Lehigh Valley Truck Accident Lawyer
- 30+ Years of Experience Helping Victims Across Pennsylvania
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This page has been written and edited by a team of experienced legal writers . This page was approved by Managing Partner, Michael Saile who has more than 20 years of legal experience as a personal injury attorney.
This page has been written and edited by a team of experienced legal writers . This page was approved by Managing Partner, Michael Saile who has more than 20 years of legal experience as a personal injury attorney.
- Last Modified:
- December 10, 2024
Truck accidents can cause severe and life-changing injuries such as head trauma, brain damage, paralysis, and disfigurement. These injuries can change your life forever and can also be costly to treat.
If you’ve been injured in a truck accident in the Lehigh Valley, Cordisco & Saile LLC can help you get the justice and compensation you deserve for your losses. Our team of trusted Lehigh Valley truck accident lawyers can gather evidence to strengthen your case and negotiate for maximum compensation. If the other side refuses to settle, our experienced and skilled trial attorneys won’t hesitate to take your case to court.
Who Is at Fault in a Truck Accident?
It is not always immediately apparent who is at fault after an accident, so it is critical to conduct a thorough investigation. The police and the insurance companies will investigate the accident. However, have our truck accident law firm in Lehigh Valley also investigate it. We can independently analyze the results with your best interests at heart.
The truck driver may be at fault for many reasons. For instance, they may be in a hurry to make a delivery or get home, be overtired from driving long hours, or be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Here are some of the most common scenarios in which truck drivers cause accidents:
- Speeding: Truck drivers may speed to meet a deadline, see their families, or for no specific reason, but a tractor-trailer going too fast can be hard to control and can easily lead to an accident.
- Using a handheld mobile device: According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, or FMCSA, truck drivers cannot use a cell phone or other handheld mobile device while driving and face severe penalties if they do.
- Under the influence of drugs or alcohol: The standards for drug and alcohol use are even stricter for commercial truck drivers than other drivers. The FMCSA states that truck drivers with a blood alcohol content of 0.04 or greater are considered to be driving under the influence of alcohol and must refrain from driving a commercial vehicle.
- Fatigue: Truck drivers under pressure to log a certain number of miles may push themselves to keep going, even when exhausted. Tired drivers have poor reflexes and coordination and may even fall asleep at the wheel.
- Driving too fast for current weather conditions: All truck drivers must modify their driving to the weather, even if that means driving slower than the posted speed limit.
- Driving errors: Anyone can make a mistake, but those mistakes can be costly when the driver is hauling tens of thousands of pounds. Truck drivers may follow too closely, change lanes without checking their blind spots, ignore traffic signs and signals, or make other driving errors that cause accidents.
Other Parties May Be Liable for Your Accident
While you may immediately blame the truck driver for causing your accident, they are not necessarily at fault. Our Lehigh Valley truck accident lawyer can identify other liable parties and seek appropriate damages from them.
Other at-fault parties may include the following:
- Manufacturers: The manufacturer of the truck or its parts, such as brakes, can be held responsible for defective or dangerous parts that lead to an accident.
- Cargo loading teams: Imbalanced, poorly secured, or overloaded cargo can cause trucks to roll over, jackknife, blow out tires, and more. The loading team can be held responsible for their negligence.
- Trucking companies: Sometimes, trucking companies skimp on maintenance to save money. Poorly maintained trucks may have worn-out brake pads, cracked windshields, and other compromised components that can easily cause an accident.
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Damages Available After a Truck Accident in Lehigh Valley
Every accident is different, so the types and amounts of damages available vary from case to case. Our truck accident lawyer can estimate how much your case is worth. However, more serious accidents generally result in greater damages.
Economic Damages After a Truck Accident
Economic damages cover tangible losses caused by the truck accident, such as:
- Medical expenses for treatment after the accident
- Future medical expenses if you need long-term care, ongoing therapy, anticipated surgeries, or other expected medical treatment
- Loss of income if you are out of work temporarily or permanently
- Property damage for your vehicle’s repair or replacement
Non-Economic Damages After a Truck Accident
Non-economic damages cover hard-to-quantify impacts on your life caused by the accident, such as:
- Emotional trauma
- Physical pain and suffering
- Loss of a body part
- Permanent disability
- Disfigurement
- Reduced quality of life
Wrongful Death Damages After a Truck Accident
If you lost a loved one in a truck accident, you may be able to recover damages for wrongful death, such as:
- Medical bills for treatment your loved one received before passing away
- Funeral and burial expenses such as fees for cremation, embalming, a casket or urn, flowers, a memorial service, and more
- Loss of income, including wages, benefits, and retirement income
- Loss of inheritance that surviving family members anticipated
- Loss of services such as household maintenance, chores, childcare, and more
- Pain and suffering experienced by surviving family members
How a Truck Accident Lawyer Can Help You
A truck accident can be a traumatic experience. Our truck accident lawyers can take over the administrative burden of recovering damages so you can focus on healing. Our services include the following includes:
- Investigating your truck accident: Our lawyers can conduct a detailed investigation of the accident scene. They can gather evidence such as videos and photographs of the crash site, analyze the black box data for critical information about the truck, examine the logbooks and driving records, consult with third-party experts and witnesses such as crash reconstruction experts and medical providers, and interview eyewitnesses.
