Williamsport Motor Vehicle and Truck Accident Lawyer
We wrote the book. Motor vehicle accidents in Pennsylvania are governed by The Financial Responsibility Law. Cliff Rieders wrote the book, the book that attorneys in Pennsylvania have at their disposal to understand the law. Rieders was involved in the writing of the Financial Responsibility Law as well.
Dangerous drivers are everywhere, and if you and your vehicle come in contact with them, you could suffer injuries that change your life forever. Even if you are the most careful of drivers, you can wind up in a crash caused by a negligent, intoxicated, reckless or distracted driver. Vehicle accidents in Williamsport and Lycoming County are a major cause of property damage, injury and death each year.
Interstate 180, U.S. Routes 15 and 220, and a large number of Pennsylvania routes all cross Lycoming County. In 2024, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation reported a total of 897 motor vehicle crashes on these and other Lycoming County roads, resulting in 14 fatalities and 395 injuries.
If you or a loved one was involved in a vehicle accident due to someone’s negligence or irresponsibility, you may be entitled to financial compensation to cover your medical expenses, lost wages, property loss, and pain and suffering.
We Have Helped Hundreds Of People File Successful Personal Injury Lawsuits
The seasoned vehicle accident attorneys of Rieders, Travis, Dohrmann, Mowrey, Humphrey & Waters have handled collisions on northeast Pennsylvania roads involving local and out-of-state drivers. We can file suit in state or federal court, depending on the case. With decades of experience involving many types of auto accidents and an excellent reputation in the legal community, we are well positioned to take on even the most difficult cases. To schedule a consultation to examine the facts of your car or truck case, call us at 570-796-7613 or fill out our online contact form. Together, we will find the best approach to getting you the compensation you deserve.
Common Causes Of Accidents
Our lawyers, including our experienced truck accident lawyer, have successfully represented clients in car and truck accident cases of all kinds. The most common causes include:
- Accidents involving road rage and drivers who speed, tailgate, or drive recklessly or carelessly
- Crashes involving drivers who run red lights or stop signs, make illegal turns or unsafe lane changes, or commit other moving violations
- Drunk and drugged driving accidents.
- Truckers who do not follow the rules of their employer, the Interstate Commerce Commission or state law.
What To Do If Injured In A Vehicle Accident?
When an accident happens in Lycoming County, you should immediately do the following:
- Get appropriate medical treatment, and keep track of the details – doctors visited, dates, diagnosis, etc.
- Remain at the crash scene.
- Check on the condition of all people involved in the crash.
- Call the police.
- Exchange information with other drivers.
- Get contact information from witnesses.
- Inform your insurance company and request a claim number. In Pennsylvania, your own insurance company pays your medical and prescription expenses up to the limit of your policy, usually $5,000 or $10,000. Your health insurance is then responsible for additional medical expenses.
- Take photos of vehicle damage and injuries.
Dealing with doctors, repair shops, car rental companies, police and insurance companies is overwhelming, especially when someone is seriously injured. At this point, a Pennsylvania personal injury lawyer, such as a motorcycle accident lawyer, can handle the details and paperwork to ensure that they are done correctly and in a timely manner so that you can focus on recovery.
Contact Us For A Consultation On Personal Injury Cases
If you or your loved ones have been in a serious crash, help is available from the experienced and compassionate Williamsport personal injury attorneys at Rieders, Travis, Dohrmann, Mowrey, Humphrey & Waters. We understand the local regulations and legal standards, know how insurance policies work, and can handle most aspects of an insurance claim. If a death is involved, we will seek financial restitution for the family members left behind.
The attorneys of Rieders, Travis, Dohrmann, Mowrey, Humphrey & Waters have spent decades honing their skills and successfully representing Pennsylvania families who have suffered an injury or loss due to someone else’s negligence. We offer personal attention and loyalty to every client, aggressively fighting for their right to compensation. Our deep sense of loyalty to each client drives us to pursue each claim vigorously. Whether in settlement negotiations or pursuing a favorable trial verdict, we are thoroughly prepared and committed to achieving a just outcome.
If you have been in an accident, time is of the essence, so do not delay. For more information, please call us at 570-796-7613 or fill our our online contact form. Based in Williamsport, we serve clients throughout the state of Pennsylvania, offering you experience, knowledge, compassion and a long history of results.
