Motorists who regularly drive on Pennsylvania roads or highways have undoubtedly come across large commercial vehicles such as semi-trucks or tanker trucks driving from place to place. When these vehicles are involved in collisions with passenger vehicles, the damage and injuries that are sustained can be tremendous. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports [1] that there were approximately 95,000 people injured in accidents involving large trucks during 2013, and that of this 95,000, 72 percent were the occupants of vehicles which were not large trucks.
When one considers the fact that large commercial trucks can weigh 20 to 30 times as much as smaller passenger cars, this statistic is not surprising. Thankfully for victims, people who are hurt in accidents involving commercial trucks are often legally entitled to compensation under Pennsylvania law.
Litigating a truck accident case can require significant resources, both in terms of time and money. The reality of the situation is that many truck accident victims simply do not have access to these resources and may not be able to obtain the full value of their claim as a result. Furthermore, trucking companies understand that they operate in a high-risk area, meaning that they often have legal teams at the ready to defend against accident claims. For these reasons, it is extremely important for truck accident victims to retain a law firm with the resources required to adequately represent their interests. Some of the ways in which a Philadelphia truck accident attorney can help are detailed below.
An Attorney Will Thoroughly Investigate Your Claim
Truck accident cases are often contested, meaning that a plaintiff must produce evidence in support of his or her assertion that an accident was the result of negligence. In many instances, obtaining this type of evidence requires significant investigation. An attorney will be able to use the discovery process in order to compel the production of this type of evidence and present in such a way that a court or jury will understand and be responsive. The kinds of evidence that may be relevant to a truck accident case include hours-of-service logbooks, police reports, witness statements, photographic evidence, and any surveillance footage that may have captured the accident taking place.
An Attorney Will Cover Any Up-Front Costs Associated With Litigation
In many truck accident cases, there are significant costs associated with litigating a case. Often, the process of gathering and analyzing evidence takes a significant amount of assistance from support staff. In addition, it may be necessary to consult with trucking industry experts in order to establish to a judge or jury that negligence occurred and caused the accident in which you were involved. Often, these experts can charge hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars per hour. When you retain a lawyer, he or she will pay for these costs and will not pass them through to you unless you recover compensation for your injuries.
The Levin Firm Takes All Of Its Personal Injury Cases On A Contingent Fee Basis
Individuals who are hurt in truck accidents often are worried that they will not be able to retain an attorney because they cannot afford one. At the Levin Firm, we use a contingent fee [2] arrangement with all of our personal injury clients, meaning that they will not be required to pay any legal fees unless we successfully recover on their behalf. If we do recover, any fees owed for legal representation will come directly out of the recovery received, meaning that clients never have to pay out of pocket for legal services. By using this type of arrangement, we can ensure that anyone who needs legal representation is able to obtain it, regardless of their financial circumstances.
Contact A Philadelphia Motor Vehicle Accident Lawyer Today To Retain Legal Representation
The most effective way for an individual who has been hurt in an accident involving a commercial truck to ensure that they receive compensation for their injuries is to retain an experienced attorney as soon as possible. The kinds of losses that victims can recover for include medical expenses, lost income, loss of quality of life, property damage, and physical and emotional pain and suffering. In serious cases, the recovery that truck accident victims can obtain can be well into the hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars, so it is extremely important for victims to retain an attorney that will aggressively pursue their claim.
Since 2005, the Levin Firm has been helping people injured in truck crashes and other preventable accidents. To schedule a free consultation with Philadelphia car accident lawyer Gabriel Levin, call our office today at 877-825-8542 or send us an email through our online contact form.
- http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/812150.pdf
- http://www.americanbar.org/groups/public_education/resources/
law_issues_for_consumers/lawyerfees_contingent.html