Lancaster Car Accidents

Car Accident Attorneys in Lancaster, PA

Experienced representation for drivers, passengers, and others injured in a crash in Lancaster County

Numerous state highways pass through Lancaster, taking passengers to Harrisburg, Pittsburgh, York, and Philadelphia. Many roads are local roads noted for their scenery and rustic charms. Lancaster is also home to the Pennsylvania Dutch, which means that in addition to cars, trucks, and motorcycles – you’re likely to see more than a few buggies too.

Whether you are passing through, traveling to your job, shopping, or enjoying the local charms – your life can change in an instant if a car accident occurs. Many car accident victims suffer traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, fractured bones, soft tissues, and other types of serious injuries.

At KBG Injury Law, our Lancaster car accident lawyers have nearly 40 years of experience fighting for drivers, passengers, and other car accident victims. Our lawyers are skilled at showing how the crash happened and who is responsible. We pay attention to all the intricate details to help ensure you obtain the maximum settlement or verdict possible. While we settle many car accident cases, we are always ready to try your case in court.

Practice Areas

Lancaster Car Accidents B

How can we help you today?

What types of car accident cases do you handle?

Our Lancaster personal injury attorneys are experienced trial lawyers. We work with a team of professionals, including investigators, traffic reconstruction experts, car appraisers, and others to determine who caused your accident and why they should be held responsible. The way an accident occurs often determines who is at fault and what type of injuries the victims are likely to have. Some of the many types of car accident cases we handle include:

  • Head-on collisions. These crashes often happen when a drunk or distracted driver is traveling the wrong way. Head-on crashes at intersections are also common.
  • T-bone crashes. These car accidents, also called broadside crashes, occur when the front of one car rams the side of another car. The driver whose front is damaged is almost always at fault.
  • Sideswipe collisions. These accidents occur when the sides of two cars collide – often when one car is trying to pass the other car or when one car is trying to merge into the other car’s lane of traffic.
  • Multi-car crashes. These Lancaster car accidents may be due to a chain reaction or when cars try to avoid other cars that have already crashed.
  • Rear-end crashes. Drivers who are speeding or distracted are likely to strike a car that is stopped at an intersection or stop sign. Whiplash is a common rear-end accident injury.
  • Hit-and-run accidents. Drivers in Lancaster must stop and render assistance if they strike another car and cause death, physical harm, or damage to any vehicles.

Our Lancaster car accident attorneys also handle single-car accidents, rollovers, and any other type of car accident.

Car accidents are often deadly. They occur at frightening rates. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, in 2020:

    • More than 1,100 people died.
    • 146 pedestrians were killed.
    • More than 60,000 people suffered injuries.
    • In nearly three-quarters of accidents, there were no adverse weather conditions

What are common causes of Lancaster, PA car accidents?

Many accidents are due to drivers failing to obey the traffic laws, driving too fast for conditions, or being irresponsible. Some of the many reasons negligent drivers cause accidents in Lancaster include:

  • Distracted driving. Driver distraction includes any activity that takes a driver’s eyes off the road, hands off the steering wheel, and mind off of traffic. Examples include texting while driving, talking on the smartphone, looking at a GPS system, eating, drinking, and personal grooming.
  • Driver intoxication. Too many drivers drink and drive. In Pennsylvania, anyone who has a blood alcohol content level of .08 or more can be charged with a DUI and is considered to be an impaired driver.
  • Traffic violations. Traffic laws are designed to protect the driving public. Drivers who speed, fail to yield, run through red lights, and violate other traffic laws deserve to be held accountable for the deaths and injuries they cause.
  • Driving too fast for weather conditions. If it is snowing, raining, too sunny, or foggy, drivers need to adjust their speed for traffic conditions.

There are many other ways drivers may be negligent, such as driving while fatigued. Motorists need to adjust their driving for heavy traffic conditions. Teenage drivers often take too many chances. Some seniors may need to stop driving.

What are my rights when filing a car accident claim?

