DUI truck accidents combine two terrible risk factors for severe injuries: the weight differential between cars and trucks (trucks are 20 to 30 times heavier) and the impairment of the truck driver. If you have been seriously injured in a DUI truck accident, you deserve substantial compensation. The skilled attorneys at Cooper Schall & Levy will do everything in their power to see that you receive it. From our office in Philadelphia, we serve clients throughout the city and in the surrounding counties of Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
We know that a DUI truck accident is overwhelming and life-altering and that you are likely suffering not only from physical and emotional trauma but from financial stress as bills rolls in while you are out of commission. For this reason, we will provide you with a free consultation to determine whether you have a viable case. And once you become our client, we will charge you no attorney fees until we recover damages.
How DUI Makes a Truck Accident More Likely and More Dangerous
Impairment by alcohol or drugs not only makes a truck driver more liable to collide with another vehicle. It also makes that driver less able to lessen the degree of impact. This is because impaired individuals have:
- Impaired vision
- Drowsiness
- Slow reaction time
- Slow involuntary reflexes
- Impaired cognitive function
- Impaired eye/hand/foot coordination
- Delayed ability to judge speed or distance
- Impaired ability to focus or concentrate
These impairments reduce the truck driver’s ability to see you approach, gauge your speed or distance, navigate a curve, or maneuver quickly to avoid a collision. They also make the truck driver more likely to speed, drive recklessly, drift out of the traffic lane, fail to brake or steer away or fall asleep at the wheel.
When Is a Trucking Company Liable for a DUI Truck Accident?
Large trucking corporations have been known to put their profit margin ahead of investing in safety by:
- Failing to properly vet their drivers
- Putting drivers on the road who are not sufficiently experienced
- Pressuring their drivers to keep to grueling schedules or providing them with too few breaks, thereby making them fatigued
- Failing to maintain their vehicles properly
- Loading their vehicles without carefully balancing their loads
Since when it comes to recovering damages, trucking companies have far deeper pockets than individual truck drivers, wherever possible our DUI truck accident attorneys target both parties.
Third Parties May Also Be Legally Liable for Your DUI Truck Accident Injuries
In some cases, third parties like those listed below also bear fault for a DUI truck accident, such as when:
- Loaders or shippers under contract to the trucking company are careless or reckless
- County, state, or federal municipalities have done a poor job of maintaining roads, medians or traffic signals
- Manufacturers of trucks or vehicle parts have produced defective parts
- Automotive repair companies have performed faulty or incomplete repairs
- Third-party motorists have committed traffic violations that contributed to the accident
Injuries Caused by DUI Truck Accidents
In many cases, DUI truck accidents, especially those with tractor-trailers may include collisions with multiple cars at high speeds. These crashes can result in fires or even explosions and increase the number of traumatic injuries. Victims may suffer:
- Crush injuries
- Hemorrhage
- Back and neck injuries
- Severe burns and disfigurement
- Spinal cord injuries (e.g paralysis)
- Amputations/damage or loss of organs
- Neurological damage
- Internal bleeding
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
DUI truck accident victims often require multiple surgeries, skin grafts, and long-term rehabilitation. A great many suffer permanent disability and some wrongful death. Whether you are the injured party or have lost a loved one to wrongful death in a DUI truck accident, Cooper Schall & Levy will provide you with the powerful legal representation and moral support you need.
Damages We Will Fight Aggressively to Recover
We are well aware that whatever type of injuries you have sustained in a DUI truck accident, you will need the funds a well-crafted settlement or positive verdict will provide to pay for:
- Your medical and rehabilitative costs
- Your lost income, present and future
- Your lost earning capacity
- Your permanent disability or disfigurement
- Repair or replacement of your vehicle
- Alterations to make your home accessible
- Replacement services (e.g. cleaning, childcare)
- Your pain and suffering
- Your diminished quality of life
If your case involves a wrongful death, we will work tenaciously to bring you the resources you need to help you cope with your terrible loss, including damages for final medical costs, funeral/burial/cremation expenses, and deprivation of financial and emotional support. In cases in which the defendant’s behavior was especially egregious, the court may award punitive damages as well.
Why Cooper Schall & Levy Is the Best Choice in the Philadelphia Area
Our DUI truck accident attorneys have a great deal to offer, including:
- Decades of experience and a fine track record of successful outcomes
- Ability to thoroughly investigate police records, medical reports, forensic evidence, and any past incidents of misconduct on the part of defendants
- Excellent negotiation and litigation skills
- Ability to identify and interview witnesses
- Network of experts (e.g. accident reconstruction, mechanics, medicine) to consult
Our personal injury attorneys have a well-earned reputation for being sharp and tenacious during out-of-court negotiations as well as during trials. Because we have in-depth knowledge of DUI law and the intricacies of truck accidents, we know how to present your case most persuasively to give you the best chance of winning maximum compensation.
Contact Our Experienced DUI Truck Accident Attorneys Today
If you are living in the painful aftermath of a DUI truck accident, you need a knowledgeable attorney to take over the legal battle that must be waged to bring you the meaningful compensation you deserve. Contact us now so we can begin creating a winning strategy for your case.
Cooper Schall & Levy attorneys have been successfully fighting for the rights of Philadelphia DUI truck accident victims for over 60 years.
