John A. Caputo & Associates, P.C.
412-620-6361

We Are Here To Guide You Through The Legal Process

Call Us Today To Schedule Your Free Initial Consultation: 412-620-6361

John A. Caputo & Associates, P.C.
John A. Caputo & Associates, P.C.

We Provide the Security needed after an Injury

Pittsburgh Truck Accident Lawyers With 40 Years Of Helping Victims

Commercial vehicle accidents are often complex. Accidents involving semi trucks usually concern multiple parties. Our truck accident lawyers help victims throughout Pennsylvania address these issues. These types of crashes can cause medical and legal difficulties for drivers, passengers and even pedestrians. If you have been seriously injured, then you may be facing immediate problems that likely feel overwhelming.

Table Of Contents:

In these circumstances, it is important to engage knowledgeable legal help as soon as possible to investigate precisely what caused the incident or crash, everything that occurred during it, and who was at fault. Talking to a personal injury lawyer immediately after an accident with a commercial vehicle can help you ensure that your interests are protected and that your injuries are potentially cared for. Talk to our team today by calling 412-620-6361 or send us an email now.

How Are Pennsylvania Truck Accidents Different Than Car Accidents?

A collision between motor vehicles of any kind introduces the risk of physical harm and financial hardships. Among the various types of crashes, truck accidents differ significantly from car accidents due to several factors.

One major distinction is the possibility of multiple parties being responsible parties for providing financial compensation. In the average car accident, the primary parties are usually the drivers involved in the collision and their respective insurance providers.

In a commercial truck accident, the parties that may carry financial responsibility include:

  • The truck driver
  • The trucking company
  • The trucking company’s insurance company
  • Your own insurance company

Even an auto part manufacturer could hold a share of the blame. This makes liability determinations more challenging.

Trucking companies and their insurance providers are more experienced in fighting accident claims. They have dedicated legal teams to help refute claims and minimize payouts. It is often more difficult to receive fair compensation without legal aid. Talking to an experienced semi truck accident attorney can help you even the playing field against trucking companies.

Injury severity is another distinguishing factor between passenger vehicle and truck accidents. Due to their much larger size and weight, the sheer force of a collision can lead to catastrophic injuries. The recovery process can be arduous, long and extremely costly. Our truck accident attorneys understand the impact these injuries have on your daily life.

The search for the specific cause of a truck accident can also introduce additional complications. Here are three examples:

  • If driver fatigue is suspected, a complex investigation into the operator’s hours of service and federal compliance may be required.
  • Accidents resulting from distracted driving might necessitate a thorough examination of phone records or onboard technology.
  • Mechanical failure-related crashes could involve defective parts or poor maintenance services, adding more potentially responsible parties to investigate.

Given these and other possible complexities, having an experienced attorney help you file your claim can be crucial to securing just compensation. They can ensure that all responsible parties are accounted for, helping maximize your truck accident compensation.

What’s The Timeline For Filing A Trucking Accident Claim?

After a serious truck accident, your time to take action is limited by state law. Pennsylvania imposes a statute of limitations on all personal injury claims. In most cases, you have just two years to file a lawsuit if you or someone you care about has suffered severe injuries due to a collision with a commercial vehicle, such as a semi truck.

Two years may seem like plenty of time. However, it’s important to act sooner rather than later. Filing a claim promptly is the best way to ensure that evidence is preserved and witness memories remain fresh. You’d be surprised how quickly details and evidence can be lost without making the effort to secure them.

Trucking companies and their insurers often begin their investigations immediately and work aggressively to build a self-serving narrative about the crash. You won’t be able to respond nearly as quickly, but starting your claim early can help ensure that your side of the story is accurately represented.

Speaking with a semi truck accident lawyer before filing a claim isn’t legally required, but it is a very wise course of action. An attorney can help you understand the complexities involved in trucking accidents. They can advise you on the best course of action based on the unique details of your case. These accidents often result in catastrophic injuries, and you can’t afford to accept a lowball settlement. A skilled semi truck accident attorney can greatly increase the chance of a favorable outcome.

Moreover, trucking accidents can involve multiple liable parties, such as the truck driver, the trucking company and even the vehicle manufacturer. An attorney can help identify all responsible parties, which is vital for maximizing the value of your claim.

Establishing Liability In Trucking Accidents

Trucking accidents often involve multiple parties, each potentially sharing responsibility for victim injuries. Determining liability requires a thorough investigation, as various factors contribute to these incidents. This is a task that our trucking accident lawyers can handle efficiently. Some key parties who may be held liable include:

  • The truck driver: Fatigue, distracted driving or violations of federal laws can make the driver responsible for the accident. These actions often constitute negligence.
  • The trucking company: Employers may be accountable for failing to provide adequate training, failing to ensure proper vehicle maintenance or pressuring drivers to exceed mandated hours, which can lead to dangerous situations on the road.
  • Maintenance providers: Improper repairs or failure to maintain critical components of the truck can implicate maintenance providers.
  • Manufacturers: Defective parts, such as faulty brakes, tires or engine components, may make manufacturers liable if their flawed products directly contribute to the crash.

Often, these liability claims also involve insurance companies that provide coverage to the truck driver or trucking company.

How Having An Experienced Truck Accident Attorney Can Help

Trucking accident cases can be complex and often involve intricate evidence, multiple parties and specific regulations. Having an attorney experienced in trucking accidents on your side can make a substantial difference. Here’s how they can help:

  • Conducting thorough investigations: Your attorney can gather crucial evidence, such as driver logs, maintenance records, black box data and accident scene documentation.
  • Identifying responsible parties: Fault isn’t always straightforward. A skilled semi truck accident lawyer can investigate whether the driver, trucking company, maintenance provider or manufacturer is liable, making sure that nobody is overlooked.
  • Handling the legal process: Trucking accident claims involve extensive paperwork and strict deadlines. An attorney can file your claim, address legal challenges and ensure compliance with state and federal regulations.
  • Negotiating with insurers: Insurance companies often try to minimize payouts. Your attorney can negotiate on your behalf and counter lowball offers.
  • Representing you in court: If a settlement isn’t reached, then your semi truck accident attorney can advocate for you in court to secure the compensation you deserve.

