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Pennsylvania Automobile Accident Lawyers
Automobile accidents are an unfortunate reality on Pennsylvania roadways. On average, 15 car crashes occur every hour in our state. According to the PA Department of Transportation, there were more than 128,000 traffic accidents during 2006 – resulting in one death every six hours.
Car accidents can happen in almost any traffic situation. In Pennsylvania, factors that lead to car crashes include:
- Speeding
- Drunk drivers
- Improper turning
- Careless or illegal passing
- Driver distraction
- Proceeding without clearance
- Tailgating
- Weather conditions
- Vehicle defects, such as wheel or brake failures
- Driver fatigue
In general, most car accidents tend to occur during weekends, holidays and peak traffic times. When roadways are busy, people forget to observe important safety rules and impatience or inattention can result in dangerous collisions. Car crashes can cause very serious injuries, including:
- Head trauma, such as concussion or traumatic brain injury
- Spinal cord injury
- Broken bones
- Loss of limbs
- Paralysis
When such injuries occur, Pennsylvania liability and insurance laws come into play. If you are injured because of another driver’s actions or negligence in an automobile collision, you may be able to file a legal claim if your situation meets one of the following qualifications:
- You suffer a permanent and serious disfigurement
- One of your bones is broken
- You lose use of one of your major senses, such as sight, taste, hearing or smell
- You have lost a limb
- Your injuries have resulted in medical expenses of more than $2,000 (that amount is generally covered by
- Personal Injury Protection (PIP) policies)
Many people aren’t aware that their own insurance companies may provide some coverage for injury-related costs. If you are hurt in a car wreck, your auto insurance company is required to pay your medical bills up to the amount of coverage you purchased. The minimum by law is $5,000, but you can elect to buy a higher amount of medical bill coverage. You can also purchase wage loss coverage, which covers up to 80% of your gross income if your injuries prevent you from working.
Other insurance coverage you can purchase includes underinsured and uninsured motorist coverage. These policies protect you if the driver who caused your accident lacks insurance, or if his coverage isn’t enough to pay for your injury-related bills. Many drivers fail to take these additional policy options into account, assuming that the other driver’s coverage will be adequate – but that is often not the case.
Regardless of what type of coverage you or the other driver has, be wary of signing anything from the other driver’s insurance company without consulting with a Pennsylvania automobile accident attorney. The insurance company may try to minimize their own costs by denying your claim or offering an insufficient settlement. A PA car accident lawyer at Munley, Munley & Cartwright will review the facts of your accident, advise you of your legal rights and recommend a course of action designed to obtain the maximum compensation for your injuries.
The PA automobile accident lawyers at Munley, Munley & Cartwright, P.C. have more than 40 years of experience in handling car accident, truck accident, personal injury and wrongful death cases. Our goal is to provide exceptional legal services to our clients. We strive to achieve the highest standard of excellence for the protection of individual rights through teamwork and the use of our considerable resources and experience.
We have offices conveniently located in Scranton, Stroudsburg, Carbondale, Plains, Hazleton, Harrisburg and Hamlin, PA. If you have been injured as a result of an automobile accident in Pennsylvania, please contact us online or by telephone at (800) 318-LAW1 for a free review of your case.
Our firm has received numerous professional awards and recognition, but we are most proud of our strong commitment to the victims we represent. For more information about our Pennsylvania auto accident lawyers and firm, please visit http://www.munley.com.
