Philadelphia Car Accident Lawyer
Car accidents are so commonplace that most people you know have likely experienced an accident at some point. The outcome of an accident is unforeseeable and uncertain. Some accidents are extremely severe, while others are minor. After an accident, you need to consult with an experienced attorney. The insurance process can be complicated and frustrating to navigate on your own. If insurance does not cover you, a personal injury lawsuit might be necessary.
If you were involved in a car accident, our team of skilled and experienced lawyers can help. Schedule a free legal consultation with our Philadelphia car accident attorneys at the Reiff Law Firm. Call (215) 709-6940 to get started as soon as possible.
Common Causes of Car Accidents in Pennsylvania
Car wrecks can happen for a variety of reasons. The circumstances of the accident play a significant role in victims’ subsequent injuries. The following are common causes of car wrecks in Pennsylvania and elsewhere.
Distracted Driving
Engaging in other activities while driving—texting, having deep conversation with passengers, changing music stations, eating, drinking, and grooming—is tempting for many people. But drivers must resist the urge to perform other tasks while driving if they want to ensure the safety of themselves and the drivers with whom they share the road. Safe driving requires the full, undivided attention of all drivers on the road.
Speeding
In Pennsylvania, the maximum speed limit is 70 miles per hour, although the speed limit on most highways is between 60 and 65 miles per hour. Driving above the speed limit is dangerous because it gives the speeding driver less control over their vehicle while decreasing their ability to brake if needed. Speeding also gives other drivers on the road less time to react to a speeding vehicle. It’s dangerous for drivers to speed on any type of road, although it is most dangerous on residential roads since they are less suited for high speeds.
Tailgating
When one driver follows the driver in front of them closely, with little space between the two cars, it is known as tailgating. It’s dangerous because the rear driver has a short time to react to the lead driver, creating a high risk of a rear-end collision, which commonly results in whiplash and back injuries for the drivers involved.
Drunk Driving
Alcohol can impair a driver’s vision, cause delayed responses, and generally prevent them from being able to drive safely. To prevent serious car wrecks, drivers should never, under any circumstances, drive a car after they’ve consumed alcohol.
Aggressive Driving
Reckless driving and road rage is cathartic for some drivers. Yet it can impair a driver’s ability to make good decisions and can make drivers more likely to exhibit dangerous driving behaviors such as speeding, tailgating, and ignoring traffic laws.
Traffic Violations
Violating a traffic law can be extremely dangerous. For example, running a red light on this road can result in a serious collision with multiple vehicles due to the high levels of traffic. Other traffic violations that could result in a car accident include:
- Running a stop sign
- Aggressive lane changing
- Ignoring the speed limit in school and residential zones
Severe Weather Conditions
Snowstorms, thunderstorms, thick fog, and flooding all contribute to accidents throughout Pennsylvania. In many cases, severe weather conditions result in an unfortunate, but unpreventable, crash. However, when a driver fails to consider the current weather, their conduct could be regarded as reckless. Sometimes, traveling at the posted speed limit is dangerous when visibility is poor or road conditions are bad. Poor weather could also increase the risk to other drivers when someone drives distracted or carelessly.
Poor Vehicle Maintenance
We hope that every motorist on the road is operating a safe vehicle that is not prone to malfunctioning. However, that would be untrue. Many people fail to properly maintain their vehicle, which could lead to a car accident if their vehicle malfunctions on the road. For example, if a person fails to change overused tires on their vehicle, the tires on the vehicle could blowout and cause a driver to lose control of their vehicle.
There are other common causes of car crashes that are not discussed above.
What to Do After a Car Accident in Philadelphia
Car accidents can be very stressful, and you might not know what to do when one happens. Here is a quick and simple checklist, which we will go into more detail about below.
- Immediately pull your vehicle over.
- Call 911 and get the police and emergency medical responders dispatched to your accident.
- Exchange information with any other drivers.
- While waiting for emergency responders, take photos of the scene, but only if it is safe for you to walk around.
- Once the police arrive, calmly explain what happened.
- Identify any possible eyewitnesses.
- If you do not go to a hospital, see a doctor as soon as possible, even if you do not feel injured.
- Call a car accident lawyer for assistance.
