Truck Crashes in Lebanon County: I-78, I-81 and US 422

If you were hurt, or lost a family member, in a tractor-trailer crash in Lebanon County, you generally have two years from the date of the crash to file a lawsuit under 42 Pa.C.S. § 5524. Wrongful death and survival claims under 42 Pa.C.S. §§ 8301–8302 also carry a two-year limit, but a wrongful death claim is generally measured from the date of death, which may be later than the crash. Claims arising on I-81, at the I-78/I-81 split in Union Township, or on US 422 through Lebanon, Palmyra, Annville and Myerstown are filed in the Lebanon County Court of Common Pleas or another proper venue. Your case often depends on federal trucking records, such as hours-of-service logs, driver qualification files and maintenance records, that carriers only have to keep for limited periods. So the first weeks matter.

Why Truck Crashes in Lebanon County Are Different

Lebanon County sits where two of Pennsylvania's busiest freight routes meet. Interstate 81 crosses the northern part of the county, with exits at PA 934 (Exit 85), I-78 (Exit 89) and PA 72 (Exit 90). Interstate 78 begins at its interchange with I-81 in Union Township and heads east toward Berks County and the Lehigh Valley. US 422 runs east-west through the county's population centers, including Palmyra, Annville, the City of Lebanon and Myerstown. US 322 and PA 72 carry local and regional truck traffic as well.

After a crash on these roads, families usually want to know who pays, which police report they need, and how to keep the trucking company from losing evidence. This page answers those questions for Lebanon County. For the statewide picture, see our Pennsylvania truck accident practice page. For the rest of the interstate, see our guide to the I-81 freight corridor.

The I-78/I-81 interchange in Union Township

PennDOT District 8 calls the place where I-78 meets I-81 the "I-81 split" and the "I-81/I-78 interchange in Lebanon County" in its traffic notices. PennDOT has also changed the merge where I-78 westbound joins I-81 southbound in Union Township to make it smoother. In the regional I-81 corridor planning process, the interchange for I-81 and I-78 in Lebanon County is listed among the priorities for highway improvements. At an interchange like this, trucks merge and change lanes between two interstates. When a crash happens there, the key questions are who changed lanes, who was in the blind spot, and how fast each vehicle was going. Answering them usually takes the truck's electronic data, not just witness memory.

I-81 through the county

PennDOT regularly schedules work on I-81 in Lebanon County, including concrete patching, ramp closures at Exit 90 (Fisher Avenue), and high-friction surface treatment on the southbound right lane. Work zones bring lane restrictions, slowed traffic and sudden queues, and those conditions are hard on tractor-trailers that need far more distance to stop than a passenger car. If your crash happened in or near a work zone, the contractor's traffic-control plan and PennDOT's project records may also become evidence.

US 422, US 322 and PA 72

US 422 is a local main street as much as a highway. PennDOT has proposed improvements at the intersection of US 422 (East Cumberland Street) and Prescott Drive, in a project area that spans the City of Lebanon and parts of North Lebanon, Jackson and South Lebanon townships, citing "a history of crashes and poor visibility due to existing structures." PennDOT also stated that the intersection "is not suited for the semi-trailers that commonly use it." PennDOT has also scheduled resurfacing work on PA 72 (Quentin Road) and US 322 in the county. Truck crashes on these roads often involve turning trucks, wide right turns, rear-end impacts at signals, and trucks pulling out of commercial driveways. Those cases raise different liability issues from interstate crashes, and local police rather than the State Police may be the investigating agency.

Who Responds and Investigates a Truck Crash in Lebanon County

Knowing which agency handled your crash tells you where the report, the photographs and the reconstruction file live. It also tells you which public bodies may have notice deadlines.

