Damage recovery after a school bus and a tanker crashed outside of Pittsburgh.
Pennsylvania – July 30, 2021
A collision between a school bus and a tanker occurred on Interstate 80, not too far from Pittsburgh, resulting in an oil tanker leaking cooking oil onto the highway, and injury to the school bus driver who was the only person in the school bus at the time of the accident. The right lane of the Interstate near the Pittsburgh and Erie exit was closed for about five miles until it was safely cleared. PennDOT reported 128 deaths related to heavy truck accidents in 2019, and referenced the average economic loss due to traffic crashes at $1,996 dollars per every person in Pennsylvania. Injured victims should speak with a bus accident attorney for guidance to address property loss and bodily harm.
Safety violations.
Commercial trucking companies are deadline-imposed businesses, and drivers may be susceptible to safety violations caused by fatigued driving, or overloaded cargo, that increase the chance, and severity of an accident. Pennsylvania commercial trucking and federal regulations require limitations to drivers’ hours, tractor-trailer truck inspections, and regular maintenance, in addition to requirements to carry various levels of insurance coverage based on the transported cargo and size of the vehicle. A truck accident attorney can outline the impact of violations and insurance coverage amounts on award compensation for an accident case outcome.
School buses.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, school buses are the safest vehicles on the road and children are safer taking buses to school than traveling by car. Safety standards for school buses are higher than regular government controlled transit and private buses.
Causation.
Elements that impact the occurrence of a truck and bus crash may include driver training and experience, vehicle design and manufacture, highway conditions and traffic signaling, along with weather conditions. Crash reconstruction experts usually conclude that a crash is not the result of one single factor, but a culmination of external factors, in concert with the driver’s ability to navigate immediate unplanned dangers, such as a slick roadway, a blown tire, or engine malfunction. It is important to utilize the services of a truck accident attorney who has an expert team that can be valuable to fault determination.
Long term impacts.
Victims of a bus crash with a large truck resulting in lost wages, physical pain, change in lifestyle, or wrongful death to a loved one may be entitled to a higher level of compensation for their damages. Catastrophic injury stemming from truck accidents may include wrongful death claims, brain and spine injuries and amputations, to name a few of those that are life-altering events that cause extended emotional, physical and financial strain for long periods of time, and can be dangerous to the future stability of an individual, or their family.
Negligence.
An accident lawyer can explain Pennsylvania negligence laws that stipulate assigned accident damages are proportionate to a claimant’s degree of fault in a car accident under comparative negligence and the 51% rule, where an injured person can be up to 50% responsible for an accident and still collect damages in a personal injury claim. Call an accident attorney in the Pittsburgh area to assist in the determination of “fault” and take actions to effectively communicate with an insurance company, or initiate a lawsuit.
Seek legal counsel.
Accident victims, and/or loved ones who have suffered injury from a crash involving a heavy truck would benefit from the services of a skilled truck accident lawyer. Scanlon & Wojton will fight for comprehensive damage awards for personal injuries and property damage reimbursement after a bus and truck crash in Pennsylvania.
Scanlon & Wojton, Attorneys at Law
The Mitchell Building
304 Ross Street, Suite 510
Pittsburgh, Pa 15219
Phone: (412) 918-1241
Fax: (412) 235-7275
Sources:
https://www.penndot.gov/TravelInPA/Safety/Documents/2019_CFB_linked.pdf
https://www.legis.state.pa.us/WU01/LI/LI/CT/HTM/42/00.071.002.000..HTM
https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/safety/data-and-statistics/large-truck-and-bus-crash-facts
