Truck accident
Truck Accident Attorneys in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
The firms in this guide
- Shenderovich, Shenderovich & Fishman, P.C. Call Shenderovich, Shenderovich & Fishman, P.C.: (412) 391-7610
- Goodrich & Geist, P.C. Call Goodrich & Geist, P.C.: (412) 766-1455
- Berger and Green Call Berger and Green: (412) 661-1400
- Phil DiLucente & Associates, LLC
- Rosen & Perry Call Rosen & Perry: (412) 281-4200
1. Shenderovich, Shenderovich & Fishman, P.C.
Practice Focus: Truck accidents, 18-wheeler accidents, semi-truck collisions, tractor-trailer accidents, commercial truck accidents, cargo truck accidents, delivery truck accidents, dump truck accidents, garbage truck accidents, blind spot truck accidents, overloaded truck accidents, wrongful death from truck accidents
Case Types Handled: Truck driver error accidents, truck driver fatigue accidents, truck driver substance abuse accidents, equipment failure accidents, improper cargo weight distribution accidents, jackknife accidents, rollover accidents, underride accidents, rear-end collisions, head-on collisions, wide turn accidents
Legal Services: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulations investigation, trucking company negligence claims, driver negligence claims, hours of service violation investigation, electronic logging device (ELD) data analysis, black box data retrieval, insurance claim negotiation, litigation, trial representation, settlement negotiations, wrongful death claims, punitive damage claims
Background: The firm achieved the largest verdict in a motor vehicle-related death case in the history of Washington County. Partners include Craig L. Fishman, Edward A. Shenderovich, and O. Alex Shenderovich. The firm has secured a $1.3 million settlement for the estate of a woman killed in a tractor trailer accident and a $1.3 million settlement for a man who was run over by a dump truck on a construction site. The firm reports a 99.7% success rate in personal injury cases.
Location: 500 Grant Street, Suite 800, Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Contact: (412) 391-7610 | https://www.ssf-lawfirm.com/
Consultation: Free consultation available 24/7 including nights and weekends. Contingency fee arrangement with no fee unless recovery is obtained.
2. Goodrich & Geist, P.C.
Practice Focus: Truck accidents, semi-truck accidents, 18-wheeler collisions, commercial vehicle accidents, construction truck accidents, dump truck accidents, DUI truck accidents, fatigued driving truck accidents, improper truck maintenance accidents, wrongful death from truck accidents
Case Types Handled: Truck accidents due to company negligence, rollover accidents, jackknife accidents, underride accidents, rear-end collisions, head-on collisions, wide turn accidents, blind spot accidents, equipment failure accidents, driver error accidents
Legal Services: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSR) compliance investigation, driver log analysis, load manifest review, truck electronic data recorder analysis, truck inspection and maintenance records review, dispatch records investigation, accident reconstruction, expert witness coordination, insurance claim negotiation, litigation, trial representation, settlement negotiations
Background: Joshua P. Geist, Esq. and William F. Goodrich, Esq. are the firm’s principal attorneys. The firm has extensive experience in trucking litigation and works with accident reconstruction and trucking industry experts. Bianca M. DiNardo, Esq. is also an attorney with the firm.
Location: 3213 W Liberty Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15216
Contact: (412) 766-1455 | https://goodrichandgeist.com/
Consultation: Free case evaluation. Contingency fee arrangement available.
3. Berger and Green
Practice Focus: Truck accidents, 18-wheeler accidents, commercial vehicle accidents, semi-truck collisions, tractor-trailer accidents, delivery truck accidents, wrongful death from truck accidents, catastrophic injuries from trucking collisions
Case Types Handled: Rollover accidents, jackknife accidents, underride accidents, rear-end collisions, head-on collisions, wide turn accidents, blind spot accidents, brake failure accidents, tire blowout accidents, driver fatigue accidents, overloaded truck accidents
Legal Services: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSR) compliance investigation, trucking company negligence claims, driver negligence claims, hours of service violation investigation, insurance claim negotiation, litigation, trial representation, settlement negotiations, wrongful death claims, punitive damage claims, limited tort exception analysis
Background: The firm has over 40 years of experience serving injured clients in Pittsburgh and across Pennsylvania. The firm has secured millions of dollars for commercial vehicle accident victims. The firm is prepared to take cases to trial when insurers refuse fair settlements.
Location: 436 Seventh Avenue, Suite 2001, Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Contact: (412) 661-1400 | https://www.bergerandgreen.com/
Consultation: Free case evaluation. Home and hospital visits available. Contingency fee arrangement with no fee unless recovery is obtained.
4. Phil DiLucente & Associates, LLC
Practice Focus: Truck accidents, tractor-trailer accidents, commercial vehicle accidents, 18-wheeler collisions, semi-truck accidents, wrongful death from truck accidents, catastrophic injuries from trucking collisions
Case Types Handled: Rollover accidents, jackknife accidents, underride accidents, rear-end collisions, head-on collisions, wide turn accidents, speed-related accidents, driver fatigue accidents, improperly loaded cargo accidents, equipment failure accidents
Legal Services: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSR) compliance investigation, maintenance records investigation, defective part investigation, trucking company negligence claims, driver negligence claims, insurance claim negotiation, litigation, trial representation, settlement negotiations, wrongful death claims, medical expense recovery, lost wage claims, pain and suffering claims
Background: The firm has over 60 years of combined legal experience among its attorneys. The firm serves Western Pennsylvanians injured in collisions with trucks and other commercial vehicles. The firm examines physical evidence and maintenance records to identify all liable parties, including fleet owners and manufacturers.
