Can I sue if I'm already collecting workers' compensation?

Yes — against third parties. Workers' compensation bars suits against your direct employer in almost all cases, but you retain the right to sue any negligent third party (e.g. a general contractor, a subcontractor on the same site, an equipment manufacturer, or a property owner).

What if my employer was the one at fault?

Workers' compensation is generally your exclusive remedy against your direct employer, even when they were negligent. There is a narrow intentional-conduct exception. We still investigate fully — sometimes the 'employer' on paper is not the entity actually responsible.

How are OSHA violations used in a construction lawsuit?

OSHA citations and inspection reports are admissible as evidence of the relevant safety standard and the employer's or contractor's failure to meet it. Prior violations can also be used to show notice and a pattern of disregard for worker safety.

What happens to my workers' comp lien when the third-party case settles?

Pennsylvania law (Section 319 of the Workers' Compensation Act) gives the comp carrier a subrogation lien against the third-party recovery. We negotiate that lien — it is rarely paid in full — so that as much of the settlement as possible ends up with you.

How long do I have to file a Pennsylvania construction accident lawsuit?

Generally two years from the date of the injury for third-party claims. Wrongful death claims are two years from the date of death. Workers' comp claims have their own (much shorter) reporting deadlines.

Where would my Lehigh County construction accident case be filed?

Suit is ordinarily filed in the Lehigh County Court of Common Pleas in Allentown, where venue is proper under Pa. R.C.P. 1006 if the crash or incident happened in Lehigh County or a defendant regularly conducts business there. Cases valued below the arbitration threshold are first heard by a board of arbitrators before any appeal to a judge and jury. Sean Quinlan litigates in county courts across Pennsylvania from the firm's Camp Hill office.

Which Lehigh County roads produce the most serious construction accidents?

The heaviest crash volume in Lehigh County tracks I-78, US-22, and Route 309, along with the local arterials feeding Allentown. Corridor matters: a high-speed limited-access crash, an intersection collision on a signalized arterial, and a rural two-lane roadway each generate different evidence — different reporting agencies, different camera availability, and different roadway-design questions. We investigate a Lehigh County case around where it actually happened.

What happens in the first two weeks of a Lehigh County construction accident claim?

The first two weeks decide most cases. In a Lehigh County matter, we identify every entity on the jobsite beyond your employer — general contractor, subcontractors, property owner, equipment suppliers — because workers' compensation bars a suit against the employer but not against third parties. We also handle the insurer's contact so you are not giving a recorded statement while you are still being treated.

How long do I have to file a construction accident claim in Lehigh County?

Most Pennsylvania injury claims carry a two-year limitations period under 42 Pa. C.S. § 5524, and that deadline is the same in Lehigh County as anywhere in the Commonwealth. Shorter deadlines apply when a government entity is involved: written notice within six months under 42 Pa. C.S. § 5522 for claims against a Lehigh County municipality, borough, or PennDOT. Call before you assume you still have time.

Does being partly at fault stop my Lehigh County claim?

No, unless your share of the fault exceeds that of everyone you are suing. Pennsylvania follows modified comparative negligence under 42 Pa. C.S. § 7102: you can recover as long as you are not more than 50% responsible, and your award is reduced by your percentage. A Lehigh County jury decides those percentages, and insurers routinely assign more fault than the evidence supports as an opening position.

Do I have to travel to meet a lawyer about a Lehigh County case?

No. We handle intake by phone and video for Lehigh County clients and travel to you when meeting in person matters. The consultation is free, the case is handled on a contingency fee, and there is no fee unless we recover money for you. Call (717) 724-7503.

Local Representation

Lehigh County, PA Personal Injury Lawyer

Name: Quinlan Law Group
Address: 3425 Simpson Ferry Rd #100, Camp Hill, PA, 17011, US
Telephone: (717) 724-7503
Price range: Contingency Fee — No Fee Unless We Win

Lehigh County is the heart of the Lehigh Valley, where I-78, US-22, and Route 309 carry one of the densest concentrations of warehouse and tractor-trailer traffic in Pennsylvania.

