When a truck driver loses control of their big rig and it begins to rapidly fly down a road at high speeds, this is a serious situation and an extremely dangerous one too. Anyone who is on the road or near that out-of-control truck is at great risk for serious physical bodily harm and death. Runaway truck accidents do not happen all of the time, but when they do, they have the potential to cause great devastation and destruction.
If you were injured in a truck accident in Pennsylvania or if you lost a loved one in a fatal truck accident, you may be able to file a claim for compensation to recover all of the losses you had to endure. To learn more about the personal injury claims process in Pennsylvania and how you can file a claim for compensation, please connect with the talented and experienced truck accident lawyers at O’Donnell Law.
Who is Responsible for a Runaway Truck Accident?
Truck accidents are some of the more challenging injury cases to manage. This is because determining liability is a little more complicated for commercial truck accidents than it is when an accident happens between two passenger vehicles. For this reason, it is recommended that victims of large truck accidents work only with a legal team that has specific experience and knowledge of these intricate legal suits.
At O’Donnell Law, our legal team knows truck accidents and understands how to identify all responsible parties to help victims secure the most compensation from their injury claims.
It is imperative that the details of how your runaway truck accident took place be ironed out and explained. Doing so is a key step towards figuring out who is culpable for the accident happening. Consider the following examples:
Improper Maintenance
Driver-owners or trucking companies have a duty to stay on top of truck maintenance. If a truck is not serviced regularly and as needed, or if issues are not addressed and fixed, the truck is a perilous vehicle on the road. Brake failure is one way a runaway truck accident can happen and brakes may fail because the owner of the truck did not have the truck appropriately maintained. Here, the truck owner could be liable.
Unbalanced Load
There is a right and a wrong way to load cargo into a truck’s trailer. If the loading company does not follow established guidelines and the load is not balanced or secured the way that it should be, this could cause a driver to lose control of their truck. The loading company may be liable in this scenario for damages after a runaway truck accident.
Speeding
A truck driver that speeds may have a very difficult time stopping their large, heavy vehicle from barreling down a roadway and crashing. This can mean the truck driver is liable.
Speak to a Truck Accident Attorney Today
After you sustained harm in a Pennsylvania truck accident or if you lost a loved one in a commercial truck accident you can speak with an attorney at O’Donnell Law, serving clients in Kingston, Wilkes Barre, Hazleton, and Pittston. to gain more insight into what you can do to take legal action for compensation. To schedule a free consultation with a truck accident attorney, please call (570) 821-5717.
Source:
iihs.org/topics/fatality-statistics/detail/large-trucks