Pennsylvania offers car owners the option of choosing a full tort or limited tort option when buying insurance. Full tort option means that you've elected to keep your full rights under the law. Limited tort option means that you've given up some of your rights in exchange for slightly lower premiums. If you are injured in an accident and have full tort option, then you're able to collect all of the compensation the law allows without limitation, including compensation for pain, suffering, and loss of the enjoyment of life resulting from your physical injuries. If you are injured in an accident and have limited tort option, then you're able to collect your economic losses, like wage loss and medical expenses, without limitation BUT you can only collect compensation for your physical injuries if you've suffered a serious injury, or fall into another narrow exception. While death, dismemberment, and disfigurement are all easily recognized as serious injuries, most people are shocked to find out what insurance companies don't consider to be serious injuries. The law defines a serious injury as a "serious impairment of body function" – which doesn't give much guidance as to what really is a serious injury, and leaves a lot of room for insurance companies to fight over the seriousness of injuries as they try to pay as little as possible in compensation.

Other complications include:

  • The right of non-owner victims to file a claim.
  • The right of victims who do qualify to file a “tort” claim to seek uninsured/underinsured benefits.
  • The right to seek collision damages if the victim’s car is covered.

Who is liable for my Lancaster, PA car accident?

At KBG Injury Law, our Lancaster car accident lawyers file claims against everyone who causes your accident. Defendants may include:

  • The driver who caused your accident.
  • The owner of the car that hit you – if the owner is different than the driver.
  • The manufacturer of any defective car parts may be strictly liable for any accidents that are due to the defect.
  • The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, Lancaster County, or any entity responsible for the design and maintenance of the Lancaster road where the car accident occurred.
  • A seller of alcohol to a driver who was a minor or was visibly intoxicated, if the intoxication is the cause of the accident.

Other defendants may also be liable.

sub-photo

What are common car accident injuries?

Some car accident victims may be ejected from their vehicles. Drivers and passengers may strike the dashboard or other parts of the car. The windshield or other parts may shatter, causing penetrating injuries. Even when drivers have a seatbelt and an airbag, these protective devices may not work, or the passenger may suffer whiplash.

Some of the injuries our Lancaster car accident lawyers handle include.

  • Traumatic brain injuries
  • The loss of a leg, arm, or another body part
  • Spinal cord damage which may cause paralysis
  • Burn injuries
  • Broken bones
  • Damage to muscles, ligaments, nerves, and tissue
  • Hearing loss
  • Vision loss
  • Cuts and bruises
  • Internal organ damage
  • Back, shoulder, and neck injuries
  • Scarring and disfigurement
  • Death

Many victims require ER care and surgery. Most injuries require long-term physical therapy, occupational therapy, and other types of rehabilitation. At KBG Injury Law, our Lancaster car accident lawyers represent victims of catastrophic and permanent injuries. We represent victims who suffer injuries that heal with a great amount of medical care. Our lawyers also represent families when a loved one tragically dies.

What should I do if I am in a car accident in Lancaster, PA?

The auto accident claims process really does begin at the scene of the accident. Getting in an accident can be physically, mentally, and emotionally jarring, but it’s critical that you take the following steps to responsibly handle the incident:

  • First, check and see if everybody in your car is okay. Then, check on the passengers in the other car. If anyone appears to be injured, call 911 immediately. Even minor accidents can cause severe injury sometimes. It’s not only important to seek prompt medical attention for health reasons, but also because it plays a vital role in the success of any claim for damages that you might make in the future.
  • After checking on the condition of the passengers, call the police. Ask for an officer to be sent to the scene, even if it just appears to be a minor fender bender. If anyone in the accident needs immediate medical treatment or if one of the vehicles is rendered undriveable, the police officer will file a report of the incident that will provide you with information to help with a car accident claim.
  • Exchange information with the other driver. Make sure you get the other driver’s name and address, their license number, the vehicle plate number, and insurance information.
  • Take pictures of the accident scene. Take out your cellphone and snap some photos of the accident scene. In addition to pictures of the cars, take pictures of anything that helps to illustrate what happened, such as skid marks, the locations of stop signs or traffic lights, road markers, and road debris. You also want to record what the weather was like and the condition of the road at the time.
  • If you are injured, even if it seems minor, seek medical care immediately. Tell the physician who treats you that you were in a car accident. If they prescribe any treatments or drugs, make sure you follow their instructions to the letter. This will create a reliable record of your injuries and demonstrate that you’re doing all you can to recover.

You should also schedule a visit with your family doctor, notify your insurance company (they have a right to be informed about the accident), and keep a journal about your pain and suffering.

Most importantly, call our law office. We will answer your questions, explain your rights, and help you get through this most difficult time. We treat all our clients like family. That means we take the time to understand your pain and help you understand each phase of the car accident litigation process.

