What to Do After a Truck Accident in Pennsylvania

A common misconception is that truck accidents are the same as “everyday” automobile collisions.  In reality, they’re not: they’re more complex, require immediate action to preserve evidence such as driver’s hours-of-service logs, and call for an experienced and knowledgeable attorney that understands the intricacies of commercial motor vehicle litigation.    

Truck accidents are also far more dangerous than typical car wrecks due to the significant size and weight difference between cars and trucks, which means that the impacts and injuries can be much more severe. In addition, truck accidents tend to be more complicated than regular car crashes because there are typically catastrophic injuries, more liable parties, more insurance layers, and the existence of strict federal regulations that have to be investigated.

That’s why knowing what to do after a truck crash is so important. You must act fast, avoid common mistakes, report what happened, handle the insurance steps right, and hire a skilled Pennsylvania truck accident lawyer to protect your rights and help you get the compensation you deserve.

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Immediate Actions to Take After a Truck Accident

After a truck accident in Pennsylvania, it is important to take these steps to protect your rights and strengthen your position:

• Check that you and everyone else are safe. If anyone is hurt, call 911 right away. If possible, move vehicles out of the road
• Ask the driver for their contact and insurance information
• Gather the witnesses’ contact information
• Document details of the accident on a piece of paper or record them with a voice recording app on your smartphone while you still remember them clearly
• Take photos and videos of the scene and your injuries. If the truck has a visible DOT number (a number required on commercial trucks), take a photo of it.
• Finally, contact Edgar Snyder & Associates, your truck accident attorney in Pennsylvania, and our team for a free consultation before evidence disappears and before you provide a statement to any insurance company, including your own

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Mistakes to Avoid After a Truck Accident in Pennsylvania

Avoiding these common mistakes can help protect your rights after a truck crash in Pennsylvania:

• Do not admit fault
• Do not place blame
• Make sure that you receive the medical care you need, rather than skipping it
• Avoid posting about the accident on any form of social media

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Why Truck Accidents Are More Complex Than Car Accidents

Truck crashes are often much more complicated than regular car wrecks, mostly because many different parties and special rules may be involved. This could include the driver, trucking company,cargo loaders, equipment owners (intermodal equipment), dispatchers, etc.

Truck accidents also involve complex federal regulations, which set forth requirements for commercial motor vehicle operators and trucking companies that differ significantly from those governing“private passenger motor vehicle” operators. For example:

• There are no rules governing how long someone can operate their own personal automobile but there are rules setting strict “hours of service” requirements for tractor-trailer operators.
• In Pennsylvania, a person can operate a “private passenger motor vehicle” with a BAC of .08; however, a tractor trailer driver must have zero alcohol in their system (and none within four hours of starting the shift).
• A private passenger motor vehicle needs to be inspected only once a year.  In comparison, a commercial motor vehicle needs to be inspected twice a year at a licensed inspection center, and drivers must complete pre-trip and post-trip inspections each time the vehicle is operated.
• An operator of a private passenger motor vehicle only needs to have a physical exam before getting a permit.  A driver of a tractor-trailer needs to have a physical exam done at least once a year, and there are a list of medical conditions that a tractor-trailer driver can not have.

Accidents involving a tractor-trailer also have bigger damages, and more insurance layers. These factors can be hard to understand for most people, which is why it is important to have a Pennsylvania truck accident attorney by your side to help you through the complex process.

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Reporting the Accident and Insurance Steps in Pennsylvania

In Pennsylvania, you are required to report the truck accident to the police immediately if it involved an injury or a death, or if the vehicle was damaged so much to the point it can no longer be driven. If a police officer responds and investigates, they then file a report. However, if they do not respond,each involved driver is responsible for submitting a written accident report to PennDot within five days.

When reporting the accident, it is important that you do not admit to fault, blame, apologize or guess what the cause of the accident was, because these statements could be used against you.It is also important not to discuss how severely injured you were in a truck accident or what treatments you are having done.

Because many truck accidents involve big rigs and commercial carriers, trucking companies must carry special commercial insurance with higher liability limits in Pennsylvania. This is one of the reasons truck‑accident cases can be very different than standard car‑crash claims.

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Legal Considerations

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When to Hire a Truck Accident Lawyer

If you have been seriously injured in a truck accident, have unclear liability, or there was a commercial vehicle involved in your truck accident case, things can get more complex. When these factors are involved, it can be more difficult to receive the compensation that you deserve. This is why having a Pennsylvania truck accident lawyer by your side is important because your lawyer can take away many of the stress factors and complexity that these issues bring about in the legal process such as proving fault and making sure that you are compensated for your injuries.

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Talk to a Truck Accident Lawyer Today

At Edgar Snyder & Associates, our experienced Pennsylvania truck accident lawyers have helped thousands of injury victims throughout the state of Pennsylvania, and we are ready to do the same for you. Contact our truck accident attorneys in Pennsylvania for a free consultation. There is never a cost to speak with us, and you will face no pressure to hire our firm as your Pennsylvania truck accident attorney.

You do not have to face this stressful time alone. You can contact our truck accident lawyers in Pennsylvania by phone, chat, or complete a brief online form for your free consultation. Our truck accident lawyers are ready to help you with your case.

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Frequently Asked Questions(FAQ)

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What Should I Do After a Semi Truck Hits Me?

You may be wondering what to do after a semi truck accident. After a semi truck accident in Pennsylvania, it is important to take these steps in order to have the best chance of succeeding in your case and protect your legal rights:

• Make sure that everyone involved in the accident is safe, check for any injuries, and call 911 if necessary
• If possible, move vehicles out of the road
• Ask the driver for their contact and insurance information
• Gather the witnesses’ contact information
• Document details of the accident while you still remember them
• Take photos and videos of the scene and your injuries.  Each commercial motor vehicle is required to display a “DOT number:” if possible, take a picture of the DOT number.
• Finally, contact Edgar Snyder & Associates, your truck accident attorney in Pennsylvania, and our team for a free consultation
• Never admit fault or place blame
• Do not skip getting the medical care you need
• Do not post about the accident on social media

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Do I Need a Lawyer For a Truck Accident in Pennsylvania?

Having a Pennsylvania truck accident attorney by your side in your truck accident case is essential to ensure you receive the compensation that you deserve. When your case involves serious injuries, unclear liability, or a commercial vehicle, things can become more complex, which is why it is important to have a commercial vehicle crash attorney prove fault and ensure that you get the proper compensation. Our attorneys at Edgar Snyder & Associates will help you determine what to do after a truck accident.

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What If I Am Too Injured to Gather Evidence in My Pennsylvania Truck Accident Case?

If you are too injured to gather evidence in your truck accident case, you should hire a Pennsylvania truck accident attorney to gather the evidence of your case for you. Your truck accident lawyer will take over the stress of the legal process for you, while you continue getting treatment and recovering from your injuries. Let our truck accident attorneys at Edgar Snyder & Associates do the hard parts for you while you simply focus on getting better.

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About the Author:

Christine Zaremski-Young is an experienced trucking attorney with more than 20 years of dedicated advocacy for individuals injured in collisions involving commercial motor vehicles.Throughout her career, she has secured multiple eight-figure recoveries on behalf of her clients, earning a reputation for her skill, tenacity, and compassion in the pursuit of justice. In addition to her successes, Christine shares her knowledge with fellow attorneys by teaching courses on litigating complex commercial motor vehicle cases.