Pennsylvania Rear-End Accident Lawyer
- 30+ Years of Experience Helping Victims Across Pennsylvania
- We Will Never Stop Fighting For You
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 6, 2024
Victims of rear-end collisions often suffer serious injuries through no fault of their own. If you’ve been hurt in a rear-end accident, you might be facing a long, painful recovery with mounting medical bills and missed time from work. You shouldn’t have to shoulder the burden of the consequences alone. Cordisco & Saile LLC can pursue immediate legal action to hold the at-fault parties accountable and recover the compensation you need.
The lawyers at Cordisco & Saile have been practicing personal injury law for over 30 years, and we’re proud to say we’ve recovered millions of dollars for our clients. If you choose to trust us with your case, we won’t take that trust lightly. We are passionate about helping injured clients no matter how much effort it takes. We will relentlessly fight for the justice and compensation you deserve.
- Why Hire a Pennsylvania Rear-End Accident Attorney?
- Evidence Needed for a Rear-End Accident Claim
- Who Is at Fault in a Rear-End Collision in Pennsylvania?
- What Kinds of Compensation Are Available After a Rear-End Accident?
- Common Injuries in Rear-End Accidents
- Types of Rear-End Accident Cases We Handle
- What Is the Statute of Limitations in a Rear-End Accident Case?
- Hurt in a Rear-End Car Accident? Call Our Pennsylvania Car Accident Attorneys
Why Hire a Pennsylvania Rear-End Accident Attorney?
Most people hit in a rear-end accident don’t see a collision coming. For example, suppose you’re stopped at a red light and obeying traffic laws. You have no reason to believe you’re at risk of a crash—until another driver smashes into your vehicle from behind.
Now you’re left dealing with a debilitating neck injury. You might even be unable to work to make ends meet. You’ll be stuck on the phone with the insurance company to get them to pay for your resulting bills when you should be focused on recovery. In a split second, your life has been upended. You need an experienced attorney on your side to fight for you.
You need an attorney who can play hardball with insurance companies that try to avoid paying what you’re owed. You only get one shot to bring your claim, so get it right the first time. Insurance companies know our clients mean business when they turn to the injury attorneys at Cordisco & Saile.
Having a local lawyer matters. You need a lawyer who knows Pennsylvania laws and has deep experience navigating the local legal landscape. Our nationally recognized attorneys are Pennsylvania locals with deep roots in our community. As a client, you are more than an accident victim to us; you are our family. Our lawyers understand the toll accidents have on victims and their families and never stop fighting to recover the compensation they need to put their lives back together.
Evidence Needed for a Rear-End Accident Claim
After a rear-end collision, you must collect evidence to build a strong case. Typically, you’ll need evidence such as eyewitness testimony, accident scene photographs, vehicle damage, and medical records and bills. Between obtaining a police report, collecting medical records, and trying to locate witnesses, you may feel like you have no idea where to start. A capable attorney can investigate and gather all the necessary evidence to give you the best possible chance of winning the maximum compensation.
Our experienced car accident attorneys can build a case on your behalf by working with accident reconstruction experts, accessing additional photos and video of the scene, and interviewing witnesses. You can rest easy knowing your attorney’s putting the pieces together.
Who Is at Fault in a Rear-End Collision in Pennsylvania?
As a general rule, the driver of the following car is at fault in the event of a rear-end collision in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania law provides that a driver legally cannot follow another car more closely than is reasonable for the speed of the vehicles and the state of traffic.
Pennsylvania also requires drivers to drive at a safe and appropriate speed. Specifically, an appropriate speed is defined as a speed that is not too fast for the vehicle in front to come to a full stop, which is the cause of many rear-end collisions.
Pennsylvania law has a few exceptions in which the driver in front can be at fault. These include brake checking, driving in reverse, backing out of a parking space, and reckless driving.
Full Tort vs. Limited Tort Insurance in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania is a no-fault state, meaning that all drivers must purchase personal injury protection, or PIP, coverage to cover your injuries when you’re in an accident. PIP covers medical expenses, lost wages, and certain other economic damages from an accident. When you are injured in an accident, you must first pursue a claim under your PIP coverage, regardless of who is at fault.
When you exhaust your PIP coverage, you might be entitled to pursue damages from the at-fault party. However, the type of coverage you have selected will determine the types of damages you can pursue from the at-fault third party. Pennsylvania requires drivers to select either full tort or limited tort coverage.
If you’re involved in a car crash and have full tort insurance, you can pursue all your damages from the at-fault party after a crash. You can recover both economic damages, such as medical bills, and non-economic damages, such as pain and suffering.
On the other hand, limited tort insurance restricts the types of damages you can pursue from the at-fault party after a crash. If you have limited tort insurance, you can generally recover economic damages, which include out-of-pocket losses such as medical bills and lost wages. However, you can only recover pain and suffering and other non-economic damages in specific, limited circumstances, such as injuries resulting in “death, serious impairment of bodily function, or permanent serious disfigurement.”