Seek Medical Treatment
Seek medical attention immediately after a car wreck, even if you do not think you have been injured. In some crashes, a victim will not have a choice in this matter. Severe injuries might require an accident victim to remain stationary and wait for medical assistance. However, there are times where the full extent of the damage a victim suffered is not readily apparent. Some back, neck, and soft tissue injuries could take days to develop. Many accident victims also experience an adrenaline rush that masks the physical pain.
If you cannot get to your phone, have a passenger, passerby, or the other driver make the call for you. You cannot take care of your case until you take care of yourself.
If your injuries are serious, you might be taken from the scene by emergency responders. If your injuries are minor, see if you can exit your car and walk about the scene to take pictures of the accident. These photos will be immensely important for insurance purposes and possibly a lawsuit.
If you hesitate to see your doctor following a car crash, you could be jeopardizing your health and any potential personal injury claim. Tracing your injuries back to the accident is a crucial component in a civil lawsuit or insurance settlement. By waiting to seek treatment, you open the door for the defendant or an insurance company to claim that your injuries were not related to the accident. The medical records from your treatment after the crash will be useful when you file a personal injury lawsuit later.
Call the Philadelphia Police
Then, call the police. They will write a police report, which will also be helpful for your lawsuit. While the police report will not necessarily apportion blame for the accident, it will indicate if the other driver received any tickets, such as speeding or driving under the influence. The police will also ensure that medical personnel are sent to the scene of the accident. Be sure to ask how you could obtain a copy of the police report.
Gather Evidence
Next, collect evidence, if you are able to do so. Take photos of the conditions of the road and the damage to property. Photographs are worth a thousand words so take many pictures. In addition to the road conditions, take photos of the position of vehicles and any skid marks. Do not forget to document your injuries either. It is not a bad idea to track your injuries over time. Often bruising and swelling will develop hours or days after the accident.
If you notice surveillance cameras at a nearby storefront, make a mental note to get the footage. If you see anyone passing by on the street, try and get their name and phone number to use them as a witness.
Speak with witnesses if they are around. If possible, record their testimony. The accident will never be fresher in their minds than in the moments immediately following the incident. At the very least, collect their names and contact information. While much of it might appear in the police report, it is not guaranteed. This is especially the case if a witness has to leave before the police arrive.
Document Your Medical Expenses and Records
After the accident, you should keep thorough records of the expenses that you incur as a result of the crash – this can include medical treatment, lost income and/or wages, repairs, physical therapy and/or recovery costs, and any other costs that you think are related to the accident. It is better to have too many records than not have enough. These records will be important for calculating your damages.
Continue to retain documentation relevant to your injury as time goes on, especially medical records. All the relative information you can provide our car accident lawyers will help build your case.
Contact an Experienced Car Accident Lawyer
After a car accident, you should contact an experienced Pennsylvania car accident attorney. Under Pennsylvania’s statute of limitations, you have two years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury claim. If you delay and do not file your case before the deadline, the court will most likely dismiss your claim.
While two years might appear to be a long time, preparing a successful personal injury case takes time. Additionally, vital physical evidence could be lost. While the steps above are a guideline for an accident victim, they are not an exhaustive list of actions that should be taken. In many cases, an attorney will want to have a professional accident investigator review the crash scene, the damaged vehicles, and other evidence to determine what occurred. Furthermore, if there were any surveillance videos available after the accident, a delay in contacting legal help could result in this critical footage being erased.
Witnesses’ memories will also fade over time. To ensure a witnesses’ recollection is as accurate as possible, their testimony or deposition should be taken as soon as possible. An experienced attorney will also work with your healthcare professionals from the very beginning of your treatment. If you allow a gap of months or years between your initial medical treatment and contacting an attorney, it could be significantly more challenging to establish a link between your current condition and the car accident.
Common Injuries in Car Accidents
Many factors will play a role in the severity of injuries a crash victim sustains. For instance, if someone was not wearing a seat belt, they could suffer a more severe injury than they would have if they had been properly restrained. The type of accident will impact the type of injury. A head-on collision will likely cause more serious and life-threatening injuries than a side-swipe accident. A person’s position in the vehicle could also factor into an injury. In a rear-end collision, the severity of neck damage could be influenced by whether the person was looking forward or had their head turned at the time of the crash.
