A recent truck accident in York County highlights the reasons that victims of such accidents often have grounds to sue. One driver lost a mattress from his vehicle, causing a chain reaction of crashes in the trucks behind him.
The bottom line of this story is that trucks have much poorer maneuverability than cars, and a far longer braking distance. Add to this that the drivers are often fatigued, the vehicles are often poorly maintained, and you have a recipe for disaster. If it occurs, what are your rights?
If a trucking company attempts to deny you compensation for your injuries from a trucking accident, there are resources you can bring to bear. You can sue the owner of the truck for negligence, if you can demonstrate that the accident was the truck drivers fault. If the company forced the driver to cut corners, drive longer than a standard shift, or in any other way was negligent, or if the driver was abusing drugs or alcohol, you may be able to sue for punitive damages as well. These additional damages are designed to deter companies from following negligent practices in general.
What kind of damages you are entitled to, and how much a court will award, depends on your ability to demonstrate that the accident was the truck driver and/or the company fault. Proving this is something that a Lancaster truck accident attorney is experienced in doing. Since it will involve talking to witnesses, and assembling material evidence, it is not something you should handle yourself if you want the best results. If you or someone close to you has been harmed in a truck accident, and you have reason to believe the driver and/or trucking company were at fault, you need to immediately consult with Pennsylvania accident attorneys.
The attorneys of McDonald At Law can help you find out what happened, and what you should do next.