Role	Agency	Location / contact
Interstate crashes and municipalities covered by the State Police (Troop L)	Pennsylvania State Police, Jonestown Station	3185 SR 72, Jonestown, PA 17038 · 717-865-2194
City of Lebanon streets, including US 422 (Cumberland Street)	Lebanon City Police Department	735 Cumberland Street, Lebanon, PA 17042 · (717) 272-6611
South Londonderry Township	South Londonderry Township Police Department	27 West Market Street, Palmyra, PA 17078 · (717) 838-1376
911 dispatch for police, fire and EMS	Lebanon County Department of Emergency Services	Answers all emergency and non-emergency calls for Lebanon County
EMS (one of the county's providers)	First Aid & Safety Patrol (nonprofit EMS)	Headquarters at 254 S. 11th St., Lebanon, PA 17042
Death investigation in fatal crashes	Lebanon County Coroner	503 Oak St., Lebanon, PA 17042 · (717) 836-6214
Civil filings	Lebanon County Prothonotary (Court of Common Pleas)	Room 104, Municipal Building, 400 South 8th Street, Lebanon, PA 17042

Other boroughs and townships have their own departments or regional police, and some municipalities rely on the State Police. If you are not sure which agency responded, the crash exchange slip or the officer's card will usually say. Our Lebanon County injury resource page lists additional local contacts.

How to get a Pennsylvania State Police crash report

For crashes on I-81 and I-78, and on roads in municipalities that rely on State Police coverage, the report will usually come from the State Police. According to PSP, a crash report can be requested by any person involved in the crash, their attorney or insurer, and any government agencies involved. Reports are available 15 days after the crash. PSP accepts requests through its online crash report request process or by mail using form SP 7-0015 sent to the PSP Crash Reports Unit in Harrisburg. The fee is $22, and mailed requests must be paid by money order or certified check made out to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. For step-by-step help, including reports from municipal departments, see how to get your Lebanon County crash report.

Where seriously injured people are taken

Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center is listed by the Pennsylvania Trauma Systems Foundation as a Level I adult trauma center. People with serious injuries from Lebanon County crashes may be taken there. If your family member was treated there, our page on Hershey Medical Center records and injury claims explains how to request records and bills. PTSF also lists Reading Hospital and Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health as Level I adult trauma centers in the region. WellSpan Good Samaritan Hospital in the City of Lebanon operates an emergency department. It does not appear on PTSF's list of accredited trauma centers as of October 2026, so seriously injured patients may be stabilized there and then transferred. Each hospital, transfer and ambulance run creates records you will need.

The Law That Applies to a Lebanon County Truck Crash

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations

Interstate trucking companies and their drivers must follow the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations in Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations. In a truck case, these rules do two jobs. They set the safety standards the carrier had to meet, and they require records that often prove whether the carrier met them.

• Hours of service (Part 395). Under 49 C.F.R. § 395.3, a property-carrying driver may drive a total of 11 hours within a 14-hour window that starts after 10 consecutive hours off duty. The driver may not drive once more than 8 hours of driving have passed without at least a 30-minute interruption. The driver also may not drive after 60 on-duty hours in 7 days or 70 in 8 days, depending on the carrier's schedule. Most drivers record duty status on an electronic logging device.
• Driver qualification (Part 391). Under 49 C.F.R. § 391.51, carriers must keep a qualification file for each driver. It includes the employment application, motor vehicle records, the road test certificate, annual driving-record reviews and medical certification. A driver who should never have been behind the wheel can support a claim against the carrier itself.
• Inspection and maintenance (Part 396). 49 C.F.R. § 396.3 requires carriers to systematically inspect, repair and maintain their vehicles. Brakes, tires, lighting and coupling devices are among the items drivers must cover in daily inspection reports under § 396.11.
• Post-crash drug and alcohol testing (Part 382). 49 C.F.R. § 382.303 requires testing of the driver after a crash involving a fatality, and after certain injury or disabling-damage crashes when the driver is cited. If an alcohol test is not given within two hours, the employer must document why, and attempts stop at eight hours. Attempts at controlled-substance testing stop at 32 hours.
• Minimum insurance (Part 387). Under 49 C.F.R. § 387.9, the federal minimum for for-hire carriers hauling nonhazardous property in interstate commerce in vehicles of 10,001 pounds or more is $750,000. Certain hazardous materials carry a $5,000,000 minimum. These are floors, not caps.

