Truck and tractor trailer crashes
Hurt in a crash with a big truck?
You are hurt, the phone has started ringing, and none of it makes sense yet. You do not have to sort it out alone, and you do not have to sort it out today.
Call (570) 479-5440You can call and ask questions without hiring anybody. Nothing has to be decided on the first call.
Sean McDonough, Dougherty, Leventhal & Price. Offices in Kingston and Hazleton.
Start here
What to do in the first few days
You do not need a lawyer to do any of this. Do it anyway. It protects you whether you ever call anyone or not.
- 1
Get checked by a doctor
Some injuries do not hurt much on day one. Being seen early is good for you, and it puts the date on the record.
- 2
Keep everything
Photos, the police report number, the names of anyone who saw it, a cracked phone, a bent car seat. Do not throw anything away yet.
- 3
Write down what you remember
Do it today if you can. Time of day, weather, what the truck looked like, what anyone said at the scene. Memory fades fast.
- 4
Be careful on the phone
Someone may call and ask to record you. You do not have to answer right then. It is fine to say you will call back.
- 5
Do not sign anything yet
A paper that closes your claim can arrive before anyone knows how hurt you really are. Read it with a lawyer first.
- 6
Ask early
Injury claims have filing deadlines, and some kinds of claims have much shorter notice rules than others. Do not guess about yours.
This is general information, not legal advice about your case. Every crash is different. If something here does not match your situation, ask somebody about your situation.
A truck case is not a car case
A crash with a tractor trailer does not work like a fender bender. Four things are different, and all four of them matter to you.
More than one company can be involved
The driver, the company that owns the truck, the company that loaded it and the company that hired the trucking company can all be four different businesses.
Trucks follow federal safety rules
Interstate trucking is covered by federal rules on driving hours, rest, inspections and maintenance. Those rules leave a paper trail that a normal car crash does not have.
A lot of the proof is electronic
Trucks carry electronic logs and engine data. Some of that data can be written over as the truck keeps running its route.
The other side starts early
Trucking companies and their insurers have people whose job is to look at a crash right away. That is normal. It just means the record starts without you in it.
That is the reason to ask questions early. Not because anybody is out to get you. Because some of the proof does not wait around.
Not sure you even have a case?
That is a fine reason to call. Ask the question and find out.
Call (570) 479-5440How the first call goes
People put off calling because they think it starts something they cannot stop. It does not.
- 1
You tell it once
In your own words, at your own pace. There is no form to fill out before you can talk to somebody.
- 2
You get straight answers
What the next steps would look like, what it would cost you, and what you should be careful about this week.
- 3
You decide
If you want to go ahead, the paperwork becomes our job. If you do not, you still hang up knowing more than you did.
Plain answers
What people ask first
- The insurance man keeps calling. Do I have to talk to him?
- Your own policy usually asks you to cooperate with your own insurer. The other driver’s insurance company is a different thing. Ask someone before you give a recorded statement to them.
- How long do I have?
- Pennsylvania sets deadlines for injury claims, and some claims carry much shorter notice rules. Which deadline applies depends on the facts of your case. That is a question to ask early, not later.
- Will this take over my life?
- Most of the work happens without you in the room. You will be asked for medical records and for your time at a few points along the way. The rest is the lawyer’s job, not yours.
- What is this going to cost me?
- Ask on the first call, and get a clear answer in writing before you agree to anything. You should never have to guess what a lawyer is going to charge you.
Who you would be talking to
Sean McDonough
Managing partner, Dougherty, Leventhal & Price
The firm keeps two offices, one in Kingston and one in Hazleton. Both are a short drive from the interstates that carry truck traffic through this part of the state.
Kingston
459 Wyoming Avenue
Kingston, PAHazleton
100 W Broad St, Suite 103
Hazleton, PA
Call, or send a short message
Calling is faster. If you are not up to talking, write a few lines and somebody will get back to you.
- Kingston
459 Wyoming Avenue, Kingston, PA - Hazleton
100 W Broad St, Suite 103, Hazleton, PA
This page is general information. It is not legal advice about your case, and reading it does not make anyone your lawyer.