Due to their enormous size, semi-trailer trucks like 18-wheelers are surrounded by multiple “blind spots,” or areas where other drivers are blocked from the trucker’s view. Being in another vehicle’s blind spot can be extremely dangerous, particularly when that vehicle is as heavy and powerful as a tractor-trailer. If you or one of your family members was hit by a truck in a blind spot accident, or if you lost a loved one in a fatal trucking accident, turn to the Philadelphia injury law firm of The Reiff Law Firm for 24-hour assistance handling your claim.
At The Reiff Law Firm, we are award-winning attorneys with more than 40 years of experience recovering hundreds of millions of dollars in complex accident and injury lawsuits. We have dedicated a substantial portion or our practice specifically to truck accident cases, establishing a proven track record and earning a reputation for powerful client advocacy. If you were hurt in a collision with a truck in Pennsylvania, our 18-wheeler accident lawyers can pursue monetary compensation aggressively. For a free consultation, contact us online today, or call The Reiff Law Firm at (215) 709-6940.
Philadelphia Truck Accident Statistics
Each year, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) publishes a statistical report, titled “Pennsylvania Crash Facts and Statistics,” with detailed information on that year’s auto accidents, injuries, and fatalities. According to the 2017 report, which is the most recent version currently available, there were more than 6,800 heavy truck crashes in Pennsylvania, with most occurring on interstates and other state highways. Local roads accounted for a smaller number of truck accidents, followed by turnpikes.
Despite accounting for just 5.3% of all crashes in Pennsylvania, truck crashes also accounted for a disproportionate number of deaths, making up 13.4% of the state’s fatal accidents along with nearly 5% of its injury crashes. Of the 155 heavy truck fatalities reported, “In 2017, only 2.4% of crash fatalities involved heavy truck occupants.” This statistic attests to how dangerous truck crashes are for the occupants of other vehicles, which are much smaller and lighter than 18-wheelers, and therefore more prone to sustaining serious damage.
Who Is at Fault for Blind Spot Accidents in Pennsylvania?
Fault for truck accidents is determined on a case-by-case basis. However, there are many scenarios in which truck drivers may be considered liable for causing crashes. Simply arguing that you were in the his or her blind spot does not relieve the truck driver of his or her responsibility to drive safely. With decades of experience handling personal injury and wrongful death claims involving semi-trailers, our truck accident lawyers will use our resources to investigate the crash to the fullest extent and determine liability. In addition to the individual driver, the trucking company that employed them may also be partially at fault.
While the specifics of each case vary, there are four main facts or elements that must be proven to obtain compensation in a truck accident lawsuit:
- The truck driver owed a duty of care to others on the road, like other drivers.
- The truck driver breached that duty by taking a careless or reckless action that did not meet normal standards.
- The truck driver’s actions (or failures to act) caused your crash to occur. In other words, if not for the driver’s conduct, the accident would not have happened.
- You suffered damages as a result of the blind spot accident. Examples of “damages” include injuries and financial losses, such as medical bills.
Common Injuries from Blind Spot Truck Accidents
If a trucker or trucking company fails to take adequate measures against collisions, another driver (or their passengers) can be seriously injured or killed in a blind spot accident. Motorcyclists are at even greater risk due to the fact that they lack seatbelts, airbags, or protective walls. However, even the sturdiest car, SUV, or passenger truck is likely to sustain severe damage, since the average passenger vehicle weighs only a few thousand pounds compared to tens of thousands of pounds for the average semi-trailer.
Sadly, wrongful death and traumatic injuries are common outcomes in blind spot collisions between 18-wheelers and other vehicles. Types of injuries that can result from an accident with a truck include:
- Amputation injuries or the loss of fingers/toes
- Back injuries, sometimes resulting in chronic pain
- Crush injuries from being trapped or pinned by wreckage
- Deep cuts and lacerations
- Facial injuries, such as broken noses
- Fractures
- Permanent scarring and disfigurement
- Severe bruising and contusions, sometimes down to the bone
- Severe road rash injuries
- Spinal cord injury (SCI) and paralysis
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
- Whiplash and other soft tissue injuries
Philadelphia Blind Spot Truck Accident Attorneys Ready to File Your Injury Claim
If the recklessness or negligence of a commercial driver or trucking company caused your blind spot accident, you may be entitled to financial compensation. Compensation may be available for your pain and suffering, your medical expenses, the earnings you have lost, and other damages you have suffered as a result of the crash. To talk about your legal options confidentially in a free legal consultation, contact The Reiff Law Firm online, or call our law offices today at (215) 709-6940.
