Any road traffic accident can have catastrophic consequences but incidents involving trailer-trucks are particularly serious. Fortunately, truck accident lawyers in Allentown can protect your rights and help you to claim compensation if you’re involved in a collision in Pennsylvania.
According to recent statistics, more than 7,600 ‘heavy trucks’ are involved in accidents each year in PA. Due to this, there are tens of thousands of people that are eligible to claim compensation following truck accidents in the state. However, many people are unaware of their eligibility or are unsure how to go about making a claim.
Are You Eligible to Take Legal Action?
If you’ve been involved in a truck accident and someone else was partially responsible, there’s a good chance you’ll be able to take legal action against them. Their level of responsibility will be apportioned when your compensation is calculated. If another driver was behaving recklessly and drove on the wrong side of the road and collided with your vehicle, for example, they’re likely to be held 100% responsible for the incident.
However, if both you and another driver made an error and a collision occurred, you’ll both be held accountable. Although you may receive less compensation if you were partly responsible for the incident, it can still be worth making a claim. Furthermore, working with a truck accident lawyer will ensure that you can protect your rights and prevent anyone from claiming you were solely responsible for the collision.
What Injuries Can You Claim for?
You can typically claim for any type of injuries following a collision, although you may have to provide medical evidence as part of your claim. As tractor-trailers weigh approximately 35,000 pounds when empty and up to 80,000 pounds when fully loaded, any truck accident can cause people to sustain very serious or life-changing injuries. As a result, people often claim for head injuries, broken bones, internal injuries, spinal damage and loss of limbs when they’re taking legal action following a truck accident.
How Much Compensation Can You Claim?
The amount of compensation you’re awarded following a truck accident depends on a number of factors, including your own level of responsibility, the nature of your injuries and the impact they will have on your life. Generally, personal injury claims can include compensation for medical costs, loss of wages, physical rehabilitation, long-term care, reduced quality of life, loss of future earnings and pain and suffering. However, if the person or people responsible for the incident were behaving negligently, your claim could also include punitive damages.
It’s not unusual for truck accident claims to result in compensation payouts of millions of dollars, which is why it’s important to seek advice from an experienced lawyer as soon as possible.
Get Your Compensation Claim Underway
The sooner you submit your claim, the sooner you can receive compensation, which means it’s usually best to get legal advice as soon as possible following accident. With an attorney working on your behalf, you can focus on recovering from the ordeal while your legal team strive to get you the compensation you’re entitled to.
