Anyone in Pennsylvania who has ever been next to a semi truck or other big commercial vehicle on a freeway knows how uneasy this can feel. In a moment, the extremely large size and heavy weight of a tractor-trailer becomes very evident in comparison to that of a typical car, truck or sports utility vehicle. If you have ever in those moments wondered just how many people die in accidents involving large trucks, records from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have the answer for you.

According to the NHTSA, the number of people who have died in large truck collisions in Pennsylvania each year has remained relatively steady for several years. In both 2011 and 2015, there were 160 such fatalities each statewide. In 2012, there were 166 truck accident deaths followed by a slight dip to 155 in 2013 and then another uptick to 162 in 2014.

Looking at southeastern Pennsylvania, the risk of death in these accidents is seen across all of the counties in the region. In the five years from 2011 to 2015, Lehigh, Berks and Chester Counties led the way with the most number of lives lost in truck deaths. A total of 35, 29 and 27 people, respectively, died there. Bucks County was the site of another 25 deaths while 22 people were killed in Montgomery County and another 18 died in Philadelphia County in crashes involving large trucks.

This information is not intended to provide legal advice but is instead meant to give Pennsylvania residents an overview about just how serious and deadly accidents involving large trucks are in the state.

Written on behalf of Friedman Schuman. Contact our firm for a consultation to discuss your legal matter.