Wayne Truck Accident Attorneys

After a Devastating Accident, Wayne Truck Accident Attorneys Can Help You Seek the Compensation You Need

Wayne, Pennsylvania, has long been familiar with traffic. As a community on the Main Line, Wayne has seen rail traffic pass for centuries. Today, as part of Philadelphia’s suburban communities, Wayne residents rely on auto transportation – their personal vehicles and the many commercial trucks carrying goods and supplies to Wayne and surrounding communities.

Truck accidents in Wayne may occur whenever large trucks share the road with other vehicles. In a collision, those outside a large truck can suffer catastrophic or fatal injuries. 

If you’ve been injured or lost a loved one in a truck accident, talk to an experienced Wayne truck accident lawyer today. The team at MyPhillyLawyer can help. 

Wayne Truck Accident Statistics

2022 marked a five-year high in Pennsylvania large truck accidents, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. While total reported crashes, deaths, and injuries decreased in 2022 compared to 2021, heavy truck-related deaths increased. 

In 2022: 

• Auto accidents in Pennsylvania decreased by 1.7 percent,
• Roadway deaths decreased by 4.1 percent,
• Roadway injuries decreased by 3.7 percent, yet
• Large truck accident deaths increased by 9.5 percent. 

Approximately 8,223 large trucks were involved in Pennsylvania crashes in 2022. In 145 incidents, the collision caused at least one death. 

Truck Accidents Can Pose Serious Risks

Federal regulations allow fully loaded tractor-trailers to weigh 80,000 pounds and stand up to 14 feet tall. Fully electric trucks may weigh even more – up to 82,000 pounds. Smaller box trucks and delivery trucks may weigh 10,000 pounds or more, depending on their size and cargo. 

Compare a typical passenger car, minivan, pickup truck, or SUV. These vehicles weigh about 3,000 pounds on average and stand about 5 to 6 feet tall. Motorcycles, bicycles, and pedestrians are even smaller, with no protection in a crash. When a large truck collides with a passenger vehicle, motorcyclist, bicyclist, or pedestrian, devastating injuries and death can result. 

Common Causes of Wayne Truck Accidents

Truck accidents and other car accidents often happen for similar reasons. Driver error, dangerous roadway conditions, distraction, and intoxication may all play roles in a crash. For large trucks, however, the risk of a vehicle defect causing a crash or of improperly secured cargo contributing to an accident increases. 

Driver error. Everyone on the road with large trucks relies on the truck’s driver, who must handle the truck safely to avoid preventable accidents. 

Issues that can affect a driver’s ability to handle the truck safely include:

• Drowsiness, which can result from failures to follow Hours of Service requirements,
• Distraction, which may come from a cell phone or other items inside or outside the vehicle,
• Intoxication from alcohol, other substances, or a combination of these, 
• Inexperience can occur when a trucking company authorizes a driver who lacks the proper credentials or training time behind the wheel. 

When driver error causes a crash, both the driver and the trucking company may share responsibility. 

Vehicle defects and unsecured cargo. Problems with tires, brakes, steering, power, suspension, improperly secured cargo, and other defects can cause a truck accident. In these crashes, the driver may only know about the issue once it is too late to prevent a collision. 

According to PennDOT, issues with tires and wheels contributed to 38.7 percent of all vehicle defect crashes in 2022. Brake-related issues contributed to 28.1 percent of defect crashes, while 13.9 percent involved a total failure of the vehicle’s steering system. 

In large truck crashes in 2022:

• 116 crashes involved tire or wheel-related issues
• 94 involved brake-related issues
• 48 involved an improperly loaded trailer or improperly secured cargo
• 17 involved a power train failure
• 17 involved a total steering system failure.

Trucking companies, cargo companies, truck manufacturers, and truck maintenance teams all have responsibilities to ensure that trucks have no hidden defects when they’re on the road. Failure to meet these responsibilities can cause devastating injuries in a crash. 

Common Types of Injuries in Wayne Truck Accidents

Truck accidents can cause serious and deadly injuries. Common injuries that appear in Philadelphia-area truck crash cases include:

• Head and brain injuries,
• Neck, back, and spinal cord injuries,
• Broken bones,
• Amputations and crush injuries,
• Lacerations, scarring, or disfigurement, 
• Psychological trauma. 