Typically, car accident injuries are categorized into two broad groups: impact and penetrating injuries. Impact injuries are usually caused by the victim’s body hitting the interior of the car. For example, in a side-impact accident, a passenger’s head could strike the passenger-side window, resulting in a concussion or other head injury. Penetrating injuries or wounds are usually cuts and scrapes. Flying debris or shattered glass caused by the collision often causes these injuries. Depending on the forces and objects, penetration injuries could range from superficial cuts to deep piercing wounds.
Some common types of injuries that our Pennsylvania car accident attorneys have seen are listed below.
Soft Tissue Injuries
When a person suffers damage to their body’s connective tissue, such as tendons, ligaments, and muscles, it is commonly called soft tissue damage. Soft tissue injuries are the most common types of injuries resulting from car accidents. These injuries come in a wide variety of forms.
Whiplash occurs when the muscles in the neck and upper back are injured due to a violent or sudden snapping of the neck and head. Car accidents often result in soft tissue damage around the victim’s back, causing muscle sprains, spasms, and sometimes more severe conditions.
Cuts and Scrapes
When vehicles collide, the driver, passengers, and any loose objects are subject to extreme forces. This means that any items inside the car could become projectiles that are thrown around the vehicle’s interior. Potentially dangerous projectiles include cell phones, plastic mugs, eyeglasses, books, bottles, and any other type of object that could be in the car. Additionally, shattered glass from a window, windshield, or rear-view mirror could send shards of glass flying throughout the vehicle. Every one of these items is liable to cause a scrape or laceration.
Head Injuries
Head injuries from car accidents could range from minor bumps to more severe brain damage. An unexpected stop or change in the direction of a vehicle will often result in violent and unnatural movements of the occupants’ heads. While these movements could result in whiplash, they could also injure the head or damage the brain.
Chest Injuries
Chest injuries resulting from car accidents usually take the form of bruises or contusions. However, these injuries could also be more severe, including broken ribs or damage to the internal organs. Drivers will often experience chest injuries in an accident due to their proximity to the steering wheel. However, a passenger could also be thrown forward, smashing their chest into the dashboard. In some cases, chest injuries are caused by the force of restraining devices, such as a seat belt, meant to decrease the chances of a serious injury.
Arm and Leg Injuries
A person’s legs and arms are subject to the same forces that will unexpectedly throw their head around in a car accident. In a side-impact collision, a person’s arms and legs could be thrown against a door or take the full brunt of the crash. A driver’s or passenger’s legs have minimal movement area and could easily become caught or trapped in a vehicle that has been crushed due to the impact of an accident. Depending on the type of accident, a person could suffer broken bones, severe lacerations, or the amputation of one or more of their limbs.
Spinal Injuries
Soft tissue injuries around the back could result in months of pain and discomfort. However, if a victim’s back suffers an injury in a car accident, it could result in spinal or nerve damage. When someone’s spine is injured, they could be facing years of physical therapy or permanent paralysis.
Wrongful Death
Unfortunately, any of the injuries suffered in a car accident could be fatal. When a person is killed in a car accident, their surviving family members or personal estate might be entitled to pursue a wrongful death claim against the at-fault driver.
Compensation Available for Individuals Injured in a Car Accident in Philadelphia
When filing a personal injury lawsuit after a car accident, you will need to prove damages. “Damages” is a legal term that refers to the injuries and losses, both financial and otherwise, encountered by the plaintiff. There are several types of damages that you may claim, each with its own limitations.
Economic Damages
Most damages that car insurance claims will pay are known as “economic damages” because they have a clear monetary value associated with them. The main economic damages that would be included are medical bills, lost wages, property damage, and lost opportunity to earn future income.
Medical Bills
Medical bills for emergency transportation to the hospital, emergency care and surgeries, follow-up appointments with your doctor, and ongoing physical therapy or mental health counseling are all included in the economic damages you can claim in your case. These damages will vary from case to case, depending on what injuries you faced and what kind of care you reasonably needed to treat them.
Lost Wages
Lost wages are also a vital factor in your case. If your injuries are severe enough that you had to miss work, then you and your family could be without economic support when you need it most. If your injuries keep you from going back to work entirely or force you to go on disability, then you could be losing out on significant funds today and for the foreseeable future.
