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If you’ve been injured in a bus crash in Pennsylvania, it is important to make sure you have a clear understanding of your legal rights. Bus crash victims are entitled to financial compensation in many cases, but recovering the financial compensation they deserve requires an in-depth understanding of the laws that apply.
A recent snowstorm caused a United States Senator to endure a twenty-seven (27) hour commute from his home in Virginia to the U.S. Capital. He was one of hundreds of drivers trapped in freezing temperatures on a 50-mile stretch of I-95 following a multi-vehicle crash, which brought traffic to a standstill. Could you survive such an ordeal? Here are some simple tips to help you comfortably wait for traffic to start moving again or for help to arrive. Pack a Bag If you must travel during a snowstorm, it is important that you are prepared. In winter, always keep some snacks, such as granola bars, and bottled water in your car. If traveling with children or pets, be sure to keep food and supplies for them, too. Bringing essentials such as food, water, and a charged cell phone can make a huge difference if you find yourself stuck on the road. Beyond these essentials, it would also be helpful to bring survival gear such as blankets, winter garments, boots, sleeping bags, flares, medications, a first-aid kit, a shovel, an ice scraper, jumper cables, and a full tank of gas. Stay Warm If you find yourself stuck on the road during a snowstorm you should not leave your car. Your car is the safest place to be until the storm subsides. It will always be colder outside your car than the air temperature within. Don’t leave your car unless help or assistance is within a short distanced of your vehicle Focus […]
As personal injury attorneys, this most recent snow storm, reminds us again of the dangers of snow and ice flying off the back of moving vehicles. The dash-cam video below shows how this dangerous this driving hazard can be.
If you have been injured by a commercial truck driver contact us online or call Drake, Hileman & Davis, PC at 888-777-7098 to discuss your rights and options under the law. An experienced Easton truck accident attorney can help you through the entire legal process and work to get you the compensation you deserve. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has issued a report, Weather and Climate Impacts on Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety, on commercial truck driving in winter conditions. According to the report: Heavy snow causes delays, road closures, loss of traction, loss of visibility and other truck driver control problems. Surface temperatures on bridges and ramps cool more rapidly than the surrounding roadbeds, producing hazardous local icing conditions that can result in crashes, fatalities, and property damage. Black ice and light frozen precipitation glazes roads as temperatures fall over a short period, which causes vehicles to lose traction. Winter conditions also place additional stress on commercial truck components, such as the cooling system, defrosting and heating equipment, wipers and washers, tires and chains, windows and mirrors, handholds and deck plates, radiator shutters and exhaust systems. Many states have imposed special laws on tucker drivers to help deal with winter conditions, such as requiring commercial trucks to carry and use tire chains as snow conditions warrant. Midwestern and northeastern states are particularly susceptible to sever winter conditions and truckers using roads in these states must act responsibly to protect themselves and other drivers. Safety Steps for Commercial Truck […]
On behalf of Peter Hileman of Drake, Hileman & Davis, P.C. posted inCommercial Vehicle Accidents on Friday, October 28, 2016. Taxi accidents occur all over America, and Bucks County is no exception. People use taxis because they are a convenient one-phone-call solution to their transportation needs. With this in mind, taxi companies offer residents a valuable service while also providing employment opportunities for many individuals. It is probably safe to assume that most taxi drivers are responsible, cautious individuals, but this does not automatically guarantee an accident-free ride. Like other commercial vehicle accident victims, those who have been injured in a taxi accident may face many complications when seeking compensation. For example, who is the responsible party — the driver of the cab or the taxi company? What happens if the driver of another car is actually the person who caused the accident? What if the manufacturer of the taxi cab is the true responsible party? Our personal injury attorneys have handled many taxi accident cases and want to let you know that having legal assistance is important in emerging from your ordeal with the compensation you deserve. We are knowledgeable about the laws that govern common carrier and commercial vehicle accidents and can identify the responsible party or parties. We seek to help you win the maximum compensation allowed by the law. Whether your taxi accident was caused by reckless driving, poor taxi maintenance or irresponsible company operating procedures, you have options for relief at your disposal. We have […]
Truck accidents are often devastating and can be caused by a number of factors, including fatigue, intoxication and illness. Getting into an accident involving a large commercial truck is probably one of the most terrifying types of automobile accidents someone would ever face. Because of the size and speed of semi-trucks, they can cause devastating injuries and worse. Usually, the occupants of the smaller vehicle are the ones bearing the brunt of the injuries in a crash like this. Trucking accidents are also not rare: There were 166 fatalities related to large truck accidents in Pennsylvania in 2012, says the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Today’s many commercial industries mean that a large number of trucks can be sharing the state’s roadways at any time. According to Insurance News Net, each year about 100,000 people are seriously injured and more than 4,000 killed across the country in truck crashes. These accidents have markedly increased since 2009. Common reasons for truck accidents State Farm reports driver fatigue as one of the most common ways for a truck driver to cause a crash, and it’s no surprise: The trucking industry is known for its long hours, with truck drivers driving as many as 82 hours in a week. There are, of course, other factors that can contribute to an accident. These include: Driving under the influence of alcohol, medications or illegal substances. Improper load distribution or vehicle problems. Poor weather or road conditions. Speeding or careless driving. Distracted driving, including texting or […]