Pennsylvania negligence and comparative fault

Pennsylvania's comparative negligence statute, 42 Pa.C.S. § 7102, lets an injured person recover as long as their own negligence was "not greater than the causal negligence of the defendant or defendants." Damages are reduced by the injured person's share of fault. Liability among defendants is generally several, meaning each pays its own share. The main exception is that a defendant found at least 60% liable is jointly and severally liable for the full award. Trucking cases often involve several defendants, such as the driver, the motor carrier, a broker, a shipper or loader, or a maintenance vendor, so how fault is divided can matter a great deal. Our article on who can be held liable in a Pennsylvania truck crash walks through each potential party.

Deadlines: injury, wrongful death and survival claims

42 Pa.C.S. § 5524(2) requires an action "to recover damages for injuries to the person or for the death of an individual caused by the wrongful act or neglect or unlawful violence or negligence of another" to be commenced within two years. When a crash is fatal, Pennsylvania law allows two related claims:

• A wrongful death action under 42 Pa.C.S. § 8301, which exists for the benefit of the spouse, children or parents of the person who died and includes recovery of reasonable hospital, nursing, medical, funeral and estate-administration expenses.
• A survival action under 42 Pa.C.S. § 8302, which preserves the claim the person who died would have had.

The two claims compensate different losses, and their deadlines are measured differently: a survival action generally must be filed within two years of the injury, while a wrongful death action generally must be filed within two years of the date of death. Our comparison of wrongful death vs. survival actions explains the difference. If a government entity may share fault, for example over a roadway or work-zone condition, a much shorter written-notice requirement of six months can apply under 42 Pa.C.S. § 5522. An attorney can confirm which deadlines apply to your case.

Evidence Preservation: The First Weeks Decide a Lot

Federal rules set minimum retention periods, and some are short. A carrier must keep records of duty status and supporting documents for at least six months under 49 C.F.R. § 395.8(k). It must keep driver vehicle inspection reports for three months under § 396.11. Vehicle maintenance records must be kept for one year and for six months after the vehicle leaves the carrier's control under § 396.3(c). Electronic engine and dashcam data can be overwritten in the ordinary course of business. For the full list, see trucking company record retention in Pennsylvania and what ECM and ELD data can show.

That is why I send a written preservation demand to the carrier, its insurer and other likely parties early. It identifies the specific items to keep, including ELD data, ECM downloads, dashcam and forward-facing camera video, dispatch communications, the driver qualification file, post-crash test results, and the tractor and trailer themselves. When evidence is lost after a party knew it mattered, Pennsylvania courts can impose sanctions. In Schroeder v. Commonwealth, Department of Transportation, 551 Pa. 243, 710 A.2d 23 (Pa. 1998), the Pennsylvania Supreme Court adopted a test that weighs the party's degree of fault, the prejudice to the other side, and whether a lesser sanction, such as an adverse-inference jury instruction, would be enough. A preservation letter puts the carrier on notice, which bears directly on its degree of fault if records later disappear.

What Compensation May Be Available

Every case is different, and no lawyer can predict an outcome. Depending on the facts and the insurance involved, a Lebanon County truck crash claim may include:

• Past and future medical expenses, including trauma care, surgery, rehabilitation and home care
• Lost wages and lost future earning capacity
• Pain and suffering, emotional distress, scarring and disfigurement, and loss of life's pleasures
• Property damage
• In fatal cases, funeral and medical expenses and the losses recoverable by the family under §§ 8301–8302

Your own auto policy also matters. First-party medical benefits and tort selection rules can affect how bills are paid and what you can recover. For more, see our truck accident questions and answers.

Mistakes to Avoid After a Truck Crash

1. Giving a recorded statement to the trucking company's insurer. Adjusters for commercial carriers often reach out early. You are not required to give them a recorded statement.
2. Assuming the police report settles fault. The report is one officer's assessment. It is not a ruling, and it rarely includes the carrier's internal data.
3. Letting your vehicle be scrapped. Your vehicle is evidence too. Keep it, or photograph it thoroughly, before releasing it to the insurer.
4. Gaps in treatment. Follow up with your doctors and keep every appointment. Insurers point to gaps as proof you were not seriously hurt.
5. Waiting. Retention periods for key federal records can be as short as three to six months, and the two-year filing deadline does not pause for negotiations.

