Highway crashes — collisions on interstates, expressways, and limited-access state routes — produce some of the most serious motor-vehicle injuries because of the high speeds involved. Siddons Law Firm, PLLC represents highway-crash victims throughout Pennsylvania, with particular focus on the corridors that run through our home region: I-95, I-76 (Schuylkill Expressway), I-476 (Blue Route), I-276 (Pennsylvania Turnpike), I-78, I-80, I-81, US-1, US-30, US-202, and the major arterials around Philadelphia, Delaware County, Montgomery County, Bucks County, and Chester County.
Why Highway Crashes Are Different
Highway-speed crashes — typically 55-75 mph posted — produce kinetic-energy forces three to four times higher than crashes at typical city speeds. The result is more severe injuries, more catastrophic vehicle damage, and a higher fatality rate. Highway-specific issues include:
- Lane-change and merging crashes — driver misjudges closing speed of vehicle in adjacent lane
- Construction-zone crashes — sudden speed changes, narrowed lanes, missing or worn lane markings, equipment in lanes
- Rear-end crashes at high speed following abrupt traffic backups
- Tractor-trailer crashes — jackknives, underrides, blowouts, and squeeze plays
- Wrong-way driving on entrance and exit ramps (typically intoxicated drivers)
- Rollovers — particularly SUVs and trucks at high speed
- Pileup chain-reaction crashes in fog or heavy rain
- Ejection when occupants are unbelted
Major PA Highway Crash Hotspots
Our experience handling crashes in the region tells us where the highest-volume serious-crash locations are:
- I-95 through Philadelphia and Delaware County — high traffic volume, frequent construction, merging conflicts at exits 17, 22, and 30
- I-76 Schuylkill Expressway — chronic congestion creates frequent rear-end crashes; the Conshohocken Curve is a known hot spot
- I-476 Blue Route — rapid speed transitions at the I-95 and I-76 interchanges
- Pennsylvania Turnpike (I-276 / I-76) — high speed, weather sensitivity, periodic pileups
- I-78 and I-80 — heavy tractor-trailer traffic, frequent commercial-vehicle crashes
- US-1 (Roosevelt Boulevard) — one of the most dangerous urban highways in the country
Tractor-Trailer Involvement
If a commercial truck was involved in your highway crash, the case takes on additional dimensions: federal motor-carrier safety regulations, hours-of-service logs, electronic logging device (ELD) data, driver qualification files, drug-and-alcohol testing records, and post-crash maintenance records all become discoverable evidence. Trucking-company defendants typically have $750,000-$1 million in primary liability coverage plus excess and umbrella layers. Read more about our trucking-accident practice.
Catastrophic Injuries Common in Highway Crashes
- Severe traumatic brain injury — including coma, persistent vegetative state, and severe cognitive impairment
- Spinal cord injury — paraplegia and quadriplegia
- Multiple orthopedic injuries
- Crush and amputation injuries
- Severe burns
- Wrongful death
Statute of Limitations
Two years from the date of the crash for personal injury. Two years for wrongful death. Government claims (PennDOT, PA Turnpike Commission, municipal road authorities) have notice deadlines as short as 6 months. Call promptly.
Free Case Evaluation
If you or a family member has been injured or killed in a highway crash in Pennsylvania, contact our office for a free, confidential evaluation. There is no cost to discuss your potential claim, and there is no fee unless we recover compensation.