Location: 310 Grant Street, Suite 1801, Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Contact: 1-800-GET-PHIL | https://www.getphil.com/
Consultation: Free consultation available. The firm represents clients throughout Allegheny County and Western Pennsylvania.
5. Rosen & Perry
Practice Focus: Truck accidents, commercial vehicle accidents, tractor-trailer accidents, 18-wheeler collisions, semi-truck accidents, wrongful death from truck accidents, catastrophic injuries from trucking collisions
Case Types Handled: Highway truck accidents, Pennsylvania Turnpike collisions, city street truck accidents, parking lot truck accidents, jackknife accidents, rollover accidents, underride accidents, rear-end collisions, head-on collisions, wide turn accidents
Legal Services: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSR) compliance investigation, driver log preservation, black box recorder data preservation, maintenance records investigation, accident reconstruction, insurance claim negotiation, litigation, trial representation, settlement negotiations, wrongful death claims, punitive damage claims
Background: The firm has obtained many of the highest verdicts and settlements in Pennsylvania and nationally in truck accident cases. Rosen & Perry was recognized as having the 58th largest verdict in the entire United States. The firm specializes in cases with significant injuries and damages. The firm has successfully litigated trucking accidents throughout Pennsylvania with seven-figure verdicts and settlements.
Location: Two Gateway Center, Suite 950, Pittsburgh, PA 15222
Contact: (412) 281-4200 | https://www.caringlawyers.com/
Consultation: Free consultation available. The firm handles motor vehicle accident cases throughout Pennsylvania.
Federal Trucking Rules and Pennsylvania Law in Pittsburgh Truck Cases
A crash with a commercial truck in Pittsburgh brings in two sets of rules: the federal motor carrier regulations in Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations, which govern the truck and the company operating it, and Pennsylvania law, which sets the filing deadline, the fault rule and the injured person’s own insurance options.
Insurance the Carrier Must Have
Under 49 CFR § 387.9, a for-hire carrier hauling nonhazardous property in interstate or foreign commerce with vehicles rated at 10,001 pounds or more must carry at least $750,000 in public liability coverage. For oil and listed hazardous materials the same table sets $1,000,000, and for hazardous substances in bulk and certain other listed materials $5,000,000, for private as well as for-hire carriers. Section 387.7 bars a carrier from operating without that coverage and makes the proof (an MCS-90 endorsement, an MCS-82 surety bond or FMCSA self-insurance authorization) public information to be produced on reasonable request.
Driving Limits and How Long Records Are Kept
49 CFR § 395.3 allows a property-carrying driver 11 hours of driving within a 14-hour window that begins after 10 consecutive hours off duty, and requires a 30-minute break after 8 hours of driving, subject to the exceptions in § 395.1. Whether those limits were kept is shown by records that do not last indefinitely: § 395.8(k) requires the carrier to retain duty status records and supporting documents for at least six months from receipt, § 396.3 requires inspection and maintenance records to be kept for one year where the vehicle is housed or maintained and for six months after it leaves the carrier’s control, and § 390.15 requires an accident register to be kept for three years after each accident.
Pennsylvania Rules That Apply to the Same Crash
42 Pa.C.S. § 5524(2) requires a negligence action for injury or death to be commenced within two years. Under § 7102(a), the injured person’s own negligence does not bar recovery if it was not greater than the causal negligence of the defendants sued, and the award is reduced by that share. When a driver and a carrier are both found liable, § 7102(a.1) makes each defendant liable for its own proportion, with joint and several liability for a defendant held liable for at least 60 percent of the total. A limited tort insured hit by a truck registered in another state may recover as if full tort had been chosen, under 75 Pa.C.S. § 1705(d)(1)(ii).
Pittsburgh Truck Accident Questions
Is the truck driver tested for alcohol and drugs after a crash?
Yes, after listed crashes. 49 CFR § 382.303 requires the carrier to test each surviving driver for alcohol and controlled substances as soon as practicable after a crash involving a death. After a crash in which someone is immediately treated away from the scene or a vehicle is towed away with disabling damage, testing is required when the truck driver receives a citation for a moving traffic violation arising from the crash (within 8 hours for the alcohol test, within 32 hours for the drug test). If an alcohol test is not given within 8 hours, or a drug test within 32 hours, the carrier must stop trying and keep a record of the reasons, and nothing in the rule requires a delay in necessary medical attention.
Which vehicles count as commercial motor vehicles under these rules?
49 CFR § 390.5 covers a self-propelled or towed vehicle used on a highway in interstate commerce to transport passengers or property when it has a weight rating or weight of 10,001 pounds or more, is designed or used to carry more than 8 passengers for compensation or more than 15 passengers without compensation, or carries hazardous material in a quantity requiring placards. The interstate commerce element is part of the definition itself.
What blood alcohol level is prohibited for a truck driver on duty?
49 CFR § 382.201 bars a driver covered by the federal testing rules from reporting for or remaining on safety-sensitive duty with an alcohol concentration of 0.04 or greater.
Does a claim against a public agency’s truck have a shorter first deadline?
Yes. 42 Pa.C.S. § 5522 requires a written statement to be filed in the office of the government unit within six months of the injury before a lawsuit against it, naming the claimant, the injured person, the date, hour and approximate location of the accident and any attending physician.