In Pennsylvania, as anywhere else, it is usually harder to prepare a truck accident case than a car accident case, and there are five good reasons for this. First, any case becomes complex the more severe the injuries are. Trucks, being heavier and having a longer stopping distance, crash more forcefully into other vehicles, causing catastrophic injuries and even death.
Second, victims tend to meet with stronger opposition. Trucking companies and their insurance providers can work hard together to deny payment or force a low-ball settlement on victims. Third, there is often a question of whether the trucking company is to blame in the first place; many truckers are, after all, owner-operators. If a truck’s cargo is linked to the accident, the company that loaded it may be liable, too.
Fourth, truck accident cases require knowledge of trucking regulations in order to prove negligence. There are federal rules that, for example, require a certain amount of rest breaks and limit hours of service. Lastly, truckers have a black box that records data like the speed they go. If this data conflicts with other evidence, it makes a case harder to argue.
Victims may also compromise their case through their actions immediately following a crash. They may, for instance, fail to file a police report or record what happened.
No matter how strong a case appears to be, victims may still want to hire an attorney who focuses on truck accidents. Pennsylvania being a no-fault state, there are restrictions on who can file a third-party insurance claim, but a lawyer might determine if victims’ cases fall outside the restrictions. If someone died or suffered a permanent disability, for instance, then such a claim is entirely feasible. The attorney may handle all negotiations and, if necessary, litigation.