Attorney Cliff Rieders
Cliff Rieders is a board-certified trial lawyer by the National Board of Trial Advocacy, practicing personal injury law. A large part of Cliff’s practice are serious personal injury matters involving vehicles, trucks, medical and hospital malpractice, products liability claims involving personal injury, and multi-district litigation including cases related to pharmaceuticals, vitamin supplements, and medical devices. He is admitted to several state and federal courts, as well as the Supreme Court of the United States. He is the Past President of the Central Pennsylvania Chapter of the Federal Bar Association and is a life member of the distinguished American Law Institute, which promulgates proposed rules adopted by many state courts. He is a past president of the Pennsylvania Association for Justice, formerly the Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association. As a founder of the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority, he served on the board for 15 years.
Not only has Rieders held many highly esteemed leadership positions, but he also authored legislation related to the Patient Safety Authority and the Mcare Act, which governs medical and hospital liability actions in Pennsylvania. He authored texts upon which both practitioners and judges rely, including Pennsylvania Malpractice Laws and Forms, and Financial Responsibility Law Issues in Pennsylvania, the latter governing auto and truck collisions in Pennsylvania. In addition, he wrote several books on the practice of law in Pennsylvania regarding wrongful death and survivor actions, insurance bad faith, legal malpractice claims and worker rights, among others. He also serves as a resource to practitioners as a regular speaker for Celesq, an arm of the world’s largest legal publisher, Thomson Reuters West publishing.
As recognition of his wide range of contributions to his profession and of his dedication to protecting the rights of his clients, he received numerous awards, among them the George F. Douglas Amicus Curiae Award, the Milton D. Rosenberg Award, the B’nai B’rith Justice Award and awards of recognition from the Pennsylvania Association for Justice. [ Attorney Bio ]
Frequently Asked Questions About Pennsylvania Vehicle Accidents
Motor vehicle collisions in Pennsylvania typically raise immediate legal concerns about deadlines, fault rules and jurisdiction. The following questions and answers provide clear guidance based on state law.
How long do I have to file a car accident claim in Pennsylvania?
You generally have two years from the date of the crash to file a personal injury lawsuit under Pennsylvania’s statute of limitations. Missing the deadline can permanently end your ability to pursue compensation in court.
Although you have two years, waiting even a short time may weaken your case. This is because skid marks can fade quickly, digital footage is often overwritten within days and witness memories lose accuracy fast. Early action helps preserve evidence that supports liability and damages.
What happens if the driver who hit me is from outside the state of Pennsylvania?
You likely can still file your lawsuit in Pennsylvania even if the at‑fault driver lives elsewhere. When a collision occurs on a Pennsylvania roadway such as I‑180 or U.S. Route 15, local courts typically have authority over the case because the crash happened within state borders. However, suing an out‑of‑state driver adds more procedural steps.
Serving legal documents across state lines requires compliance with long‑arm statutes that govern how nonresidents are notified of lawsuits. In addition, an out‑of‑state defendant may have the right to move the case from a local county court into Federal District Court through diversity jurisdiction. This transfer does not change the underlying Pennsylvania law that applies, but it can affect scheduling and litigation strategy.
Can I still get compensation if the police report says I was partially at fault?
It depends. You may still recover damages if you are less than 51% responsible for the crash under Pennsylvania’s modified comparative negligence rule. This rule allows injured motorists to pursue compensation as long as their share of fault does not reach the 51% bar.
However, your total recovery will be reduced by your percentage of responsibility. For example, if you are found 10% at fault, you would receive 90% of the damages awarded. The final fault determination is based on a full review of evidence, witness accounts and expert analysis.
Highly Credentialed Trial Lawyers
Why We Say, “We Wrote The Book”
Attorney Clifford Rieders has written a leading textbook on medical malpractice, which is used in Pennsylvania by lawyers who work in the field. He has also authored books on several other topics, including financial responsibility law issues in Pennsylvania, laws and rules pertaining to the settlement of death actions, bad faith law in Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania’s laws and statutes on attorney fees, legal malpractice claims in Pennsylvania and workers’ rights in Pennsylvania. He is a well-known teacher, media authority, speaker and writer who testifies frequently and has helped write Pennsylvania legislation.