Can you represent me in a buggy accident?

In Lancaster, it is common to see the Amish ride the roads in their buggies. Our car accident lawyers understand the unique laws and issues that apply if an accident involves a horse-drawn buggy or any other type of buggy. We represent both passengers in the buggy and anyone in a car who is hurt because the buggy operator was negligent.

How much is my Lancaster, PA car accident case worth?

Our lawyers fight to obtain all the compensation you deserve. There is no formula, but there are a number of factors insurance companies and judges can consider. We work to maximize the amount of compensation for each one of those factors. You are entitled to a damage award against liable parties for all the care you need to place yourself in the same physical and financial position as you would have been in, had the accident not occurred, as well as for your pain and suffering.

Our Lancaster car accident lawyers demand compensation from the responsible defendants and their insurance carriers if you qualify to file a claim, for the following:

  • Medical expenses, including hospital, doctor, and therapy care (for as long as you need it) and the cost of any assistive devices and medications.
  • Lost income, including disability.
  • Your physical pain and emotional suffering.
  • Any scarring and disfigurement.
  • Loss of consortium.
  • The property damage to your vehicle.
  • Loss of function of any body part.

If the defendants’ conduct is inexcusable, we also seek punitive damages.

In wrongful death cases, we seek compensation for funeral expenses; the financial support the deceased would have provided had he/she survived; the value of the services and guidance your family member would have provided you and the other members of the deceased’s family, and other permissible damages.

How can an experienced Lancaster, PA car accident lawyer help?

The rules and laws surrounding automobile accidents in Pennsylvania can be confusing for someone unfamiliar with them. Insurance companies are all too familiar with these rules and laws and know how to use them to avoid compensating you for any damages you have suffered. Unfortunately, you can expect insurance companies to:

  • Argue with you over the extent of your injuries.
  • Assert that your car is worth less than your claim.
  • Disagree with you over the definition of “pain and suffering,” especially if you have a limited tort insurance policy.
  • Try to show that you are at least partially responsible to limit the amount of money they must pay you.

These are just some reasons why you need a lawyer when you’re involved in an automobile accident case.

We will answer all your questions such as:

  • When do settlement negotiations start?
  • Should I settle or have a jury hear my case?
  • When should I see a physician and what physicians should I see?
  • What are the time limits for filing my case?

Generally, you must file a car accident lawsuit within two years from the date of the accident. In the case of a wrongful death, the estate of the victim has the right to pursue both survival claims and wrongful death claims. Survival claims are claims that the victim could have pursued herself had she survived, such as personal injury claims. Wrongful death claims are claims for compensation by persons with a recognized interest in a continued relationship with the victim that suffer harm as a result of the victim's death, such as a spouse or a minor child.  The beneficiaries of survival and wrongful death claims are not always the same. For example, it's possible that an adult natural child is cut out of a will that gives all the estate to a stepparent, but the adult natural child suffers compensable losses associated with her parent's death. That adult natural child would have a wrongful death claim even though not a beneficiary of the estate. If the estate of the victim chooses not to pursue wrongful death claims within six-months of the victim's death, then any wrongful death beneficiaries may pursue such claims independently of the estate. Conversely, wrongful death beneficiaries are not permitted to pursue wrongful death claims independently if the estate chooses to pursue such claims because the estate would control the claims. Both survival and wrongful death lawsuits must be filed within two years of the date of death. Other time limits, such as the time to notify a government entity, are even shorter.

Do you have a Lancaster, PA car accident attorney near me?

Our Lancaster office is located across the from the LGH Health Campus, at 1776 Harrisburg Pike. We make home visits for clients too injured to travel and maintain four other office locations throughout Pennsylvania for your convenience.

Talk with our respected Lancaster, PA car accident lawyers today

Experience counts. At KBG Injury Law, our lawyers have been fighting for car accident victims and their families for nearly 40 years. We investigate your case, conduct discovery of defendants and any witnesses, obtain medical reports from your doctors, and take every step necessary to ensure the best result possible. If you were injured or lost a loved one in a Lancaster car accident, contact us or call us directly at 717.397-9700 or toll free at 800.509.1011 to schedule a free consultation. We represent car accident victims on a contingency fee basis. KBG Injury Law has offices in York, Lancaster, Harrisburg, Hanover, and Gettysburg, and proudly serves individuals and families across South Central Pennsylvania.