Dunmore, PA (November 3, 2026) – Dunmore police said one person was taken to the hospital with a leg injury after a car and a tractor-trailer collided on Interstate 81 southbound in Lackawanna County. The collision happened near mile marker 185 at around 11:15 p.m. on November 3 and closed every southbound lane.
The highway stayed shut for hours before it reopened.
There is no word yet on what caused the collision.
This is a developing story. Details may change as the investigation continues.
What to Do After a Truck Accident in Lackawanna County
Most commercial truck drivers must record their hours on an electronic logging device, and carriers must keep those duty-status records for six months (49 CFR § 395.8). That window is short, which is why early action matters after a crash with a large truck.
Anyone involved in a collision like this one, or helping someone who was, can use these steps to keep their health and their options protected:
- See a doctor promptly for any injury, including pain that shows up days later.
- Request the crash report from the investigating police department and keep the report number.
- Photograph the vehicles, the damage, the roadway, and visible injuries before anything is moved or repaired.
- Note the company markings on the truck and any camera mounted in the cab, since both point to who holds the records.
- Tell your own insurer about the crash, but decline a recorded statement from the trucking company’s insurer until you have spoken with a lawyer.
- Keep a folder of medical bills, pay stubs, and mileage to and from appointments.
How a Truck Accident Claim Moves Forward in Pennsylvania
A claim after a tractor-trailer crash follows a fairly set path. These are the legal steps, in the order they usually happen.
- Send a preservation letter to the trucking company and its insurer, covering driver logs, dispatch records, maintenance files, and onboard vehicle data.
- Obtain the police crash report and any reconstruction findings once they are released.
- Identify every insurance policy and responsible party, which can include the driver, the carrier, a freight broker, the company that loaded the trailer, and a repair shop.
- Document the damages: treatment to date, future care, lost wages, and the effect on daily life.
- File suit before the deadline. Pennsylvania law sets it at two years, which here is November 3, 2028 (42 Pa.C.S. § 5524), and missing it generally ends the claim.
If fault is disputed, Pennsylvania reduces a recovery by the injured person’s share and bars it when that share is more than 50 percent (42 Pa.C.S. § 7102).
Contact Our Northern PA Injury Lawyers
Stanley Law Offices has served Upstate New York and Northern Pennsylvania families since 1982. We serve Northern Pennsylvania from our Montrose office, and that includes people hurt on the highways around Scranton and Dunmore.
Our Montrose truck accident attorneys and Montrose car accident attorneys handle crashes involving tractor-trailers, passenger vehicles, and the two together. Joe Stanley, who holds Board Certification in Civil Trial Practice from the American Board of Trial Advocacy, founded the firm. Clients have rated us 4.7 stars across more than 900 verified reviews.
Anyone hurt on I-81 near Scranton has a choice of firms, and local roots count for something. Here is what Stanley Law Offices offers in Northern Pennsylvania:
- Serving Upstate New York and Northern Pennsylvania families for 45+ years
- Joe Stanley, Board Certified in Civil Trial Practice by the American Board of Trial Advocacy
- Super Lawyers recognition for 18+ consecutive years
- 4.7-star rating across 900+ verified reviews
- Offices in Syracuse, Binghamton, Rochester, Watertown, Oneonta, and Montrose, PA
- No recovery, no fee
Our Montrose office at 22 Public Ave, Montrose, PA 18801, is our home base for Northern Pennsylvania. Call us, come by the office, or send us the details through our contact form. Virtual consultations are also available.