We accept cases throughout Lehigh County including Allentown, Bethlehem (Lehigh side), Emmaus, Macungie, Whitehall, and the surrounding townships.

Reviewed by Sean Quinlan, Esq. — attorney licensed in Pennsylvania (PA Attorney ID 86858)

Lehigh County content on this page is written and reviewed by Sean Quinlan, who handles injury and wrongful-death claims across Pennsylvania. About the attorney · Verify PA license

Lehigh County is warehouse country now, and that has changed the kind of injury cases I see out of Allentown, Whitehall, and Emmaus over the past decade. Tractor-trailers moving in and out of distribution centers off I-78 and Route 22 share the road with commuters who never chose to live next to a logistics hub. When a client calls me after a crash near one of these interchanges, I already know the defendant is likely to be a fleet operator with its own investigators and its own insurance playbook, so I move to lock down black box data and dashcam footage before it can be overwritten. Allentown's older city streets add a second layer of cases involving pedestrians and cyclists navigating narrow rowhome blocks never designed for today's traffic volume.

Where crashes happen in Lehigh County

I-78 and US-22 both run through Lehigh County carrying enormous volumes of interstate freight, and the interchange where the two roads meet near Allentown is one of the most congested and crash-prone points in the region. Route 309 running north-south through Whitehall and up toward the Trexlertown area combines commercial and commuter traffic with limited-access ramps that catch drivers off guard during sudden slowdowns. Tilghman Street and Hamilton Street in Allentown see frequent intersection collisions tied to dense city traffic and pedestrian crossings. Chestnut Street and Route 100 through Macungie and Emmaus carry warehouse-adjacent truck traffic into otherwise residential and small-town corridors, and I regularly handle cases from crashes at intersections along these roads where turning trucks fail to account for smaller vehicles in their blind spots.

Filing suit: venue and jurisdiction for Lehigh County claims

Lehigh County injury suits are filed in the Court of Common Pleas, 31st Judicial District, at the Lehigh County Courthouse on Hamilton Street in Allentown. Venue under Pa.R.C.P. 1006 and 2179 keeps most local crash claims in Lehigh County, since the wreck occurred here or the trucking company and its driver can typically be served within the county. Cases under the compulsory arbitration ceiling set by 42 Pa. C.S. § 7361 proceed to an arbitration panel before any trial listing, which often moves a smaller claim to resolution faster. Whatever track the case follows, the two-year statute of limitations in 42 Pa. C.S. § 5524 remains the hard deadline for filing suit, and warehouse and trucking litigation in particular benefits from starting well before that date approaches, given how much evidence a large carrier controls.

Emergency care and medical records in Lehigh County

Lehigh Valley Hospital–Cedar Crest, operated by Lehigh Valley Health Network, is the region's major trauma center and typically receives the most severely injured patients from crashes throughout Lehigh County. I request the hospital's trauma activation records alongside the EMS run sheet as early as possible, since trucking defendants routinely dispute the severity or cause of an injury, and a clean, contemporaneous medical timeline makes that argument far harder for them to sustain.

Talk with a lawyer about your Lehigh County case

Warehouse traffic has made Lehigh County roads more dangerous, and the companies behind that traffic have lawyers ready the moment a crash is reported. You should have someone in your corner just as fast. The consultation is free, and there's no fee unless we win.

Where your case is filed

Court of Common Pleas of Lehigh County

Lehigh County Courthouse
455 Hamilton Street
Allentown, PA 18101
31st Judicial District
610-782-3393

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Cities & county seat

Municipalities we serve in Lehigh County

Full Pennsylvania city & county seat court directory →

Lehigh County Practice Areas

Statewide practice-area guides

Broader Pennsylvania guides on each type of case we handle in Lehigh County.

Corridors, courts & trauma centers in Lehigh County

Deep-local guides for the highways, courthouse, and trauma care that matter to Lehigh County injury claims.

Neighboring counties we serve

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Talk directly with Sean Quinlan, Esq.. No fee unless we win.

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