Philadelphia Truck Accident Attorneys
Truck Accidents
The Beasley Reiff Law Group has successfully represented clients injured or wrongfully killed by semi trucks, tractor trailers, 18 wheel trucks, and delivery trucks in Pennsylvania. Since 1955, our accomplished Pennsylvania truck accident attorneys have been awarded in excess of $2 billion dollars representing the rights of consumers catastrophically injured or wrongfully killed. The Pennsylvania truck accident and motor vehicle accident attorneys of The Beasley Reiff Law Group have secured hundreds of judgments, verdicts, and settlements in excess of $1 million dollars and our track record of success speaks for itself. Each year in the United States, hundreds of thousands of pedestrians, drivers, and motorists lose their life or are so seriously injured that life is never the same as the result of the negligent operation of large trucks and semi trucks. Almost one quarter of all deaths resulting in motor vehicle accidents are caused by large trucks even though trucks constitute less than 3% of all registered motor vehicles.
The skilled truck accident lawyers of The Beasley Reiff Law Group have litigated thousands of truck accident cases throughout Pennsylvania and have served as co-counsel on many high profile national trucking accident cases. Our skilled investigators, accident reconstructionist experts have been able to prove that many times an accident is caused by a truck driver failing to abide by Federal and State regulations in an attempt to maximize profitability. We believe the individuals that are catastrophically injured or killed and their families must hold truck drivers and trucking companies accountable for the harm caused by their negligence or non-compliance with regulations and safety standards and we also will prosecute these individuals and companies to recover the financial losses sustained as a result of their negligence.
What causes many truck crashes?
As experienced truck accident lawyers in Pennsylvania since 1955, the skilled Pennsylvania truck accident lawyers of The Beasley Reiff Law Group have found that many times the major cause of trucking accidents is driver inattention. Perhaps a driver speaking on a cell phone, or tired from sleep apnea, or not so surprisingly under the influence of medications to stay awake suffering a rebound effect. Many times truck drivers are simply found speeding, driving too fast for weather or road conditions, suffering from impaired vision, as well as other catch all human contributing factors.
The experienced truck accident lawyers of The Beasley Reiff Law Group have handled many cases involving unsecured truck loads or as we call them trucking missiles that either fly or fall off a truck and into the pathway of other vehicles.
In one of our truck accident cases, a steel coil weighing approximately 8,000 pounds rolled off a flatbed truck traveling at a high rate of speed on an interstate causing more than $200,000 worth of damage to the interstate highway before it rolled into the pathway of another vehicle killing a woman.
Recently in a high profile Philadelphia truck accident case, the operator of a truck with faulty brakes killed an innocent victim. The investigation revealed that the truck had an illegal inspection sticker meaning that it was never inspected and it was later determined that the truck had numerous other safety violations as it was never properly maintained.
Truck Driver Fatigue and Sleep Apnea
One of the greatest risks to motorists on Pennsylvania highways and noted to be a number one safety problem in the trucking industry today and a factor in 40% of all trucking crashes nationwide is known as truck driver fatigue. The greedy profit driven owners of trucking companies have made truck fatigue a largely unregulated problem resulting in the catastrophic injuries and wrongful deaths of thousands of innocent and unknowing individuals each year. Truck drivers are only supposed to be driving their vehicles for a set number of hours according to regulations. Research reveal a strong link between overweight truck drivers and sleep apnea and statistics indicate that truck crashes kill more than 52,000 each year and injure more than 100,000 each year in the United States as the result of sleep apnea. Under new proposed Federal regulations it will be mandated that truck and bus drivers in safety sensitive positions will be tested for sleep disorders to decrease crash fatalities. Our research has indicated that many truck drivers involved in catastrophic incidents tested positive for drugs, alcohol, and common sleep disorders such as sleep apnea. Big trucks are scary enough for car drivers and even more scary when the driver is asleep. The driver of a car has minimal chances of avoiding a catastrophic injury or fatality if they are involved with a truck weighing 80,000 pounds. Car drivers must be aware that tractor trailers going 60 mph can require the length of a football field just to come to a stop, added to the fact that many trucks do not have the maneuverability or braking systems of a small car.
Improper securing of cargo on trucks has reached epidemic proportions in the United States with government authorities not paying enough attention or putting enough teeth into regulations concerning these instances. Last fall a freak accident involving unsecured truck cargo killed celebrity Mike Edwards, the founding member of The Electric Light Orchestra, when an unsecured bale of hay rolled off a tractor trailer into the path of the van he was driving. Although news sources stated this was a freak accident, the Philadelphia tractor trailer accident lawyers of The Beasley Reiff Law Group are all too familiar with this type of falling cargo and unsecured materials accident.
On February 22nd after 4 to 6 inches of snow fell in southeastern Pennsylvania, I was traveling on Rt. 476 when a large sheet of compacted hard ice flew off a semi trailer truck into my windshield with such force that it caused me to lose control of my car and swerve on black ice in a state of shock. Currently Pennsylvania only provides a small fine for drivers who fail to clear their vehicles. We believe that such truckers and trucking companies must be held liable for the tragic events caused by snow and ice missile accidents.
At The Beasley Reiff Law Group, our skilled trucking accident lawyers have successfully represented clients and their families injured or killed by semi trucks, tractor trailers, 18 wheelers, delivery trucks, and common carriers. If you or a loved one has been injured in a truck accident, please contact one of our experienced Pennsylvania truck accident attorneys for a free, no obligation consultation. You can contact us online or call us toll free at 1-800-588-0130.
