Cumberland County Truck Accident Attorneys

FIGHTING FOR CUMBERLAND COUNTY TRUCK ACCIDENT VICTIMS

Trucks are in a different weight class than cars — and when they get into accidents, the damage is usually much greater as well.

Trucks can outweigh passenger cars by 20–30 times. But that still doesn’t explain the reason that highway truck safety is a growing crisis.

In 2009, 3,211 large trucks were involved in fatal crashes. In 2019, over 5,000 trucks were involved in highway fatalities. This isn’t just a case of more trucks on the road — the rate of fatal crashes per mile traveled has gone up nearly as much, coming in at a full 50 percent. This is in the context of overall highway deaths dropping, to its lowest rate since 2014.

If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in a truck accident, you deserve to know the facts. Contact the skilled personal injury lawyers at Richard Hollawell to learn how our lawyers can help you make your case.

Contact our Cumberland County lawyers today at 1-800-681-3550 or using the form below for a free consultation.

At the Crossroads of Philadelphia and Atlantic City

Cumberland County is a small New Jersey county next to two large population centers. Unfortunately, its location is often seen as a crossroads — which trucks on a busy schedule want to drive through as fast as possible.

Kept on strict schedules, trucks have always pushed speed limits. And with overall speeds increasing during the pandemic, the potential for disaster has increased.

Between April and July 2020, Philadelphia saw travel speeds on interstates and highways increase by more than 60 percent. 

Traffic research company Inrix reached this finding by looking at Philadelphia crash data. As Cumberland County borders on the Philadelphia metro area, this is directly relevant.

Cumberland County Truck Accidents Have Been Deadly

In December 2020, two trucks collided on Route 47 in Maurice River Township.

The person who suffered the consequences was a driver in the opposing lane, hit head-on when one of the trucks crossed the median.

The driver, a 72-year-old man in a Chevrolet Equinox, was pronounced dead on the scene.

Such deadly accidents aren’t unknown in Cumberland County. Its lack of population density makes for faster, more reckless driving — with fatal consequences.

The Most Common Injuries Sustained in Truck Accidents

Truck crash injuries can come in many forms. Some of the most common injuries we see include the following:  

• Brain and Head Injuries. Head injuries are one of the most common results of truck accidents.
• Chest and Abdominal Injuries. Vital internal organs like the heart, liver, and kidneys may also be impacted in a truck crash.
• Knee and Leg Injuries. The sudden impacts of truck crashes often affect the lower body through joint damage and broken bones.
• Neck Injuries. The neck connects the brain and body — injuries here can be frightening and debilitating. They can trigger paralysis, chronic pain, incontinence, emotional disorders, and much more.
• Rollover Injuries. When a truck rolls over, it’s much more likely to cause harm. 
• Tire Blowout Injuries. Tire blowouts can result in unpredictable injuries. These accidents can have complicated liability.
• Whiplash. Whiplash is a neck injury caused by a sudden snapping motion during a crash. The soft tissue in the neck tears and swells in the accident, though it may go undetected.

Sorting Out Truck Accident Liability

Sorting out liability for a trucking accident quickly becomes complicated. There are several different parties that could be responsible for the crash — which equals many different people or entities to bring a lawsuit against. 

A commercial trucking accident lawsuit could involve:

• The truck driver 
• The driver’s employer
• The trucking company
• The manufacturer of the truck
• Manufacturer of the truck’s tires
• Sub-contractors

 The insurance companies for each of these different entities may get involved as well.

It’s important to act quickly if you suffered injuries from a truck accident. The liability laws involving truck accidents have a statute of limitations, meaning your case must be brought within a specific amount of time from the date of the accident. On top of this, the other parties involved may be using any extra time to work against your case.

When to Contact An Experienced Car Accident Attorneys

If you or a loved one were involved in a truck accident in NJ, time is of the essence. Pursuing legal action and compensation is a complex task that you’ll likely need an expert accident lawyer to help navigate.

The statute of limitations in most New Jersey cases is two years.

Contact the lawyers at Richard Hollawell today at 1-800-681-3550, or fill out our contact form. We will start looking into your case immediately.