- Identifying the responsible party: Truck accidents may involve multiple parties and determining who is at fault can be difficult. Our attorneys can identify the responsible parties and available insurance coverage by analyzing the evidence gathered to maximize your compensation.
- Pursuing damages from the responsible party: Once we have built a solid case, we can seek damages from the responsible parties by filing insurance claims and a lawsuit.
- Filing paperwork on your behalf: We can help you file insurance and court paperwork to help you recover compensation. Our legal team will follow the relevant procedures and meet all deadlines.
- Negotiating a settlement with the insurance company: Our lawyers will use their negotiation skills to help you get the settlement payout you deserve from the opposition and their insurer.
- Litigating a truck accident lawsuit: If the insurance company refuses to pay a reasonable amount, we can help you file a lawsuit and fight for your rights at trial.
If you have any more questions about hiring an attorney or the cost of a truck accident attorney contact our firm today.
Time Limits After a Lehigh Valley Truck Accident
Pennsylvania law gives Lehigh Valley residents two years to sue for personal injury or wrongful death. If you wait any longer, you forfeit your legal rights. Fortunately, a skilled Lehigh Valley personal injury lawyer from Cordisco & Saile LLC can help file your truck accident injury claim before the time limit.
Contact Cordisco & Saile After Your Truck Accident
If you need legal assistance after a truck accident, call Cordisco & Saile LLC’s Lehigh Valley injury lawyers at (215) 642-2335. Our experienced lawyers can help you recover damages for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and more.
For over 30 years, our nationally recognized team of attorneys has helped many truck accident victims obtain top case results. Read our testimonials to learn more about how we have helped injured people and their families in the Lehigh Valley, Bethlehem, Allentown, and across Pennsylvania.
If you are worried about the costs of hiring a lawyer from our firm, there is no need to worry. Our skilled personal injury lawyers throughout Pennsylvania work on a contingency fee basis, which means we only collect payment if we win your case. We also offer free case consultations, so you have nothing to lose by contacting us. Call today—the sooner we talk, the sooner we can get started on your case!
Frequently Asked Questions About Truck Accidents in Lehigh Valley
After a truck accident in the Lehigh Valley, you should do the following:
- Call the police. Immediately after the accident, call the police, even if it is minor.
- Get medical help and call an ambulance. You should do this even if you feel fine. Some injuries are not apparent until hours or days after the crash.
- Get information from the other people involved in the accident: Get the names, contact numbers, and addresses of any other drivers, passengers, and eyewitnesses. You should also note the license plate numbers and states of the trucks and cars involved.
- Document all injuries and the accident scene. Take pictures and videos of your injuries, damage to the cars and trucks involved, skid or tire marks, debris, and the road, intersection point, or highway where the accident happened. Your lawyer will use these pieces of evidence to argue for compensation for your injuries.
- Contact a qualified truck accident lawyer. Finally, speak to a lawyer about your case. They can help you file a lawsuit against the party or parties responsible for your truck accident.
Our lawyers work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you do not pay anything upfront. You only pay us if we recover compensation for you. If and when they win your case, we get paid a pre-agreed percentage of your recovery.
Talk to a truck accident lawyer in Allentown, Lehigh Valley, and other areas near you to learn more about the cost of hiring a truck accident lawyer.
According to a 2022 report published by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, the most common types of truck and car accidents in Pennsylvania are:
- Collisions with fixed objects such as guide rails or trees
- Angle crashes
- Rear-end collisions
- Sideswipes
- Pedestrian accidents
- Head-on accidents
- Jackknife and rollover accidents
The same report revealed that 2022 there were 4,920 motor vehicle crashes in Lehigh county, making it one of the top ten PA counties with the most reported traffic crashes. Meanwhile, there were 2,963 vehicle crashes in Northampton County and 698 in Carbon County.
Moreover, in 2022, heavy trucks were involved in 353 accidents in Lehigh county, 199 accidents in Northampton County, and 49 accidents in Carbon County.
To protect your rights after a truck accident, talk with one of our personal injury attorneys in Bethlehem, Lehigh Valley, or another area near you.
Your lawyer can then help you build a solid case against the people responsible for your injuries by gathering evidence, such as records, logs, and photos of the accident scene.
Your attorney can also speak to your insurance company and the trucking company’s insurance company, giving you more time to focus on recovery.
There is no standard average settlement amount for a truck accident case. Settlement values depend on several factors including the following:
- The type and severity of your injury: You are more likely to get a higher settlement amount if you have a catastrophic injury from your truck accident, such as severe burns, paralysis, and traumatic brain injuries.
- Strength of case: Generally, the stronger your case against the at-fault party, the more likely you’ll recover a larger settlement.
- Your share of the blame: Pennsylvania is a comparative negligence state. You can still recover compensation if you are less than 51 percent at fault for the crash. However, your compensation will be reduced in proportion to your share of the blame.
- Current medical expenses: The higher your current medical expenses, the more compensation you can receive.
- Cost of future medical care: You have a higher chance of getting more compensation if you require future care.
- Pain and suffering: The more pain and suffering you have experienced due to your accident, the higher your case will be worth.
To learn more about your truck accident case worth, call (215) 642-2335 or fill out our online form for a free evaluation. Our truck accident lawyers in Bethlehem and other parts of Pennsylvania are always here to help.
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