Because of the hazard they can pose to other smaller vehicles on Pennsylvania roadways, truck drivers and companies are required to abide by multiple regulations to ensure the safety of everyone traveling around them. Although most of the regulations are well established, in many circumstances, drivers and companies neglect to follow them. Sadly, negligence can result in serious truck accidents often resulting in life-altering injuries and even death.
Even when a tractor-trailer is not in motion, a truck driver must follow several requirements to ensure safety. Limitations establish when and where a truck is allowed to be parked on the side of a road. Additionally, when a tractor-trailer is parked along the side of the road, bright colored cones and flares are required to be placed around the truck as a warning to other drivers.
Sadly, a man recently lost his life after crashing his SUV into a tractor-trailer on Interstate 78 in Pennsylvania. The SUV driver was pronounced dead at the scene, but a passenger may have survived after rescue crews were able to retrieve him or her from the vehicle. Apparently, the truck was not occupied, and was disabled at the time of the crash. Because the accident investigation is still pending, it is unknown if the trucker followed the requirements to place warning devices around the truck to warn other drivers.
Although, all drivers have a responsibility to be aware of their surroundings at all times, the presence of a large heavy tractor-trailer on the shoulder of a road can pose significant risk. For similar cases, personal injury attorneys in Pennsylvania can review the evidence of the case and advise if grounds exist for pursuing a claim of negligence in civil court. In many truck accidents, claims for compensation can be pursued through a wrongful death lawsuit to help recoup financial losses for medical and/or funeral expenses, among other documented damages.
Source: leighvalleylive.com, “1 dead as SUV becomes wedged under tractor trailer, cops say,” Pamela Sroka-Holzmann, Jan. 7, 2018
