Erie, Pennsylvania, Semi-Truck Accident Injury Lawyers

Jed Dietrich, Esq. Is Committed to Standing Up for Semi-Truck Accident Victims. When Irresponsible Logistics Companies Fail to Do Their Due Diligence, They Put Your Life in Danger. The Dietrich Law Firm P.C. Could Help You Navigate the Aftermath of a Life-Changing Erie, Pennsylvania, 18-Wheeler Collision.

Pennsylvania is among the oldest and most densely populated states in America. While Erie may be miles away from the Keystone State’s biggest cities, its strategic location along the shores of Lake Erie has made it a critical destination for freight moving across the country. Each year, the Port of Erie receives nearly 800,000 tons of cargo shipped into Pennsylvania from around the world. Adjacent to Pennsylvania’s only Great Lakes port and Interstate 90—the longest highway in America—connecting cities as distant as Seattle, Chicago, and Boston—Erie receives more than its fair share of commercial traffic. For the most part, the semi-truck drivers who traverse our roadways are consummate professionals who go to great lengths to ensure our community remains safe. However, semi-truck drivers are only people, and accidents still happen with alarming regularity.

Compared to other types of collisions, crashes involving large commercial vehicles are among the most likely to result in serious, life-changing injuries. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, there were nearly 7,000 accidents involving commercial vehicles in a single recent year. Of these accidents, a significant number resulted in fatalities.

The consequences of a serious semi-truck accident can be immense. Victims may be seriously injured, unable to work, and incapable of leading independent, fulfilling lives. Even for survivors with high-quality health insurance plans and comprehensive policies, the costs of recovery could seem impossible.

The Dietrich Law Firm P.C. firmly believes that nobody should be forced to pay the price for a semi-truck driver’s mistake. If you or a loved one have been injured in a Pennsylvania truck accident that was not your fault, you could be entitled to significant compensation. Since our founding in 2005, the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. and our award-winning team of attorneys have helped our clients recover more than $175 million in damages—money that 18-wheeler collision victims have used to rebuild their lives and reclaim their independence. We could help you, too. Please send us a message online or call us at (814) 839-3939 to schedule your free, no-obligation consultation as soon as possible.

Since Pennsylvania is a no-fault insurance state, accident victims may expect their car insurance company to reimburse them for property damage and medical costs. However, the Keystone State’s no-fault laws have critical limitations. While your car insurance company might be willing to reimburse your initial medical expenses, the adjuster may be reluctant to offer compensation for your long-term needs. In an ordinary car accident involving another private vehicle, you could recover additional expenses by filing a personal injury lawsuit against the at-fault motorist and their insurance company.

However, semi-truck-related lawsuits often involve multiple defendants. Since the interstate trucking industry is regulated at the local, state, and federal levels, semi-truck drivers, their employers, and other stakeholders have a special responsibility to ensure that their practices are reasonable and safe. If and when commercial transportation entities act negligently, they could share liability for the resulting accident. The potential defendants in a semi-truck crash claim could include the following:

1. The semi-truck driver;
2. The trucking company;
3. A cargo shipper or receiver;
4. A government agency;
5. A semi-truck or trailer manufacturer; and
6. An automotive parts maker.

The Dietrich Law Firm P.C. has years of experience holding semi-truck companies, government agencies, and automotive manufacturers responsible for their misconduct. Please call us at (814) 839-3939 to speak to a legal professional and discuss your options for a rapid legal recovery. You do not have to suffer in silence.

Trucking and transportation logistics companies are regulated by the United States Department of Transportation and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Federal law requires that interstate trucking companies purchase and maintain insurance policies with set minimums in liability coverage.

Liability coverage could provide compensation for damages such as:

1. Property damage;
2. Personal injury; and
3. Wrongful death.

However, trucking companies and their insurance agencies are fundamentally for-profit enterprises. When a semi-truck driver injures another motorist, their employer may refuse to admit liability, even if they negligently encouraged the driver to break federal law by exceeding their duty hours or carrying overweight freight without the proper permits.

Fortunately, you do not have to accept the trucking company’s excuses. The Dietrich Law Firm P.C. could help you collect the evidence needed to prove that the trucking company or another defendant’s misconduct caused or contributed to your accident. This evidence could include the following:

1. Evidence from the Crash Site: Our attorneys could use the evidence you have collected from the crash site to begin compiling a claim against the semi-truck driver and their employer. We could help you review and assess pictures of the damage to your vehicle, photographs of your physical injuries, and your medical records. If you were unable to gather any evidence, the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. could retrieve law enforcement reports and issue orders compelling the transportation company to preserve all evidence relevant to your claim.
2. Electronic Driving Records: By law, interstate semi-truck drivers and transportation companies are required to track commercial vehicle operators’ over-the-road hours using electronic driving records, sometimes referred to as “logbooks.”
3. Vehicle Maintenance History: The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration mandates that commercial vehicles be regularly inspected for mechanical faults and other potential safety defects. Transportation companies must retain easily accessible records detailing the results of periodic vehicle inspections as well as routine and emergency repairs.
4. Violation Reports: Semi-truck drivers must occasionally submit to roadside vehicle inspections at weigh stations. The company could be penalized if law enforcement finds that a semi-truck is not adequately maintained or is missing critical safety features. The Dietrich Law Firm P.C. could analyze an individual driver or company’s history of safety violations to determine whether they have an established pattern of negligence.
5. Expert Testimony: The Dietrich Law Firm P.C. regularly works with industry leaders who can offer expert testimony on customary transportation practices, automotive defects, and impact analyses.

If you wait too long to contact an experienced 18-wheeler collision lawyer, you could lose your right to a legal recovery. The Dietrich Law Firm, P.C. has spent decades aggressively advocating for the rights of Erie semi-truck crash survivors. Please send us a message online or call us at (814) 839-3939 to schedule a free consultation.

Call the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. immediately at (814) 839-3939 so that our aggressive, tenacious, and hardworking personal injury lawyers can fight to obtain the best result for your personal injury claim in Erie, Pennsylvania. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and there is never a fee until we WIN for you!