Accidents involving commercial trucks can be catastrophic, particularly when smaller passenger vehicles are involved. A 3,500-pound car is no match for a fully loaded 80,000-pound tractor-trailer in a collision.

In recent years, nearly all of the truck accident fatalities in Pennsylvania have been occupants of smaller vehicles: Only 2% of fatalities have been truck drivers or truck passengers in the truck. Those who survive truck accidents often sustain serious injuries that may leave them with lifelong challenges.

If you or a close family member were injured in a truck accident, an experienced Philadelphia truck accident lawyer with Start & Stark may be able to help you. If a negligent truck driver or truck company caused the crash, you have the right to seek compensation for your injuries, medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages.

Call Stark & Stark today to schedule your free legal consultation and to learn more about your rights and options.

Click here to contact a lawyer

Philadelphia Truck Accident Guide

Philadelphia Truck Accidents: What You Need to Know
Common Injuries in Philadelphia Truck Accidents
Financial Toxicity After a Truck Crash
Why Philadelphia Truck Accidents Happen
Pursuing Compensation After a Truck Accident in Philadelphia
Pitfalls of Negotiating a Truck Accident Claim Without a Lawyer
How a Philadelphia Truck Accident Law Firm Can Help You
Why Choose Stark & Stark for Your Philadelphia Truck Accident Case?
Call Stark & Stark Today for Help with Your Philadelphia Truck Accident Case

Philadelphia Truck Accidents: What You Need to Know

Statistics from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation indicate that there were 166,833 truck crashes in the United States in one recent year. Of those crashes, 7,522 occurred in Pennsylvania, 145 of which resulted in fatalities and hundreds more injuries. In fact, Pennsylvania ranked fourth in the nation for truck accidents, behind Texas, California, and Florida.

Common Injuries in Philadelphia Truck Accidents

Truck crashes generate violent forces that often leave survivors with life-altering injuries. Some of the injuries commonly associated with truck accidents include:

Traumatic brain injuries (TBI): Collisions can cause devastating head injuries, leading to long-term cognitive, physical, or emotional impairments. Traumatic brain injuries, concussions, and other serious head injuries often result from violent impacts or flying debris during a crash.
Spinal cord injuries: High-impact crashes can easily damage the spinal cord, causing partial or complete paralysis. These injuries drastically change a person’s ability to live independently, requiring extensive medical care and rehabilitation.
Broken bones and fractures: The force of a truck collision can shatter bones, leaving victims with painful fractures that may require surgery, physical therapy, and months of recovery.
Internal injuries: The blunt force of a crash often damages internal organs, such as the liver, spleen, or lungs, leading to potentially life-threatening complications. Internal injuries can go unnoticed unless you receive prompt medical attention after a truck accident.
Burns and disfigurement: Fires or explosions during truck accidents can cause severe burns and permanent scarring, leaving both physical and emotional scars.
Whiplash and soft tissue injuries: Even seemingly minor crashes can strain or tear muscles, ligaments, and tendons, resulting in chronic pain or limited mobility.

Financial Toxicity After a Truck Crash

Most injured truck accident victims suffer financial toxicity, a condition associated with the economic strain resulting from high medical costs, loss of income, and other financial burdens following a serious injury or illness. This economic hardship often leads to significantly longer recovery times, reduced quality of life, increased emotional stress, depression, and post-traumatic stress.

Research indicates that individuals suffering from financial toxicity are likely to experience worse physical and emotional outcomes in the long term. In truck accident claims, financial toxicity can play a role in determining compensation, as it underscores the profound and lasting impact that injury-related costs can have on an individual’s overall well-being and economic stability.

If you’ve been injured in a truck accident, an experienced Philadelphia truck accident attorney can work with you to determine the full extent of your damages and losses.

Why Philadelphia Truck Accidents Happen

The vast majority of truck accidents are not a fluke. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) lists truck driver error as the leading cause of truck accidents. Collisions involving tractor-trailers and other big rigs often happen because a truck driver or company was negligent in some capacity. Forms of negligence that may result in truck accidents include the following:

Speeding: Excess speed or driving too fast in poor weather or construction zones is a top cause of commercial vehicle accidents.
Drunk driving or impaired driving: Driving a fully loaded 80,000-pound truck under the influence of alcohol or drugs is one of the deadliest behaviors any truck driver can engage in. You should report any commercial trucks you see that are dangerously swerving.
Drowsy driving: Truck companies should ensure their drivers have adequate rest breaks so they are as alert as possible. Fatigued driving remains a serious problem despite Federal Hours of Service (HOS) rules that attempt to limit driving hours for commercial truck drivers.
Distracted driving: A three-year study from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration found that thousands of truck accidents every year are caused by driver distractions.
Improperly maintained vehicles: It is the truck company’s responsibility to ensure their fleet is regularly inspected.
Vehicle defects: In Pennsylvania, the majority of truck accidents caused by vehicle failures are due to defective tires, wheels, or brakes.
Failure to properly secure cargo: If objects fly off a truck bed, they may obscure the views of other drivers.
Reckless driving: Excessive speed, tailgating, and failure to obey traffic signals can lead to deadly truck accidents.
Improperly trained drivers: Truck companies should ensure all of their drivers have the proper licenses and skills to navigate tractor-trailers safely.

If a truck accident in Philadelphia has turned your life upside down, the experienced truck accident lawyers at Stark & Stark are ready to help. Our dedicated team understands the challenges you face and will fight tirelessly for the compensation you deserve.

Pursuing Compensation After a Truck Accident in Philadelphia

The difficulties you may face after a Philadelphia truck accident will vary depending on the severity of your injuries. If your injuries are severe, they will likely require costly medical treatment you may not be prepared to pay for. You may also be unable to return to work while you recover.