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What Kinds of Compensation Are Available After a Rear-End Accident?
In general, accident victims can pursue two types of damages in personal injury cases: economic and non-economic.
Economic damages compensate you for financial losses stemming from the rear-end collision, including medical bills, lost wages, and property damage.
Non-economic damages compensate for the more subjective impacts on your life that are harder to put a monetary value on. These damages include pain and suffering, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life.
If the defendant in your case acted maliciously, wantonly, or with reckless indifference for the safety of others, a judge may award punitive damages. Instead of compensating victims for losses, punitive damage awards aim to punish the defendant and deter future misconduct.
Rear-End Accident Settlements and Verdicts for Our Clients
Cordisco & Saile has recovered millions of dollars in settlements for clients hurt in rear-end car accidents.
In one recent notable case, a Bucks County client was rear-ended by a teenager who was texting and driving. Our client’s life was destroyed. Once an active athlete, he lost the ability to move, walk, sit, and stand in the accident he suffered. We rejected a lowball $85,000 settlement offer and won a $1.377 million verdict for his injuries.
Some of our other notable results include the following:
- $2.47 million for a Bristol client rear-ended by an armored vehicle
- $1 million for a client who was rear-ended at a traffic light
- $416,250 for a client injured in a rear-end car crash that resulted in a concussion, traumatic brain injury, and multiple neck disc herniations
Common Injuries in Rear-End Accidents
Although rear-end crashes usually aren’t fatal, they’re all too common—19.1 percent of Pennsylvania car crashes in 2023 were rear-end accidents. Our office has represented many clients who were severely injured in rear-end accidents and suffered long-term pain, trauma, and even permanent disability.
In many rear-end crashes, a vehicle impacted at the rear may be pushed into the vehicle in front, causing a secondary impact in a chain reaction. Secondary impacts can also cause serious injuries.
Certain injuries appear frequently following rear-end accidents, including the following:
- Whiplash, a potentially serious neck injury commonly seen in car accidents that results from the neck being forcefully jerked back and forth
- Back and spinal injuries like herniated discs, vertebral fractures, and nerve damage
- Head injuries, including traumatic brain injury and concussion, which can cause long-term damage to the brain
- Facial injuries involving bone or soft-tissue trauma, which may require serious reconstructive surgery
- Chest injuries such as myocardial contusion, a blunt-force form of cardiac trauma
- Shoulder injuries, typically fractures, dislocations, or torn tissue, which can permanently limit the range of motion in the shoulder
- Arm and wrist injuries ranging from broken bones to conditions like brachial plexus injury, which can cause paralysis in the arm
- Knee and leg injuries, including torn ligaments or broken bones, which can require extensive physical therapy to heal
If you have experienced these or any other injuries from a rear-end accident, the attorneys at Cordisco & Saile can help. Reach out today to learn more about your legal options.
“What sets us apart from other lawyers is the way we present the injury. We know the injuries. We know the effects of the injuries, and we will fight for the best outcome for you and your case.”
Types of Rear-End Accident Cases We Handle
Rear-end accidents result from a wide array of circumstances, and many possible factors might contribute to a crash. Our attorneys have seen it all when it comes to rear-end collisions. Crashes we’ve handled have resulted from things such as the following:
- Drunk driving: Pennsylvania averaged 23 alcohol-related collisions per day in 2023.
- Light level: Almost 73 percent of pedestrian car accident fatalities in 2023 occurred at night.
- Speed: This can include both excessively fast and slow speeds.
- Distracted driving: This includes texting and driving—Cordisco & Saile won over $1.3 million for a client injured by a texting driver.
- Weather and road surface conditions: Potholes, ice, rain, or snow can make roads dangerous for driving and cause abrupt stops that lead to rear-end accidents.
- Drowsy drivers: Truckers and other professional drivers, in particular, can get fatigued and fall asleep on the road.
- Tailgating: Following other vehicles too closely is illegal in Pennsylvania.
Cordisco & Saile has handled rear-end accident cases in all these circumstances and more. We’re ready to represent you regardless of what caused your rear-end accident.
What Is the Statute of Limitations in a Rear-End Accident Case?
Pennsylvania’s statute of limitations for filing a personal injury suit after a car accident is two years. While there are some exceptions, they are rare, and you shouldn’t count on them to apply to your case. If you miss the filing deadline, you lose your right to pursue compensation for your injuries forever.
A Pennsylvania car accident attorney can help you determine whether the statute of limitations applies in your case. Talk to a lawyer as soon as possible after a crash to maximize your chances of recovery.
"When people hire Cordisco and Saile, they're expecting the best. They're expecting you to fight for them from the minute they walk in that office into the minute their case is resolved, and that's what we do here."
Hurt in a Rear-End Car Accident? Call Our Pennsylvania Car Accident Attorneys
If you’ve been injured in a rear-end car accident, you need the best legal help you can get. At Cordisco & Saile, our nationally recognized team of attorneys will fight for you like family. Call us at (215) 642-2335 or contact us online today.
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