There are state and federal regulations that require tractor-trailer trucks to be inspected and maintained on a regular basis.
Interstate 70 in Westmoreland County Pennsylvania was the scene of a four-vehicle crash involving a tractor-trailer and three tri-axle trucks on the Eastbound lanes near the Yukon exit. One of the trucks was carrying coal. The driver of the tractor-trailer was trapped inside the vehicle and first responders to the scene were able to get him out, and Pennsylvania State Police investigated possible causes for the crash. A truck accident attorney understands the implications of negligence that surround unsecured cargo loads and can initiate insurance claims to access funds for property damages and medical bills after a crash, or drivers can utilize no fault insurance options in Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania truck accidents
Pennsylvania is among the five states that have the highest number of truck accidents in the United States. Commercial truck company drivers are involved in accidents for a multitude of reasons including time spent on roadways, tight delivery schedules, cargo load mishaps, and driver fatigue to name a few. A skilled personal injury attorney can help sort out any claim for damages arising out of commercial truck accident when unsecured cargo was to blame.
Commercial trucking may fuel violations
Commercial trucking companies are deadline-imposed businesses and sometimes accidents occur due to a driver’s violation of safety laws, such as allowing tired drivers to continue to drive past their hourly restrictions, or because of the weight of overloaded cargo, which may lead it to be unsecured. There are state and federal regulations that require tractor-trailer trucks to be inspected and maintained on a regular basis. Drivers of trucks have imposed hourly restrictions, and size and weight limits based upon cargo are logged and weighed on highways. Truck accident attorneys may use the logs as evidence of negligence in some cases.
Insurance
Federal regulations require tractor-trailer trucks to carry various levels of insurance coverage, based on the transported cargo. The state of Pennsylvania requires a tractor trailer truck to carry a much higher minimum liability insurance policy than a typical automobile. The coverage amount needed depends on what freight is being hauled and where it is going. If drivers never cross state lines, they must get a PA PUC # and have a minimum amount of insurance including general freight at $750,000, oil transport at $1,000,000, Hazmat at $5,000.000, Liability at $300,000 and Cargo Insurance at $5,000 per vehicle. Pennsylvania utilizes the 51% rule, and accident parties can be 50% responsible for an accident and still collect damages in a personal injury claim.
Hire a lawyer
Injuries stemming from truck accidents may expensive property damage and medical bills. Trucking industry laws and regulations can be difficult to understand, but the experienced legal professionals of Scanlon & Wojton Attorneys at Law will guide accident victims through the steps necessary to access damages resulting from a truck accident.
Sources:
https://www.iihs.org/topics/fatality-statistics/detail/state-by-state
https://www.legis.state.pa.us/WU01/LI/LI/CT/HTM/42/00.071.002.000..HTM
https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/safety/data-and-statistics/large-truck-and-bus-crash-facts
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