You may not have to absorb the costs of these losses if your accident was the result of a negligent truck driver or truck company. Pennsylvania is a no-fault state, which means you first seek compensation after a car accident by filing a claim with your own insurance provider. However, if another driver was at fault, you may be able to file a truck accident lawsuit against the negligent party in order to recover additional compensation for your losses.

Here’s a look at some of the economic and non-economic damages truck accident victims often seek in a claim or truck accident lawsuit:

Medical expenses: Covers costs for hospital stays, surgeries, rehabilitation, medications, and future medical care related to your injuries.
Lost wages and earning capacity: Compensates for income lost due to injuries and any future reduction in earning potential.
Pain and suffering: Addresses physical pain and emotional distress caused by the accident and its aftermath.
Loss of consortium and companionship: Provides compensation for the loss of companionship, affection, or support experienced by your spouse or family members due to your injuries.
Property damage: Reimburses the costs of repairing or replacing your vehicle and other damaged property.
Loss of enjoyment of life: Compensates for the diminished ability to participate in activities, hobbies, or personal relationships.
If you tragically lost a loved one in a Philadelphia truck accident, you may qualify to file a wrongful death lawsuit. Our wrongful death lawyers can walk you through the process of pursuing compensation for loss of support, funeral expenses, and more.

An experienced Philadelphia truck accident attorney will thoroughly evaluate all of your damages, helping you obtain the compensation you deserve to recover and move forward after the accident.

Pitfalls of Negotiating a Truck Accident Claim Without a Lawyer

Trying to negotiate with an insurance company on your own after a truck accident can put you at an immense disadvantage. Insurance adjusters are trained to minimize payouts, using tactics such as offering low settlements, undervaluing damages, delaying claims, or disputing liability.

Stark & Stark’s team of Philadelphia truck accident attorneys will accurately calculate your damages, accounting for all your damages, including future medical expenses, lost earning capacity, and non-economic losses like pain and suffering.

Insurance companies may also pressure you to accept an offer before you know the full extent of your injuries. Hiring a skilled Philadelphia personal injury lawyer protects your rights, levels the playing field, and ensures you pursue the compensation you truly deserve.

How a Philadelphia Truck Accident Law Firm Can Help You

If you’ve been involved in a truck accident, navigating the legal, medical, and financial aftermath can be overwhelming, stressful, and confusing. At Stark & Stark, we are here to lift the legal burdens from you while providing compassionate guidance and powerful advocacy. Here’s how we can help:

Investigate the Truck Accident

Proving another driver or company’s negligence is crucial to your case. Our attorneys spearhead comprehensive investigations, securing key evidence like accident reports, camera footage, and witness statements. With meticulous attention to detail, we build a compelling case designed to maximize your compensation.

File a Truck Accident Claim or Lawsuit

Filing a claim can be time-consuming and stressful, especially when you’re focused on recovering from serious injuries. Our team handles every aspect of the claims process—from meeting deadlines to filing paperwork—so you can prioritize your health while we fight for your rights.

Negotiate With the Truck Company’s Insurers

Insurance companies often try to minimize payouts, but we won’t let that happen. While no lawyer can guarantee specific results, our attorneys are committed to aggressively advocating for every dollar you deserve, accounting for all your financial and emotional losses in negotiations.

Represent You in Trial

Our primary goal is to resolve your case fairly and efficiently. However, if the at-fault party’s insurance company refuses to offer you a fair settlement, our trial-tested attorneys are prepared to take your case to court. We’ll stand by your side, presenting a strong argument in an attempt to secure the compensation you deserve.

Why Choose Stark & Stark for Your Philadelphia Truck Accident Case?

Selecting the right legal representation for your truck accident claim is a tremendously important task, and one that you should not take lightly. At Stark & Stark, we understand how much you have at stake, which is why we strive for 100% client satisfaction in everything we do. Your case is a responsibility we take to heart.

For nearly a century, Stark & Stark has delivered results for accident victims across Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Our team has a long and proven history of obtaining life-changing settlements and verdicts, and we’re ready to bring the same tenacity to your case.

When you partner with Stark & Stark, we provide:

A Proven Track Record of Success: With nearly a century of experience, our firm has secured multi-million-dollar settlements and verdicts for accident victims, showcasing our ability to deliver results.
Trial-Ready Lawyers: While most cases settle out of court, our attorneys are fully prepared to take your case to trial, giving us leverage to settle your case efficiently and fairly.
No Upfront Costs – Contingency Fee Basis: You pay nothing unless we win your case, allowing you to pursue justice without financial stress.
Dedicated to Client Satisfaction: Our attorneys prioritize communication and compassion, ensuring you feel supported and informed throughout the legal process.
Comprehensive Legal Services: From investigating the accident to negotiating with insurers and representing you in court, we handle every aspect of your case so you can focus on recovery.
In-Depth Knowledge of Truck Accident Cases: Our team understands how to negotiate and litigate complex truck accident claims, navigating trucking regulations, liability issues, and insurance issues unique to these cases. Many of our personal injury cases come to us from other law firms.
Recognized Excellence in Pennsylvania and New Jersey: With decades of service across the region, our reputation for ethical, effective advocacy is widely recognized.

Call Stark & Stark Today for Help with Your Philadelphia Truck Accident Case

If a negligent truck driver has injured you or a loved one, call Stark & Stark today. The sooner you seek legal help, the better you are positioned to receive all of the compensation you deserve.

Our goal is to restore you to being as whole again as possible. We know that nothing can undo all your injuries, pain and suffering, and losses, but full and fair compensation can give you the resources and power you need to focus on your recovery and moving forward.

Call our local offices today at (267) 907-9600 or contact us online to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation with a Stark & Stark Philadelphia truck accident lawyer.