A collision with a tractor-trailer, delivery truck, dump truck, box truck, or other commercial vehicle can leave you facing serious injuries, time away from work, vehicle damage, and uncertainty about which insurance company should pay. Meanwhile, the trucking company and its insurers may begin investigating immediately.
If you were injured in Bensalem Township or elsewhere in Bucks County, your first priorities should be medical care and personal safety. A legal investigation can then address why the crash occurred, which companies were involved, and how the collision has affected your health, employment, and family.
Commercial vehicles travel through Bensalem on major routes that include Interstate 95, the Pennsylvania Turnpike, U.S. Route 1, and Pennsylvania Routes 13, 132, and 513. The road where a crash occurred can affect the responding police agency, available camera footage, roadway records, and other evidence. (bensalempa.gov)
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215-774-5162How Pennsylvania Truck Accident Claims Work
A truck accident claim generally requires evidence that a driver, motor carrier, or another party failed to use reasonable care and that this conduct caused the person’s injuries and losses. Federal motor-carrier rules may also apply, depending on the truck, cargo, carrier, and type of trip. Those rules address subjects such as driver qualifications, safe operation, hours of service, vehicle maintenance, and required inspections. A regulatory violation may be relevant, but it does not automatically establish civil liability. (fmcsa.dot.gov)
Pennsylvania’s insurance system can affect how medical expenses and other losses are handled. Applicable auto insurance generally provides first-party medical benefits regardless of fault, with $5,000 being the statutory minimum for most covered vehicles. The injured person’s policies, household coverage, position in or outside a vehicle, and any full- or limited-tort election may affect the available benefits and claims. (legis.state.pa.us)
Pennsylvania also follows modified comparative negligence. An injured person may recover when their share of causal negligence is not greater than the combined negligence attributed to the defendants against whom recovery is sought, although the award is reduced by the injured person’s percentage of fault. (legis.state.pa.us)
What to Do After a Truck Accident in Bensalem PA
Take the following steps when your medical condition and the circumstances allow:
- Call 911 and get appropriate medical care. Pennsylvania requires immediate notice to police when a crash causes an injury or death or leaves a vehicle unable to be driven safely without towing. Do not delay emergency treatment to collect information or photographs. (legis.state.pa.us)
- Describe all symptoms to your medical providers. Follow the treatment plan you receive and ask for written work or activity restrictions when appropriate. Some concussion symptoms can develop hours or days after an injury. The CDC recommends emergency care for danger signs such as worsening headache, repeated vomiting, seizures, slurred speech, increasing confusion, unequal pupils, or an inability to wake the injured person. (cdc.gov)
- Identify the truck and companies involved. If it is safe, photograph the truck, trailer, license plates, company markings, and USDOT number. The name on the cab, trailer, registration, and insurance paperwork may not identify every business involved in the shipment.
- Preserve what you already have. Save photographs, videos, witness information, medical paperwork, towing documents, repair estimates, and communications with insurers. Avoid posting detailed accounts of the collision, your injuries, or your activities on social media while the claim is pending.
- Notify your insurer without guessing about disputed facts. Provide the basic information required by your policy, but review any release, broad medical authorization, or settlement proposal carefully before signing. A quick property-damage payment should not unintentionally resolve an unresolved injury claim.
- Ask about an inspection before the vehicle is destroyed or substantially altered. Photograph the damage and discuss whether the vehicle or any damaged child seat, electronic device, or other relevant item should be preserved. Do not retain cargo or property that does not belong to you.
If police did not investigate a crash involving injury, death, or a vehicle requiring towing, Pennsylvania generally requires the driver to submit a written accident report to PennDOT within five days. This is a reporting requirement, not a substitute for an insurance claim or lawsuit. (legis.state.pa.us)
What May Have Caused the Crash?
A truck collision can result from the conduct of one person, failures within a company, a defective component, or a combination of problems. An investigation may consider:
- Fatigued, distracted, impaired, or aggressive driving
- Speed that was unsafe for traffic, weather, or road conditions
- Unsafe lane changes, turns, following distance, or backing
- Inadequate driver screening, qualification, training, or supervision
- Brake, tire, lighting, steering, or other maintenance problems
- Overloaded, unbalanced, or improperly secured cargo
- Defective truck parts or safety systems
The fact that a serious crash occurred does not by itself prove negligence. Driver records, electronic data, maintenance history, physical evidence, witness accounts, and qualified expert analysis may be needed to determine what happened.
Who May Be Responsible?
Truck cases often require looking beyond the person who was driving. Depending on the evidence, potentially responsible parties may include:
- The truck driver if unsafe driving contributed to the collision.
- The motor carrier or driver’s employer if it is legally responsible for the driver’s conduct or its own hiring, training, supervision, dispatch, or maintenance decisions.
- The truck or trailer owner when its actions, maintenance obligations, or equipment condition contributed to the crash.
- A cargo-loading company or shipper if it had responsibility for loading or securing cargo and its work created an unsafe condition.
- A repair or maintenance provider if negligent work caused or failed to correct a mechanical problem.
- A manufacturer or distributor if a defective truck, tire, brake, coupling, or other component contributed to the collision.
Ownership, logos, contracts, leases, and shipping documents can point to different companies. No business is automatically liable merely because its name appeared on the truck. A lawyer’s role is to determine who employed or controlled the driver, who operated the vehicle, who maintained the equipment, who loaded the cargo, and which acts or omissions were connected to the crash.
Serious Injuries and Long-Term Losses
Truck crashes can cause fractures, internal injuries, burns, amputations, and injuries to the head, neck, back, and spinal cord. Some people require surgery or rehabilitation; others experience lasting pain, cognitive problems, reduced mobility, or an inability to return to their previous work.
