Truck Accident Claims

Philadelphia and Allentown, Pennsylvania and New Jersey

Tractor-trailers are a common sight on the highways of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. With almost 70% of the nation’s commercial freight being delivered by trucks, the trucking business is one of our largest and most competitive industries.

Unfortunately, this competition often leads companies to place pressure on their drivers, sometimes imposing unrealistic schedules in the name of making a quick delivery. In order to meet these high demands, many truck drivers operate their vehicles under dangerous circumstances, making 18-wheelers a growing threat to other motorists on the road.

Why Truck Accidents Happen

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), someone is killed or seriously injured in a large commercial truck accident every 16 minutes. If this statistic is unsettling, the most frustrating part is that in many cases, these truck accidents are preventable.

Some of the most common causes of truck accidents include:

• Driver fatigue
• Defective vehicle parts
• Speeding and/or reckless driving
• Drug use
• Oversized or improperly-secured loads

Out of these, the single most common reason for commercial truck collisions is driver fatigue. Many trucking companies pay their drivers by the mile, encouraging them to make deliveries as quickly as possible in order to maximize their paycheck. In an attempt to counteract driver fatigue, federal law limits the amount of consecutive hours a truck driver can operate their vehicle in a day, requiring drivers to take mandated rest breaks between long shifts.

Unfortunately, drivers will often shorten their rest breaks and falsify their driving logs in order to spend more time on the road each day. When sleep deprivation becomes a problem, some drivers will even resort to using drugs such as methamphetamines (speed) to stay awake.

Trucking Companies Are Prepared for Accidents: Are You?

When a truck accident occurs, trucking companies will immediately send their own set of representatives, lawyers, and investigators out to the scene of the accident with the goal of collecting evidence, interviewing witnesses, and taking possession of the truck’s data records. Because of this, it is crucial that you know how to protect yourself legally after a truck accident. If you do not quickly obtain representation of your own, you could lose access to the evidence needed to pursue your case.

The experienced truck accident lawyers in Pennsylvania at Wapner, Newman, Wigrizer, Brecher & Miller know the trucking industry inside and out. Our firm’s reputation and results speak for us. We are prepared for the various tactics trucking companies will use to minimize the amount of compensation you are paid for your injuries.

If you have been seriously hurt in a truck accident, or if one of your loved ones has been killed, make sure you are receiving the compensation you deserve. Contact us our Philadelphia truck accident attorneys today to schedule a free initial consultation.

Wapner, Newman, Wigrizer, Brecher & Miller serves truck accident victims throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey, with offices in Philadelphia, West Conshohocken, Allentown, and Marlton.