Truck Underride Accidents
When a smaller passenger vehicle slides under the trailer of a commercial truck, it is referred to as an underride crash. These are accidents that may result in very severe injuries and possibly death by decapitation because the tops of automobiles are often ripped completely off.
Some of the most common reasons these types of collisions occur in Pennsylvania include:
- Truck’s taillights were dirty, defective, or not turned on
- Truck driver did not activate emergency flashers when moving very slowly or stopped
- Rear bumper of protective guard was missing or not properly installed
- Reflective triangles or warning cones were not put out to warn other motorists that truck was broken down or parked on side of highway
- Truck backed into passenger vehicle
- Damaged or missing reflective tape
An underride crash may involve an automobile going under the back or the side of a trailer. Even when victims do survive these accidents, they may sustain serious head, neck, or back injuries that require several months or even years of rehabilitation and result in overwhelming medical bills. Additionally, these injuries prevent people from being able to return to the jobs they once held or possibly even regaining any employment at all.
Depending on the specific violations that led to the collision, there could be multiple parties at fault. The driver of the commercial truck may be to blame if his or her negligence caused the crash. The companies that hired and employed the drivers could also be liable in Pennsylvania, and the companies that own the trucks or trailers may also be responsible if they failed to maintain their equipment with the necessary safeguards.
The lawyers and insurance companies behind negligent truck drivers and the vehicles they are operating will aggressively attempt to avoid having victims file any lawsuits. This means that they will typically offer seemingly generous lump sum settlements in which injured parties effectively sign away their rights to take legal action. These amounts are usually much less than what people are actually entitled to and they rarely include enough to cover the costs of future medical bills or lost work.
The Pennsylvania underride accident lawyers at Ciccarelli Law Offices fight to get commercial truck crash victims the compensation they need and deserve. Our firm provides legal services on a contingency fee basis so clients pay nothing unless we get them a monetary award, and our experienced West Chester attorneys work as a team to thoroughly investigate accident scenes and develop the strongest case possible.
Contact Our PA Personal Injury Lawyers
We are a team of Pennsylvania Personal Injury Lawyers our main offices located in West Chester, Chester County Pennsylvania and serving clients throughout the greater Philadelphia Metro Area including Lancaster County, Berks County, Bucks County, Delaware County and Montgomery County. If your family has been victimized by the negligence of another and you are seeking a free initial consult on you rights and possible claims, it is crucial you speak to an experienced Pennsylvania Injury lawyers in order to ensure your rights are protected and to review all of your legal options with you.
The Injury attorneys of Ciccarelli Law Offices have successfully represented individuals throughout the state of Pennsylvania that have been injured in accidents. Our Chester County based law firm is based at 304 North High Street, West Chester PA 19380 and serves clients throughout Pennsylvania including but not limited to in Kennett Square, Downingtown, West Chester, Coatesville, Exton, Chester Springs, Chadds Ford, Landenberg, Lancaster, Media, Harrisburg, Reading, Philadelphia, Honey Brook, Oxford, Malvern, Parkesburg, Phoenixville and Paoli. Contact us now at (610) 692-8700 or call toll free (877) 529-2422. Don’t wait—contact an attorney immediately.