Fulginiti Law provides additional information about common truck accident injuries, traumatic brain injuries, and spinal cord injuries. An injury’s legal significance depends on medical evidence and its actual effect on the individual—not simply the name of a diagnosis.
Evidence That May Help Explain What Happened
You are not expected to build the case while recovering. Preserve what is reasonably available and tell your lawyer where other information may be found. Important evidence may include:
- The police report or incident number
- Photographs, videos, dashcam recordings, and witness information
- Medical records, bills, work restrictions, and wage information
- Truck markings, plate numbers, the USDOT number, and insurance details
- The damaged vehicle and relevant communications with insurers
A lawyer may seek additional evidence from the trucking companies and other parties, including electronic logging information, engine-control or event data, dispatch communications, driver qualification records, inspection and maintenance files, cargo documents, surveillance footage, and applicable contracts. Prompt action can help ensure that legally relevant evidence is identified and preserved.
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215-774-5162Compensation That May Be Available
The damages available depend on the evidence, insurance coverage, nature of the injuries, and effect of the crash. A successful claim may include compensation for:
- Past and future medical expenses and rehabilitation
- Lost income and reduced earning capacity
- Pain, suffering, and loss of normal activities
- Disability, scarring, or disfigurement
- Vehicle and other property damage
- Qualifying wrongful-death and survival losses after a fatal collision
Not every category applies in every case. Any first-party benefits, health-insurance payments, reimbursement rights, liens, and available liability or underinsured-motorist coverage must also be considered before a claim is resolved.
How a Truck Accident Lawyer Can Help
A truck accident lawyer can take over the legal and investigative work while the injured person focuses on treatment and family responsibilities. Fulginiti Law can:
- Identify the motor carrier and other companies connected to the truck and cargo
- Send appropriate preservation notices and arrange inspections
- Obtain corporate, electronic, maintenance, and insurance records
- Work with qualified medical, trucking, engineering, or reconstruction professionals when needed
- Evaluate Pennsylvania insurance issues and available sources of coverage
- Handle communications with insurers and defense attorneys
- Calculate current losses and investigate future medical and employment needs
- Negotiate a resolution or prepare the case for litigation when appropriate
Fulginiti Law’s published truck accident practice page reports more than $48 million in trucking accident verdicts and settlements. Past results do not guarantee or predict the outcome of another case. (fulginiti-law.com)
Helpful Government and Medical Resources
- Pennsylvania State Police Crash Report Search: If the Pennsylvania State Police investigated the collision, an eligible person can search for and request the report online. The agency advises allowing at least 15 days after the incident before searching. If Bensalem Township Police or another department investigated, request the report from that agency instead. (pa.gov)
- PennDOT Driver’s Accident Report: This form explains the five-day reporting requirement that may apply when police did not investigate a crash involving injury, death, or a vehicle requiring towing. (pa.gov)
- FMCSA Company Safety Records: A person with the carrier’s name, USDOT number, or motor-carrier number can access the free SAFER Company Snapshot. It may help identify the carrier and provide current registration and safety information, although database entries do not establish who caused a particular crash. (fmcsa.dot.gov)
- CDC Concussion Signs and Symptoms: The CDC explains symptoms that may appear immediately or later and identifies danger signs requiring emergency care. This guidance does not replace evaluation or advice from a medical professional. (cdc.gov)
Frequently Asked Questions About Bensalem PA Truck Accidents
Who pays my medical bills while the claim is pending?
Applicable Pennsylvania auto insurance may provide first-party medical benefits without waiting for a final decision about fault. The correct source depends on factors such as whether you were a named insured, an insured household member, a vehicle occupant, or a pedestrian. Health insurance may also become involved depending on the policy and exhaustion of available auto benefits. (legis.state.pa.us)
Can I recover if the trucking company says I was partly at fault?
Possibly. Under Pennsylvania’s comparative-negligence law, fault below or equal to the combined causal negligence of the defendants does not necessarily bar recovery, but the damages are reduced by the percentage assigned to the injured person. Disputed fault should be evaluated using the physical evidence rather than an insurer’s preliminary conclusion. (legis.state.pa.us)
Is the trucking company automatically responsible for its driver?
Not in every situation. The answer can depend on the employment or contractual relationship, the work the driver was performing, applicable agency principles, and whether the company’s own decisions contributed to the collision. The carrier named on the vehicle may also differ from the truck owner, driver’s employer, shipper, or another company involved in the trip.
How long do I have to file a truck accident lawsuit in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania generally applies a two-year limitations period to actions seeking damages for personal injury or death caused by negligence. Exceptions and different rules may apply, so the deadline should be evaluated promptly rather than calculated without legal advice. (legis.state.pa.us)
Other areas where we handle Truck Accident:
- Abington
- Camden
- Cherry Hill
- Chester
- Coatesville
- Deptford
- Doylestown
- East Norriton
- Glassboro
- Gloucester
- Haverford
- King of Prussia
- Lansdale
- Levittown
- Lower Merion
- Media
- Middletown
- Mount Laurel
- Norristown
- Pennsauken
- Pottstown
- Upper Darby
- Voorhees
- West Chester
- Willingboro
Speak With a Bensalem PA Truck Accident Lawyer
If you or a family member was seriously injured in a commercial truck collision, Fulginiti Law can review the circumstances, explain how Pennsylvania law may apply, and investigate the driver, carrier, vehicle, cargo, and available insurance coverage.
Call 215-602-4204 or contact Fulginiti Law to request a free consultation. (fulginiti-law.com)
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215-774-5162
