On August 9, 2024, a garbage truck driver for Republic Services made his usual rounds in Penn Township, Pennsylvania. It should’ve been a routine day…until it absolutely wasn’t.

According to a lawsuit the driver filed, while navigating the narrow road, the right rear ladder and corner of his garbage truck clipped an overhanging tree. That sudden impact allegedly flung the driver from the vehicle. Before he could react, the truck veered left, rolled over his legs, and plunged down an embankment.

The injuries the trash collector claims are no joke: fractured legs, nerve damage, deep cuts, and the kind of pain and trauma that doesn’t just fade after a few stitches. Now he’s suing a laundry list of people and entities. Defendants include Penn Township, PennDOT, the property owner where the tree was growing, and even ten unnamed individuals. Basically, anyone who may have had a role in the accident, Trib Live shared.

How can someone besides the garbage truck driver be held responsible here? 

Good question. The answer lies in legal duty. Municipalities like Penn Township and agencies like PennDOT are responsible for keeping roadways safe and clear. This includes trimming trees that pose a hazard. 

Property owners, too, can be liable if vegetation from their land intrudes onto public roads and creates a danger. If they knew (or should’ve known) the tree posed a threat to drivers and didn’t act, the law might see that as negligence.

As of now, Penn Township is staying tight-lipped. Township manager Mary Perez says she hasn’t seen the lawsuit yet. The property owner? Unreachable. But one thing’s clear: this case is already a tangle of limbs…some legal, some literal.