Economic damages can also include other costs and expenses you faced because of the accident, such as vehicle repairs, alternative transportation, childcare during medical appointments, payments for household services, and other damages linked to the crash.
Non-Economic Damages
If one area of damages is called “economic damages,” it makes sense that another is called “non-economic damages.” Where economic damages deal with bills, pay stubs, and other records of how much the damages cost you, non-economic damages pay you for things that do not have a clear monetary paper trail. The most common non-economic damages to claim in a car accident case in Philadelphia are pain and suffering damages. These types of damages can include:
Pain and Suffering
Pain and suffering damages compensate you for the experiences you faced, the physical pain of a bad injury, the emotional distress of the injury, the mental anguish associated with it, and more. One area of pain and suffering damages compensates victims for reduced enjoyment of various activities or an overall loss of enjoyment in their life. When injuries are especially severe and stop you from participating in fun activities like tennis or swimming – or when they prevent you from picking up your children or holding your spouse – these damages can be quite high.
Punitive Damages
Sometimes damages are awarded to victims in order to punish the at-fault parties. These damages are usually known as “punitive” or “exemplary” damages. They are not paid specifically to compensate damages like those for medical bills or pain and suffering, but rather to punish the at-fault parties for especially severe negligence or a pattern of negligence that continues to put others at risk.
Punitive damages are sometimes awarded in severe cases involving drunk driving, reckless driving, or road rage in order to punish a seriously dangerous driver. They are also sometimes awarded in cases against at-fault truck drivers and the dangerous companies that hire them.
If drivers repeatedly cause accidents and have a record of causing severe accidents, that could inspire the court to award their victims punitive damages as well. However, these damages are rare.
Our attorneys can help you determine whether punitive damages could be available in your case and how much we might be able to ask for.
Filing a Lawsuit Following a Car Crash in Philadelphia
Car accidents happen for any number of reasons. Sometimes, your accident was due to forces beyond your control. Hydroplaning on the wet road or hitting a patch of black ice can cause serious accidents, but they do not necessarily lead to lawsuits. However, when another person caused your accident, you might have a personal injury case on your hands.
Every car accident case is unique, so it is important to talk to an attorney about what happened to determine if you have a valid case. Many car accident cases are based on the negligence of other drivers. If you believe your accident was caused by someone else’s unsafe behavior on the road, you might have a good case. In a negligence action, the defendant did not intend to cause the accident, but they must be held accountable for their behavior anyway.
A good case might be one in which you have ample evidence of the other person’s fault. Fault refers to blame or responsibility for a car collision. Accidents tend to happen very quickly, and many drivers have trouble accurately remembering how they happened. Also, accident scenes are cleared by law enforcement pretty quickly to keep the road safe for other drivers. Because of that, physical evidence may be scant.
Evidence of fault could include eyewitnesses who saw the accident, traffic tickets issued to the other driver for unsafe driving, and information about the damage to your vehicle and your physical injuries.
How Long Do You Have to File a Car Accident Lawsuit in Philadelphia?
There are time limits on lawsuits known as “statutes of limitations” that prevent people from filing after a specific amount of time. The purpose of these statutes of limitations is to prevent people from filing lawsuits so far removed from the actual accident or event that resolving them would be almost impossible.
There may be different statutes of limitations for different types of cases. These statutes may also change depending on what state you are in. In Pennsylvania, according to 42 Pa. C.S. § 5524, a personal injury lawsuit for a car accident must be commenced within 2 years of the accident.
This 2-year time limit is usually a very hard deadline, but there may be circumstances under which the statute is tolled and your time is extended. For example, because minors are often unable to file lawsuits on their own, the statute of limitations on a minor plaintiff does not begin to run until they turn 18. Alternatively, if someone were so disabled that they could not file a lawsuit, the statute would be tolled until the plaintiff recovered.
How “Fault” Works in Philadelphia Car Accident Cases
After any car accident, you are likely going to deal with your insurance. All drivers are required to have insurance, and anyone caught driving while uninsured may face legal consequences. Pennsylvania is unique because it is a no-fault state that allows drivers to opt out of the no-fault system, depending on what kind of insurance they choose to carry. Your ability to file a personal injury lawsuit and what damages you can claim may depend on what kind of insurance you have.