What Happens Next: Step by Step

1. Free case review. I review what happened, the crash report if available, and your injuries. There is no charge for the consultation.
2. Preservation letters. We send written demands to the carrier and other likely parties to keep electronic data, video and records.
3. Investigation. We obtain the crash report, identify the motor carrier, and examine its safety record, the driver's qualifications and the truck's maintenance history, working with reconstruction professionals when needed.
4. Documenting damages. We gather medical records and bills from EMS, the hospital and treating providers, along with wage information.
5. Claim and negotiation. We present the claim to the insurers involved. Many cases resolve without trial.
6. Litigation if needed. If the case does not resolve, we file in the proper venue, which may be the Lebanon County Court of Common Pleas, and pursue discovery of the carrier's records under court rules.

Why Work With Quinlan Law Group

I am Sean Quinlan, and I have been licensed to practice law in Pennsylvania since 2001. My offices are in Camp Hill and Harrisburg, a short drive from the Lebanon County Courthouse and area hospitals. I send preservation letters early when evidence is at risk. We handle injury cases on a contingency fee, so you pay no attorney fee unless there is a recovery. You may be responsible for certain case costs and expenses in addition to the fee, as explained in your written fee agreement. For more about local cases, visit our Lebanon County truck accident page or our City of Lebanon injury page.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long do I have to file a truck accident lawsuit in Lebanon County?

In most cases, two years from the date of the crash under 42 Pa.C.S. § 5524. Wrongful death and survival claims also carry a two-year limit, although a wrongful death claim is generally measured from the date of death rather than the date of the crash. Shorter notice rules can apply if a government entity may share fault, so an attorney can confirm the deadlines that apply to your case.

Which police agency investigates truck crashes on I-81 and I-78 in Lebanon County?

Interstate crashes in Lebanon County are typically handled by the Pennsylvania State Police, Troop L, whose Jonestown Station is at 3185 SR 72 in Jonestown. Crashes on city or township roads, including US 422 in the City of Lebanon, may be handled by the local department, such as the Lebanon City Police Department.

How do I get a State Police crash report for a Lebanon County truck crash?

A person involved in the crash, their attorney or insurer, or an involved government agency can request the report online through PSP or by mailing form SP 7-0015 to the PSP Crash Reports Unit in Harrisburg. Reports are available 15 days after the crash, and the PSP fee is $22.

Where are seriously injured crash victims from Lebanon County usually treated?

Many seriously injured patients may be taken to Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, which the Pennsylvania Trauma Systems Foundation lists as a Level I adult trauma center. WellSpan Good Samaritan Hospital in Lebanon has an emergency department but is not on PTSF's list of accredited trauma centers as of October 2026, so some patients are transferred after initial care.

Can I still recover if I was partly at fault?

Yes, as long as your share of fault is not greater than the combined fault of the defendants, under 42 Pa.C.S. § 7102. Your recovery is reduced by your percentage of fault.

Why does it matter how quickly I contact a lawyer after a truck crash?

Federal rules allow carriers to discard some records after as little as three to six months, and electronic data can be overwritten. An early preservation letter puts the carrier on notice to keep logs, engine data, video and maintenance records that may prove what happened.

Talk to a Pennsylvania Injury Lawyer About Your Case

If you or someone you love was hurt in a tractor-trailer crash on I-81, I-78, US 422, US 322 or PA 72 in Lebanon County, I will review your situation in a free, confidential case review. Call (717) 724-7503 or request a free case review online. Our Camp Hill office at 3425 Simpson Ferry Rd, Suite 100, Camp Hill, PA 17011 serves clients across Pennsylvania, including Lebanon, Palmyra, Annville, Myerstown and Jonestown.

This article is general information about Pennsylvania law, not legal advice for your specific situation, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Attorney advertising. Sean Quinlan, Esq., Quinlan Law Group, Camp Hill, PA.