Other injuries may also occur. These injuries have lifelong consequences. 

While large truck drivers can be injured in a crash, drivers suffer injuries at lower rates than those outside the vehicle. In 2022, drivers of large trucks accounted for only 3.8 percent of large truck crash deaths. All other fatalities occurred to other parties – drivers, passengers, bicyclists, or pedestrians outside the truck. 

What to Expect in a Wayne Truck Accident Case

Every truck accident case involves a unique set of facts. No one else crashed at the date, time, and place you did, with the vehicle that hit you. For this reason, it’s vital to speak to an experienced attorney. Your lawyer can explain how the unique facts of your case fit into the laws, regulations, and procedures laid out by the state of Pennsylvania and the federal government for trucking and truck accident claims. 

However, while your facts are unique, certain rules and court procedures apply to all truck accident cases. Understanding a few basic rules can help you ask the right questions, understand what’s happening, and choose the right lawyer for you. 

Time Limits

Pennsylvania’s statute of limitations sets time limits on filing various court claims. For personal injury and wrongful death claims, the time limit is two years. An injured person or the family of a deceased person has two years from the date of the accident or death to file a lawsuit seeking damages in court. 

If you miss this two-year deadline, you lose the chance to have your case heard in court. Speak to an attorney as soon as possible to protect your opportunity to file – or to learn what other options you may have if the deadline has passed. 

Compensation

A personal injury or wrongful death claim is a civil claim. In a civil claim, an injured person or family seeks damages from another party whom they claim is at fault for their losses. If the injured person or family proves their claim, the court will order the at-fault party to pay compensation.

Compensation is often grouped into two categories, which share common features.

Economic losses. “Economic” losses are financial losses. The evidence supporting them is typically found in bills, receipts, invoices, and other paperwork showing that an injured person or family paid or lost a defined amount of money as a result of the accident. 

Common types of economic losses include:

• Medical bills. This category includes bills for emergency care, surgery, hospitalization, rehabilitative care, in-home care, medical equipment, prescriptions, follow-up care, and other medical needs after a crash. 
• Lost wages. Compensation for lost wages may include both wages you miss while recovering from an accident and wages you would have earned in the future if your injuries had not prevented you from working. 
• Property damage. The cost to repair or replace a damaged vehicle may also be included in economic losses after a truck accident. 
• Funeral and burial expenses. In a wrongful death claim, the estate or family may also seek compensation for the costs of the funeral and burial. 

Other types of economic loss may also apply. Saving copies of bills, receipts, and pay stubs can help you keep track of the financial costs of the crash. 

Non-economic losses. “Non-economic” losses don’t typically come with a bill or invoice attached. Nonetheless, they are real losses, deserving of compensation. 

Common types of non-economic losses in a Wayne truck crash include:

• Pain and suffering. Conscious pain and suffering caused by truck crash injuries is a common non-economic loss. In a wrongful death claim, the pain and suffering a person endured before the injuries proved fatal may also be compensable.
• Loss of enjoyment of life. If your injuries prevent you from pursuing your hobbies, playing with your children, vacationing with your family, or doing other activities that added meaning to your life, you may seek compensation for this loss. 
• Scarring and disfigurement. The mental, emotional, and social burden of scarring and disfigurement can also be addressed through non-economic damages. 
• Loss of love, care, and companionship. The family members of a deceased truck accident victim can also seek compensation for the loss of their loved one’s love, care, and companionship. 

The facts of each truck crash differ. The compensation available differs as well. Talk to an attorney to learn more. 

An Experienced Wayne Truck Collision Lawyer Can Help

A truck crash changes everything. Survivors may struggle with catastrophic injuries, facing a life completely different from the one they had before. Those who lose their lives in a crash leave behind family members wracked with grief, fighting to understand what happened and rebuild their lives in the face of sudden and devastating loss.

The team at MyPhillyLawyer understands how difficult this time can be. That’s why we’re dedicated to helping our clients navigate their legal claims after a crash. Let us answer your questions and provide assistance so you can focus on healing. 

To learn more, call our office today or contact us online to schedule a no-cost, no-obligation consultation.