To receive compensation through a personal injury lawsuit, you and your attorney will have to prove who was at fault in the car wreck that caused your injuries. If the driver that was at fault committed a traffic violation, was driving while drunk and made another major mistake while driving, that is usually enough to show to the court and be able to win your case. If the wreck involved more than two cars, the court might assign partial blame to all at-fault parties. When a percentage of fault is assigned to multiple parties, each party will be responsible for their share of damages.
In some car accidents, fault belongs to a company (such as a trucking company, taxi company, or another type of transportation company). In these cases, the company is held responsible for the actions of the drivers they employ. A transportation company may also be held responsible for a car accident if they hired a dangerous driver or failed to maintain their vehicles.
No-Fault Insurance Laws
Under a no-fault insurance system, drivers injured in car accidents may be covered by their insurance no matter who caused the accident. This comes in handy when fault is not immediately apparent or if you caused your own accident. No-fault systems allow many drivers to get compensation for their accident faster than if they filed a lawsuit. It also prevents many lawsuits from being filed because drivers do not need to sue for damages. However, depending on what kind of insurance you have, you may opt out of the no-fault system.
Under the no-fault system, most of your medical bills and repair costs are covered by your insurance. However, your expenses are covered only up to a certain amount. If you have expenses beyond what is covered, you may have to cover them yourself if you are at fault. If you believe the other driver was at fault, you can file a lawsuit to claim damages from the other driver. The kind of insurance you have may determine what kind of damages you can claim in a lawsuit.
Full Tort vs. Limited Tort Insurance
Drivers may have the option of choosing full tort or limited tort insurance coverage. This difference is important to understand because it will influence the path your vase will take. According to 75 Pa. C.S. § 1705, limited tort coverage allows drivers to claim damages only for economic losses. This means out-of-pocket expenses like medical and repair bills are covered, but not non-economic losses like pain and suffering. On the other hand, full tort coverage does not limit drivers on what they may claim as damages. Under full tort coverage, you can claim any number of non-economic damages, including pain and suffering.
Full tort insurance may be beneficial if your accident was more serious and your injuries more long-term. Your pain and suffering should not be disregarded simply because they did not come with a price tag. However, bear in mind that full tort insurance is often more expensive than limited tort insurance.
Negligence in Car Accident Cases in Philadelphia
How “Negligence” Works in a Car Accident Lawsuit in Philadelphia
A car accident claim is typically a personal injury claim. To prevail in a personal injury lawsuit in Pennsylvania, the plaintiff must establish the defendant was negligent. Most people understand that the word negligent refers to either careless or reckless behavior. However, legally, negligence has a more specific definition. For another driver or party to be considered legally negligent in a car accident case, the plaintiff must prove four elements: duty of care, a breach of duty, causation, and damages.
The Defendant Owed the Plaintiff a Duty of Care
The first element required to establish in any personal injury claim, including a car accident case, is that the defendant owed the plaintiff a duty of care. To hold another person or entity liable for your injuries, a relationship must have existed that obligated the defendant to act in a specific way to ensure that you were not placed at an unreasonable risk of harm.
In Pennsylvania, a driver has an obligation to operate their vehicle so as not to endanger others. For a driver to comply with this legal duty, they typically must obey Pennsylvania’s traffic laws, including following the speed limit and not driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. In addition to their conduct behind the wheel, a driver also has an obligation to ensure that their car is roadworthy. Therefore, it is important to have a vehicle regularly inspected and repaired if necessary.
The Defendant Breached Their Duty of Care
In some ways, proving that a defendant violated the duty of care is the heart of a personal injury case. To hold a defendant driver liable for your injuries, a plaintiff must demonstrate that the driver’s conduct breached their legal obligation. If an accident was an unpreventable accident, an injured victim might not have a viable claim.
Legally, a breach of duty occurs when a defendant’s conduct deviates from what a reasonable driver would do under similar circumstances. Therefore, in a personal injury case, our Pennsylvania car accident lawyer will have to prove that a reasonable driver would have acted differently.