For commercial vehicle claims, having a knowledgeable trucking accident attorney by your side gives you the best chance of obtaining fair compensation.

Call us today to talk about the specifics of your case. Every accident is different, and our truck accident lawyers’ years of experience can help them assist you in understanding what your strategic options are. For a free initial consultation, call 412-620-6361 or email us today.

What Can A Pittsburgh Truck Accident Lawyer Help With After An Accident?

At John A. Caputo & Associates, P.C., our attorneys want to do everything in their power to help victims of trucking accidents reach fair settlements for their pain, suffering and inconvenience. Our lawyers have many years of experience and a huge repository of legal knowledge that they can leverage during negotiations or at trial.

In general, a truck accident lawyer can:

  • Provide the legal guidance you need about your options following an accident with a semi and explain what it takes to navigate the legal procedures to come
  • Protect you from being unfairly blamed for the accident by the other parties involved and/or their insurance companies in an attempt to devalue your claim
  • Identify all potentially liable parties, which can open additional avenues for compensation – something that can be critically necessary for severe injuries
  • Act swiftly to make sure that important evidence is preserved, such as witness statements, surveillance footage and the truck driver’s hours of service records
  • Network with medical professionals and accident reconstructionists who can lend strength to your claims
  • Negotiate with the insurance companies and other parties to seek fair compensation for your losses, including your medical bills, property damage, lost wages, emotional distress and future anticipated expenses

Never delay speaking to an experienced truck accident lawyer after a wreck with a semi. Large trucking companies and their insurers have vast legal resources at their disposal. They will leap into action. You need a skilled, capable advocate on your side if you are aiming for a fair outcome to your case.

Our attorneys approach every truck accident claim knowing that a negotiated settlement may not happen. They will be prepared to litigate on your behalf. They will also present a compelling narrative in court with the goal of securing compensation for you.

Pennsylvania Crash Statistics Around Trucking Accidents

In 2022, Pennsylvania had the dubious distinction of being among the top five most hazardous states for truck crashes, with 7,646 wrecks – 158 of which included fatalities. That may primarily reflect how important of a corridor the state’s highways are for the shipping industry between the East Coast and West Coast.

Other statistics about fatalities and injuries in truck accidents also create a disturbing picture. Consider these:

  • There are approximately 168,000 truck accidents in the United States every year.
  • Roughly 32% of those accidents involve injuries to the trucker or the occupants of other vehicles involved in the wreck.
  • Roughly 3% of those wrecks involve a fatality.
  • Roughly 71% of those injured are the occupants of other vehicles, and 27% of injury victims are truckers (the remainder are pedestrians and bicyclists).
  • Intoxication plays a role in 2.4% of fatal accidents involving trucks.

That’s distressing news, especially if you happen to be on the roads in the Keystone State. While there are federal mandates that trucking companies and drivers follow, some skirt the rules. Nobody knows how often truck drivers break the law for exceeding driving hour limits. Because they do not always get caught, it is hard to track. There are indications that the problem is on the rise.

Here’s another statistic that may be important to understand: Trucking companies know that a successful accident claim will be expensive. In 2019, settlements and verdicts on claims in which the plaintiff asked for less than $1 million averaged between $406,000 and $449,000, while the mean damages paid on more significant claims was $3.1 million. That means that you can expect a trucking company and its insurers to fight your claim aggressively, even when their liability is obvious. Our truck accident lawyers have experience litigating against the tactics these companies routinely employ when fighting a claim.

Experienced truck accident attorneys can protect your interests, keep you from being pressured into taking less than you are rightfully due and help you obtain fair compensation even when the insurer is being unreasonable. At our truck accident law firm, our lawyers know what the stakes are after an accident.

Trucking Accidents Bring Major Issues

Truck accidents involve the driver and the company that employs them. These crashes can also lead to major injuries for other drivers. Under Pennsylvania law, the driver who was at fault for injuring you is responsible for paying compensation for the following:

  • Pain, suffering and inconvenience
  • Loss of life’s pleasures
  • Permanent disfigurement
  • Your distress and any interference with your family relationships
  • A loss of wages and your future earning ability because of the injury
  • Any other costs that were a direct result of your injury

At John A. Caputo & Associates, P.C., in Pittsburgh, our truck accident lawyers have decades of experience in these cases and will examine the situation thoroughly to determine the most effective approach for your particular case. See some verdicts and settlements that our team has obtained for our injured clients.

Our Truck Accident Lawyers Know The Impact Of Truck Crashes In Pennsylvania

The weight and force of a truck, especially when it’s moving at high speeds, create tremendous impacts when they collide with smaller vehicles. Severe vehicle damage and serious personal injuries – even fatalities – are almost inevitable. These events often lead to high monetary judgments against trucking companies. Consequently, trucking companies often rely on a team of lawyers they keep on retainer to fight these cases. When you are injured in a crash involving a truck, you need a truck accident lawyer who will stand up just as forcefully for your interests.

Talk To An Experienced Truck Accident Attorney About Your Claim

Our lawyers are dedicated to the pursuit of justice and appropriate compensation for the victims of serious and catastrophic personal injuries. If you have been injured in a car or truck crash, contact us online or by telephone at 412-620-6361 for a free consultation to discuss the specifics of your situation. When your case is accepted, you will owe nothing out of pocket unless our truck accident lawyers recover compensation for you.