On behalf of Peter Hileman of Drake, Hileman & Davis, P.C. posted in Commercial Vehicle Accidents on Friday, July 29, 2016. Looking at accident statistics on a yearly basis can help you see trends and understand if the roads are getting safer or not, but yearly stats don’t always tell the whole story. It can be more helpful to look at long-term changes to avoid being influenced by outlier statistics. Fortunately, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration put together the “Pocket Guide to Large Truck and Bus Statistics” to help do just that. In 2002, there were 38,309 vehicles involved in fatal car accidents. Out of those, 4,183 were large trucks. There were also 1,929,000 vehicles involved in accidents that resulted in injuries, and large trucks accounted for 90,000 of them. Finally, there were 4,348,000 vehicles involved in accidents that merely resulted in property damage, and just 322,000 of them were large trucks. This clearly shows that large trucks are most likely to cause fatalities. Just 4.6 percent of injury crashes involved these vehicles, and just 7.4 percent of the cars in property damage accidents were trucks. However, 10.9 percent of the deadly accidents involved large trucks. You can then jump forward to 2011, almost a decade later. That year, 29,757 vehicles were involved in deadly accidents, including 3,341 large trucks (11.2 percent). 1,530,000 vehicles were involved in injury accidents, including 60,000 large trucks (3.9 percent). 3,778,000 vehicles were in property damage accidents, and 210,000 of them were large trucks (5.6 […]
By Drake Hileman of Drake, Hileman & Davis, P.C. posted in Commercial Vehicle Accidents on Friday, May 23, 2014. A Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, woman is suing a delivery truck driver and his employers for their role in a commercial vehicle accident. Attorneys representing the woman allege that both parties are responsible for causing a chain reaction car accident with a delivery truck. The lawsuit, which was filed at the U.S. District Court of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, says that on May 9, 2012, the defendant driver engaged in negligent behavior by speeding and not having proper control of his vehicle when he slammed into a car that was stopped at a red light. The suit also alleges that the owner of the company bears some liability for the accident due to his employment of the driver. According to the plaintiff’s complaint, the force of the crash began a chain reaction of other cars smashing into each other until the impetus of the crash finally ended with a car being driven into the rear of her Honda CRV. The plaintiff and her daughter were injured. The series of collision took place on Main Street in Darby, Pennsylvania. Although the plaintiff is seeking damages totaling more than $150,000 for the commercial vehicle accident, she says that her daughter also suffered injuries in the crash that may affect her quality of life well into the future. The plaintiff says that she received permanent injuries to her back and spine. Additionally, the plaintiff states that […]
On behalf of Peter Hileman of Drake, Hileman & Davis, P.C. posted in Commercial Vehicle Accidents on Wednesday, October 7, 2015. Studies have shown that the majority of Americans are willing to drive when they’re tired. When the National Sleep Foundation asked people in 2005 if they drove when they were currently feeling drowsy, a full 60 percent claimed they done it in just the past 12 months. At the time, that meant around 168 million people had driven when they were feeling tired. On top of that, the study found that 37 percent of those asked, or 103 million people, had even been so tired they’d nodded off, falling asleep at the wheel. About 13 percent had not only done this in the previous year, but continued to do it each month. This is a huge issue because one of the biggest reasons that commercial drivers are involved in accidents is because they’re too tired. The industry has set regulations for how often drivers can be on the job and how many hours they can work, but not all drivers follow these regulations. Additionally, some drivers are worried to tell their employers that they can’t drive because they’re too tired. They may have been threatened with termination if they don’t keep working. Therefore, some drivers will stay on the road even when they don’t want to, when they know that it isn’t safe, just because they feel they have to risk their own lives—and the lives of other drivers—in order […]
On behalf of Peter Hileman of Drake, Hileman & Davis, P.C. posted in Commercial Vehicle Accidents on Thursday, August 20, 2015. In case you haven’t heard by now, ride-sharing services are giving traditional taxicab companies a run for their money. High-tech firms like Uber and Lyft provide customers with similar point-to-point transportation services at a substantially reduced price. In fact, Lyft says that its services costs as much as 30 percent less than traditional taxicab fares. The problem that originates after an accident involving one of these vehicles is at the heart of how ride-sharing works in general. Typically, drivers for these services are considered independent contractors who work indirectly for their parent companies. These drivers operate their own vehicles and use proprietary software apps — usually via their smart phones — to put them in touch with potential customers. Those customers are also linked to the parent company through that same software program. A customer merely needs to open an app on their phone and request a driver to a specific location. Then the parent ride-sharing company retrieves the customer’s electronic payment information and routes an available driver to the customer’s location. The ride-sharing parent company later splits a share of that profit with the driver. Although this technology is relatively new, there has already been precedent set with regards to accidents and which party should incur liability. In one 2013 case, Uber has since tentatively settled a wrongful death lawsuit brought by family of a 6-year-old girl who had […]
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