One way to think about a breach of duty is that it is any conduct that another driver knows or should have known would potentially cause an injury. For example, when someone gets behind the wheel after a night of drinking, they should understand that their conduct presents a danger to other motorists. Proving that a breach occurred could be challenging depending on how the accident happened. In some cases, a police or toxicology report could provide compelling evidence that a defendant violated Pennsylvania’s traffic laws. However, it is much more challenging to prove that a defendant was texting at the time of the accident.
The Defendant’s Breach Caused the Plaintiff’s Injuries
Unfortunately, drivers speed and violate other traffic laws every day. Fortunately, these behaviors do not always result in a car accident. In a personal injury lawsuit, a plaintiff must show more than a duty of care and a breach of that duty. If you want to recover any financial compensation, you must prove that the defendant’s conduct caused the accident and your injury.
If your back was injured because you were sitting at a red light and another driver rear-ended you, you could reasonably argue that if your car was not hit, you would not have suffered an injury. However, proving causation in an accident case is not always as straightforward. When multiple vehicles are involved in an accident, it is often necessary to reconstruct what occurred. Additionally, there could be other contributing circumstances, such as an airbag that failed to deploy in an accident, that caused your actual injuries. Our Pennsylvania car accident attorney will gather the available evidence to try and connect the defendant’s conduct with your injury.
The Plaintiff Suffered Damages
The primary reason someone files a personal injury lawsuit is to seek monetary compensation for the injury and damages they suffered. Without any damages, a plaintiff does not have the basis of a car accident case. However, if you were hurt, required medical attention, or missed work, you suffered quantifiable damages.
In a negligence case, damages refer to the financial losses that a plaintiff incurred because of their injuries. Damages include actual expenses such as medical bills, prescription costs, and lost income. A car accident victim is also entitled to recover for their intangible harm, such as physical suffering, emotional distress, and any other mental condition associated with the injury and accident. Part of the job of our experienced Pennsylvania car accident attorney is to value your claim. Without knowing the extent of your damages, it is impossible to evaluate a settlement offer or petition the court for the compensation you deserve.
Pennsylvania Comparative Negligence Laws
Once you understand what negligence is in a car accident lawsuit, it is essential to discuss Pennsylvania’s comparative negligence statute. Under Pennsylvania law, a plaintiff’s contributory negligence comes into play. This means that a plaintiff’s conduct could impact the amount of compensation they receive or, in some cases, prohibit them from seeking compensation at all.
A jury or judge will weigh the evidence and determine what percentage of blame each party contributed to an accident. In some cases, a plaintiff did nothing wrong and the defendant is found to be wholly at fault. A common example of this is when a car is rear-ended while legally stopped at a traffic light. The driver in the vehicle that was struck did nothing to contribute to the accident.
However, what if the plaintiff in the above situation was texting on their phone when the light turned green and failed to move? It is possible that, even if they were rear-ended, a jury could find that by staying stationary and being distracted, the plaintiff contributed to the accident. Given the above hypothetical facts, a jury might assign 90% of the blame to the defendant and 10% to the plaintiff. If that occurs, then any compensation the plaintiff is awarded would be reduced by 10%. Therefore, a $100,000 award would only be $90,000.
Pennsylvania also follows a 51 percent at fault rule. Under this rule, a plaintiff can only recover damages if their contribution to a car accident was less than 51 percent. In many car accident cases, our experienced Pennsylvania lawyers are not only working to prove that the other party was at fault, but they are also fighting allegations that the plaintiff contributed to their injuries.
Liability Issues for Specific Types of Accidents that Commonly Occur in Philadelphia
Some of Philadelphia’s roads are among the busiest and most dangerous in the country. There are roads notorious for having dangerous intersections with faulty corners where sharp turns often end up in rollover accidents or where car collisions frequently end up in rollovers. There are also some streets in poor condition with slopes and ditches where bulky rollovers are common.
Head-On Collisions
One of the most catastrophic types of accidents that occur in Pennsylvania are head-on collisions. When two vehicles crash into each other when coming from opposite directions, the resulting injuries are often fatal or life-altering. Head-on collisions are typically caused by fatigued drivers or people driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Rear-End Collisions
A rear-end collision is a traffic accident where one vehicle crashes into the back of a vehicle in front of it. In most cases, rear-end crashes are the result of a distracted or inattentive driver. They can also be caused by the driver in front if they panic stop without cause. Rear-end collisions are some of the most common types of accidents. Depending on the speed, an accident victim could suffer whiplash or a devastating back injury. In nearly every case, liability will rest with the driver who crashed into the vehicle in front of them. However, as stated earlier, there are situations where the driver who was hit could have contributed or caused the collisions. If you believe you were not at fault in a rear-end collision, contact an experienced Pennsylvania car accident attorney immediately.
