Collisions involving a big rig or commercial truck are frequent and almost invariably deadly. Consider the accident that involved a car and a dump truck. A small Honda Civic was heading east when a dump truck crossed over from the other side of the highway, ending up directly in the path of the Honda. The collision resulted in severe injuries to the driver of the Honda. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), in 2017, there were over 6,000 wrecks involving heavy trucks. Of that number, 2,860 people were injured, and 145 died. Truck accidents are frequently deadly. Large trucks can weigh up to 80,000 pounds when fully loaded. Trucks also are not capable of stopping quickly like passenger vehicles. For this reason, truck accident victims often suffer from serious or even deadly injuries. Often, accidents involving big rigs or other larger trucks can result in a passenger vehicle sliding under the rear or the side of the truck. These accidents are known as under-ride or side-ride accidents and are incredibly deadly. With growing awareness, the trucking industry is installing under-ride guards on trucks to prevent these types of accidents. Even in cases where the driver and or the passengers survive an accident with a large truck, the survivors will often not be able to return to work, may lose their job or may require around-the-clock care. Truck accidents are traumatic to those involved. In the aftermath of a truck accident, you may be confused, overwhelmed or unable to deal with filing a lawsuit for compensation. Moreover, it can be challenging to figure out who is liable for the accident. This is mainly due to the fact that truck accidents may involve multiple vehicles that exponentially increase the complexity of determining fault. While the trucker may be liable, there is also a good chance that the trucking company or the trucker's employer ends up sharing the liability for the wreck. An accident may also involve a number of different jurisdictions as well as federal and state laws if the truck is licensed in another state. A trucking company may be held liable for a truck accident for many reasons. Some reasons may include, but are not limited to:

• Demanding drivers stay on the road longer than the law allows
• Failing to perform preventative maintenance consistently
• Not conducting comprehensive maintenance inspections
• Not hiring fully qualified, properly trained drivers, or not training new drivers adequately
• Not properly training personnel who load the big rigs
• Overloading the truck or not strapping it down properly
• Not replacing old chains and straps

If you were injured or a family member was injured or killed in a truck accident caused by another party, you deserve compensation. At Melaragno, Pladici & Parini, we help accident survivors and their families recover compensation. We do not stop until we obtain justice for you and your family. Talk to us today.