Side-impact collisions cause a substantial percentage of fatal accidents, and the percentage is even higher when one of the involved vehicles is a truck. People who survive these accidents often suffer devastating injuries.
Contact the attorneys at Soloff & Zervanos when you or your loved one are in a side-impact truck accident in Philadelphia. Our skilled and experienced attorneys could help ensure you receive fair compensation for your injuries.
Side-impact or T-bone truck crashes often occur in intersections in Philadelphia. One vehicle might blow through a light or stop sign or fail to yield the right of way to an oncoming vehicle. Side impact collisions sometimes happen when a vehicle is exiting a parking lot or driveway and does not see oncoming traffic.
The sides of a passenger vehicle offer the least protection. When a truck crashes into the side of a car or passenger truck, the vehicle could be totaled, even at low speeds. Passengers could be killed or suffer severe harm.
When a passenger vehicle crashes into the side of a truck, the smaller vehicle could slide under the truck, causing an underride crash. If it hits the truck near an axle, the passenger vehicle cannot slide under the truck, but its front end might pancake. In either case, occupants of the smaller vehicle could be killed or sustain life-threatening and life-altering injuries.
When a truck hits the side of a passenger vehicle, pieces of the sidewall could penetrate an occupant’s torso, causing severe bleeding and damage to the internal organs. Traumatic amputations sometimes occur. The force of the collision could cause fractures, injuries to the face, head, and neck, and spinal cord damage.
In an underride crash, the occupant’s injuries depend on the relative sizes of the two vehicles. If a car slides under the trailer, the car’s roof could be sheared off, and the passengers might suffer severe head injuries and even decapitation.
When a Philadelphia side-impact truck crash is fatal, the deceased person’s family members could sue the trucking company for wrongful death. Someone who survives a side-impact crash with a truck often has a claim against the trucking company. An attorney can review police reports, truck maintenance records, footage from traffic cameras and other sources, the truck’s electronic data recorder, and other information to find evidence that the trucking company’s negligence contributed to the accident.
Trucking companies must compensate people injured in a crash when the truck’s driver caused or contributed to the crash. The company is also responsible when truck maintenance, scheduling, loading, or other factors the company influences have a role in an accident. If the truck driver was speeding, failed to yield, went through a red or yellow light, or missed a stop sign, the trucking company was negligent and owes compensation to anyone who suffered losses in the crash.
When the injured person was the driver at fault in the crash, they may not have a viable claim against the truck driver. However, if the accident was an underride crash, the trucking company might be liable if the truck’s trailer did not have lights or other visibility aids or if it was not equipped with side guards to prevent underrides. If the truck had side guards but they failed or were insufficient to prevent an underride, the side guard manufacturer might be liable. A Philadelphia attorney would investigate all potential sources of compensation for a driver injured in a T-bone truck wreck.
When an injured person is partially at fault in a crash, 42 Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes § 7102 limits how much they can collect in a lawsuit. The losses they can collect will be reduced by a percentage equal to their share of the fault for the accident.
Do not try to handle a claim for side impact truck accidents in Philadelphia without professional help. Pursuing compensation for a truck accident can be complicated, and you need to work with a legal professional who has experience handling these matters.
The lawyers at Soloff & Zervanos know how to investigate truck crash claims and hold the negligent parties accountable. Talk to our knowledgeable legal team today.