Find Page

Pennsylvania Truck Accident Attorneys

Pennsylvania truck accidents may be governed by Pennsylvania or federal law, depending on whether the truck was involved in intrastate or interstate transport. Listed below are some Pennsylvania laws that affect truck accidents. For a more comprehensive list of truck laws, click here.


Large trucking companies and their insurance companies work quickly to protect themselves when one of their trucks is involved in an accident, often sending investigators directly to the scene.

To protect your rights, it's imperative to have knowledgeable legal council to begin investigating immediately, preserve evidence, and help you get the best possible result in pursuing your claim against the trucking company. E.J. Leizerman and Associates is a law firm that accepts semi truck accident cases across the country. In Pennsylvania, we associate with Munley, Munley, & Cartwright, a law firm that handles tractor-trailer accidents throughout the state. The Munley law firm consists of generations of the Munley family, including Matthew Cartwright. His many accomplishments include:


• graduate of University of Pennsylvania law school where he was editor of the Law Review
• Board Certified Civil Trade Advocate
• member of numerous state and national bar and civic organizations


Other members of the firm serve on the board of ATLA's Interstate Trucking Litigation Group and also have experience successfully handling catastrophic semi truck accidents.
E.J. Leizerman & Associates and Munley, Munley, & Cartwright are familiar with exceptions to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (title 49, Parts 350-399) that affect trucks operating only in Pennsylvania, as there are some situations where a tractor-trailer or other commercial motor vehicles are involved in only intrastate travel. For example, an appliance store in Reading may own a truck that only makes in-state deliveries.
The Pennsylvania Department of Public Safety has adopted Title 49, Parts 382-384 and 390-399 of the federal regulations with a few notable provisions, including:

Driver Qualification:

Pennsylvania has adopted Part 391 of the Federal Regulations with a few modifications. The age limit was altered: in Pennsylvania, a driver may be as young as 18 years old if he’s not transporting hazardous waste. Otherwise, he must be at least 21. Also, a driver who does not meet the physical qualifications to operate a commercial motor vehicle in Pennsylvania may apply for a waiver from the state.

Vehicle Marking/Identification:

Pennsylvania hasn’t adopted Sec. 390.21 of the Federal Regulations for intrastate operation. Intrastate vehicles under the jurisdiction of the Public Utility Commission, however, are subject to any applicable vehicle identification requirements issued by that agency.

Loads:

Pennsylvania has adopted Part 393 of the Federal Regulations, including regulations dealing with projecting and shifting or falling. In addition to the Federal Regulations, see 67 Pennsylvania Code Sec. 231.209 for requirements regarding projecting loads.

Crash reports are available from:

Crash Reports Unit
Bureau of Records and Identification
Pennsylvania State Police
1800 Elmerton Ave.
Harrisburg, PA 17110-9758
(717) 783-5516


If you have been involved in a truck accident in Pennsylvania, contact one of our Pennsylvania lawyers or attorneys to help you with more information or to answer any questions you have.

In the event this material is not deemed to fully comply with the provisions of the rules of professional conduct of any particular state, this firm will not accept clients or representation that derive from the distribution of this material within those jurisdictions.

"About one in sixteen (6.1%) hazmat inspections results in an out of service determination."

Learn more about State and Federal Trucking Laws