Two people were trapped in their car and had to be rescued by EMS in a crash that occurred around 7 a.m. Sunday, April 7, 2019. A car traveling westbound on the Atlantic Expressway slammed into a parked tractor trailer and slid under the back pinning two inside.
In all three people were injured all occupants of the car. One had to airlifted to Cooper Hospital in critical condition, and the other two were sent there by ambulance. According to police at the scene, the westbound lanes had to be shut down to rescue the victims, and they were reopened by 11:30 a.m.
Semi-Truck Accidents
Semi-trucks are big and can do a lot of damage when they collide with a passenger car. A fully loaded tractor trailer can weigh up to 80,000 outweighing a typical sedan over 20 times. With this advantage, it’s no surprise that the occupants of the car are at much greater risk of death and injury.
According to a study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, when large trucks collide with passenger cars, those in the cars get seriously injured or killed 68 percent of the time while the occupants of the truck are victimized only 17 percent of the time.
Commercial Truck Liability
Because of the danger trucks pose on the road, they are held to a high standard of care when operating their rig on the nation’s roads and highways. Simple things like changing lanes or pulling over and stopping on a freeway shoulder must be done so that others around them can remain safe.
Although we don’t know who was at fault in the above-mentioned crash, when a semi is parked on the side of the road, it poses a danger to passing cars who might also want to pull over or who happen to drift a bit off the road.
A court might determine that the truck driver should have put out safety reflectors or flares to alert others that they were parked on the shoulder. The standard the court uses is what would a prudent truck driver do in the same circumstance? If the driver didn’t follow those standards, then that driver might be held liable.
What Should I do if I’m Injured by a Commercial Truck?
The best thing to do is to talk to an attorney who is knowledgeable and experienced in truck accidents. Don’t assume the wreck was your fault, and don’t talk to the insurance company or their attorneys before you speak to an attorney.
If you are a passenger in a car that is injured in a truck accident, then you should also speak to an attorney who can find the best source of compensation for your injuries. As a passenger, the driver of your car is potentially responsible for your injuries, also, there may be insurance provisions on your own policy that can be used even if you weren’t driving.
Contact the Right Attorney Today
You need to talk to a Truck Accident Lawyer today to go over your case and find out how best to get the compensation you deserve for your injuries. Don’t talk to a cookie-cutter one size fits all firm, but get help form a firm that has a track record of helping those injured in truck accidents. Talk to the attorneys at Pearce Law Firm, P.C. at (215) 557-6868 or text at 215 880 6164, and start getting someone in your corner. You can also contact us online by clicking here.