswiped or T-boned by a tractor-trailer can be a uniquely traumatizing and all too often life-altering experience. Fortunately, you may be able to file suit over this incident the same way you could over any other type of auto accident, provided you understand and make effective use of your rights under Pennsylvania law.
Guidance from a knowledgeable lawyer can be essential to building a strong civil claim around side-impact truck accidents in Hershey. Call us today to learn more during a free, no-obligation consultation.
