Vehicle accidents are not uncommon throughout Philadelphia. However, there are many different types of accidents that occur that can affect our visitors and residents. In particular, we know that traditional vehicle accidents occur regularly, but so do accidents involving commercial trucks. On the surface, it may seem like these types of collisions are handled the same way, but the reality is that a truck crash case does differ from a car accident case in Philadelphia. Here, we want to discuss the main differences between these two types of collisions and why this matters if you are involved in a crash.
Differences Between Injury Severity
Data available from the Federal Highway Administration shows that a large commercial truck can weigh as much as 80,000 pounds when fully loaded. Often, these vehicles reach 75 feet in length. Commercial trucks of this size and weight can have a devastating impact on passengers inside traditional vehicles when a collision occurs. While any vehicle crash can cause injuries, crashes involving large commercial trucks often lead to the following:
- Broken and dislocated bones
- Severe traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord trauma with paralysis
- Internal organ damage or internal bleeding
- Crush injuries or amputations
- Significant blood loss
- Massive scarring or disfigurement
Differences Between Insurance and Other Parties
Accidents involving large commercial trucks are going to involve more parties than accidents involving only traditional passenger vehicles. Aside from the drivers and passengers inside traditional vehicles and their insurance carriers, these crashes will also include the truck driver, the trucking company’s insurance carrier, and likely attorneys for the trucking company.
This creates an entirely different dynamic because the trucking company often comes stacked with resources that they will use in an effort to limit their liability. This can place crash victims in a precarious situation.
Differences Between Investigations
Investigations into large commercial truck crashes are much more extensive. Commercial truck drivers and trucking companies are regulated by both the federal government and state agencies. Drivers and companies have to abide by fairly strict laws, and there are various types of electronic logging devices that keep track of whether or not they are following the appropriate regulations. An investigation into these cases will need to dig into all of the electronic logs maintained by the driver and the company.
Additionally, the sheer size and weight of these vehicles often mean that the accident scene is much larger. This can lead to a significant amount of evidence that needs to be sorted through when determining exactly what happened at the scene of the crash.
Will You Need an Attorney?
Those involved in traditional accidents do not always need an attorney in order to recover the compensation they need. However, we will always recommend that commercial truck crash victims seek assistance from a skilled Philadelphia truck accident attorney who can help them throughout this entire process. Those operating in traditional vehicles involved in collisions with commercial trucks are often at a significant disadvantage when it comes to resources. However, an attorney can level the playing field and will be able to use the full resources of their office to conduct an investigation and stand up to aggressive trucking companies and their insurance carriers.