Rollover Accidents
Rollover accidents are known for bringing about severe, life-threatening injuries and frequently end up with someone getting killed. Reports about these accidents frequently state that the causes are under investigation. When this happens, you can expect the reasons for the rollover accident to be debatable. Experienced legal representation in these rollover cases can be critical since the reasons are not often apparent. There is a wide variety of causes for rollover accidents. Vehicles tend to turn over when the traction from tires combine with the force of a turn, though the reasons for this can depend on a number of factors.
Multi-Vehicle Collisions
Multi-vehicle accidents occur when three or more vehicles are involved in a chain of events or a single event resulting in several collisions. These pileups present another layer of challenges in determining the cause and chain reactions of the vehicles and drivers involved. Often, the occupants of some of the cars involved in a multi-vehicle accident have no idea what happened. Additionally, multi-vehicle collisions result in severe injuries – especially if the car is subjected to multiple collisions or if the accident also involves larger vehicles such as a commercial truck.
Side-Impact Accidents
Side-impact accidents are often referred to as broadside crashes or T-bone collisions. When traffic patterns require motorists to drive alongside of one another, side-wipe collisions could occur. If another driver drifts into another lane, either because they are distracted, tired, or drunk, anything from a minor bump to a devastating blow could happen. These types of accidents also occur when a driver fails to check their blind spots when shifting lanes.
Incorrectly Secured Loads on Trucks
Commercial drivers, and particularly those who are transporting hazardous materials, need to understand how the load in their vehicle will affect how they operate their vehicle. A driver who is transporting liquid will have to drive differently than a driver who is transporting solid cargo. A driver has to understand that depending on what there are hauling and how it is loaded in their vehicle they may have to adjust their driving.
Highway-Related Factors
Sometimes crashes can often be attributed to factors on the highway such as curves, inclines, declines, and construction. In addition, drivers need to be aware of their surroundings in order to avoid rollovers.
Driver Error
By identifying common driver errors, truck drivers and other commercial drivers can learn how to avoid accidents. Studies of tractor trailer accidents, and their causes show that more than 78% of rollovers include driver error as a contributing or major factor. The FMCSA, PHMSA, and trucking industry partners responsible for producing the training video believe in the importance of driver education and awareness as a key factor in preventing cargo tank truck rollovers. This video is designed to increase awareness and understanding of the underlying causes that can result in rollovers.
Vehicle Performance
Not every tractor trailer or commercial vehicle is the same or drives the same. Commercial drivers need to understand the variations in their vehicles as compared to others.
Intersection Accidents
Nearly four out of every 10 Pennsylvania car accidents occur at intersections. Failing to yield the right-of-way or to obey traffic signals is a common mistake that can have devastating results.
There are a number of causes of intersection accidents that call for an injury victim to seek compensation from negligent parties. Drivers who are intoxicated, for example, are more likely to overlook a stop sign or run a red light. Drivers who are speeding may not have enough time to stop at an intersection. Motorists who are distractedly looking at their cell phone may not even notice the traffic control device until it is too late.
If a motorist failed to follow the below laws or any others, you have the right to seek compensation and file a claim.
Driver negligence is not the only possible cause of intersection accidents. Some accidents result from dangerous roadway conditions. For example, when the government fails to trim trees around traffic signs, it may be difficult to see the stop sign. Intersections that do not have effective lighting can be dangerous as well. In some cases, intersection accidents result from malfunctioning traffic lights. The way an intersection is designed may also affect important factors such as visibility.
Our Philadelphia Car Accident Lawyers Can Help
You deserve to have all your expenses paid for by the person responsible for your injuries. Negligent and reckless drivers need to be held accountable if our roads are to remain safe. Schedule a free legal consultation with our Philadelphia car accident lawyers at the Reiff Law Firm. Call (215) 709-6940 or 215-458-5639 to set up a meeting today.
