Truck vs. Car Accidents in Doylestown

May 1, 2020
dhdlaw

Truck accidents typically involve a motor vehicle crash with a “big rig,” semi-truck, tractor-trailer or some other commercial vehicle. There are many differences between truck accidents and car accidents. For instance, there are a lot more car accidents than truck accidents. More than 7.2 million car accidents occur in the U.S. every year, but less than 300,000 truck accidents occur yearly. To put that into perspective, that means hundreds of truck accidents take place every day in the U.S. 

While truck accidents occur less often than car accidents every year, they pack a larger punch. Commercial truck accidents account for 287,000 insurance property damage claims and result in more than 77,000 personal injuries and 4,300 deaths in the U.S. each year. This is probably because trucks are much bigger than cars and thus, make a bigger impact.  While the average car weighs between 3,000 and 5,000 pounds, a tractor-trailer can weigh up to 80,000 pounds. Since trucks are so much larger and heavier than cars, truck accidents are much more likely to result in catastrophic injuries and death. If you have been involved in a truck accident, contact our Doylestown accident lawyer today to discuss your legal rights and options.

Another factor that may contribute to the deadliness of truck accidents is that trucks are allowed to carry flammable and hazardous materials – a condition that would certainly make a potential collision more dangerous. Moreover, if cargo isn’t properly secured in a truck, it could break loose in traffic and cause accidents.

Doylestown Truck Accident Cases Are Often More Complex Than Area Car Accident Cases

Whether the accident occurred in Doylestown or any other area, truck accident cases tend to be more complex than car accident cases for a number of reasons. Why? First, trucking is a heavily regulated industry. Both truck drivers and trucking companies are subject to federal regulations governing everything from driver qualifications to truck maintenance requirements, annual inspections and driver hours. Proving that a potentially responsible party violated one or more of these regulations and that the violation caused the accident and your injuries will go a long way in helping you recover the compensation you deserve. That’s why if you or a loved one gets injured in a truck accident, you should hire a Doylestown accident lawyer who has experience handling truck accident cases. An attorney is knowledgeable about the regulations governing truckers and the trucking industry and knows what to look for.  

Second, these accidents often involve catastrophic injuries and multiple potentially responsible parties such as the truck driver, the company that owns the truck, the company that manufactured the truck, the company that loaded the truck, the truck’s brakes manufacturer and the company that maintained the truck. That said, you will need skilled professionals to investigate the cause of the accident and help you identify all potentially responsible parties.

A third factor that makes these cases more complex is that truck accident cases involve much larger damage figures and insurance policies than your typical car accident case.  That’s because the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) requires truck drivers to carry higher amounts of liability insurance than auto drivers typically carry, and commercial trucking companies usually require them to carry at least $1,000,000 in liability insurance coverage.  With that much money at stake, trucking insurance carriers will fight harder and come up with more complicated defenses to avoid paying out.

Consult a Doylestown Accident Lawyer Today

Due to the complexity involved in investigating, evaluating, and litigating a truck accident case, you need to hire an attorney who is experienced in handling these matters.  If you or a loved one is injured in a truck accident in Doylestown, contact an experienced Doylestown accident lawyer at Drake Hileman & Davis today for a free consultation.