New York Truck Accident Attorneys

When someone hears the phrase “motor vehicle accident”, chances are they don’t picture an accident involving a garbage truck, but on New York’s busy streets, they happen more than you would think. Garbage trucks pose a significant danger to pedestrians and cyclists as well as other motorists, and are responsible for many injuries and deaths every year.

Trash pick-up shouldn’t result in injuries and death, but far too often it does. If you have been injured in a dump truck or garbage truck accident, we will work closely with you to make sure you have the resources necessary to make a recovery from your serious injuries.

Garbage truck drivers and the companies responsible for their actions are not going to write you a check to help you with your injuries. They will fight you every step of the way, making it important to have our aggressive attorneys looking out for your interests. Whether the sanitation truck is owned by a private company or by the city of New York, we can help.

Each year, hundreds of people are seriously injured or killed in truck accidents involving buses, taxi cabs and public transit vehicles. Transit vehicles should use the highest degree of care and caution to make sure their passengers are safe. If you have been hurt in truck-public transit accident, you may be entitled to significant compensation for your injuries including medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering.

How Were You Injured?

In New York, there are many forms of transportation, and they all have their risks if not operated or maintained properly. Our lawyers are available to assist with the legal process following a crash involving mass transit and a truck. Our law firm handles crashes caused by poor maintenance, negligent operation and defective equipment. Examples of truck accidents involving mass transit include:

• Semi truck-train crashes
• Truck-school bus accidents
• Truck-taxi crashes
• Truck-bus accidents

Whatever type of truck-transit accident caused your injuries, you can rely on our truck accident attorneys to advocate for the maximum compensation possible.

Not all truck accidents in New York involve colliding vehicles. Many of the truck accidents that occur on the streets of New York are a result of overloaded trucks and falling debris. Whether the falling debris are construction materials, garbage, or even appliances, the results can be serious injuries and death for innocent motorists. Debris falling from trucks is a significant hazard for other vehicles on the road. Truck drivers must ensure that their loads are secured properly at all times. Our law firm handles truck accidents involving:

• Dump trucks
• Garbage trucks
• Construction trucks
• Flatbed trailers

To prevent crashes, injuries and deaths, truck drivers have a responsibility to make sure cargo is secured before heading out onto New York roads. If you have been hurt due to a negligent driver who did not secure a load, our truck accident lawyers can help you get full and just compensation.

Our NYC attorneys understand the importance of safe tires on trucks. Unsafe tires can be the result of bad manufacturing processes, uneven wear from improper loading and illegal retreaded tires. When truck drivers and truck companies ignore safety standards or neglect to properly maintain their trucks, it can result in serious injuries and death. They need to be held accountable for their negligence.

Factors That Contribute to Truck Tire Blowouts

There are a variety of factors that can contribute to truck tire blowouts. Our law firm will investigate your accident and determine if any of the following factors were present:

• Retreaded tires: retreated tires should not be used on certain vehicles, particularly buses and other passenger vehicles.
• Tread separation/defective tires
• Recapped tires: Tires that are recapped or retreated for highway use must have a tread pattern that meets all local, state and national standards.
• Improper tread depth: Worn out tires are most susceptible to truck tire blowouts. Tires without the proper tread depth should not be used under any circumstances.

Worn tires are much likelier to experience blowouts that can cause a driver to lose control of a truck. Tread separation can result in debris on the road, creating additional hazards. If a truck tire blowout caused your accident, those responsible need to be held accountable. Contact our experienced lawyers for a FREE initial consultation.

Commercial vehicles, passenger vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians all have a responsibility to share New York’s roads and follow all safety precautions. But as streets become more crowded and populations become more dense, the frequency of incidents involving trucks, pedestrians and cyclists are likely to rise.

Truck drivers frequently cannot see pedestrians, motorcyclists, bike riders and even small cars because of missing, defective or damaged mirrors. On narrow city streets, trucks may run up on sidewalks as they attempt to turn. Inexperienced truck drivers may misjudge the amount of space available for turns. All these factors can lead to trucks striking pedestrians who do not have the protection provided by the structure of a motorized vehicle. The result is often severe or fatal injuries.

Were you struck by a negligent truck driver? Were you struck by a truck making a wide turn? Did a vehicle come into a bike path and sideswipe you? Were you hit by a vehicle traveling on the sidewalk? If you were injured due to someone’s negligence, you need to contact us.

Pedestrian Truck Accident Lawyers Ready to Help You Recover

If you were hit by a truck, you need the help of an experienced attorney to secure the compensation you need. Our attorneys will do whatever it takes to get you the compensation you are entitled to. When necessary, we consult with medical experts to verify the extent of your injuries. This allows us to fight back against claims from insurance company doctors trying to downplay your injuries. Contact us for a FREE case evaluation.

Overloaded and overweight trucks can be a serious hazard, whether on the New York State Thruway or on the streets of New York City. Overloaded trucks can tip over, spilling their loads and blocking the highway. Even if they do not tip over, overloaded trucks are more difficult for a driver to control, increasing braking distance required and causing more sideswipes and near-miss accidents that can have ripple effects when in traffic.

As a driver, you should be able to assume the roads you drive on are safe and were designed and maintained according to all local, state and federal standards. However, roads do not always live up to that, leading to serious injuries and even death. If you have suffered injuries caused at least in part by a defective roadway or a dangerous highway, you may be entitled to compensation for your medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering.

Why Did Your Accident Happen?

As local and state governments fall behind financially, more and more roads are being neglected and improperly/poorly maintained. Our New York attorneys handle a wide variety of accident claims caused by defective roadways, including claims involving:

• Dangerous road conditions
• Defectively designed highways
• Poorly maintained streets
• Potholes
• Lack of a shoulder

The statute of limitations can be as short as 90 days in defective roadway cases, especially if any municipalities or governmental agencies are involved. Don’t delay, contact us for a FREE case evaluation.

There are minimum standards nationally that must be met before a state can issue a commercial driver’s license. As a result, the CDL manuals in each state are almost identical. For convenience, the citations in this article refer to the New York State Commercial Driver’s License Manual. For more detail, visit our truck driver safety page.

Our New York lawyers can take legal action after truck driver negligence such as speeding, tailgating, turning too widely and driver fatigue. Factors such as these are common causes of crashes that result in injury or death.

Pursuing Justice for Truck-Driver Negligence Victims

Our New York City semi truck negligence attorneys represent truck and tractor-trailer accident injury victims, including the victims of accidents caused by:

Runaway truck trailers

Few things can cause as much damage as a runaway truck on a crowded New York highway. Tractor trailer accidents can cause extensive injuries and death. If you were injured in an accident, it is in your best interest to get in touch with an experienced truck accident attorney to discuss your legal options.

Tractor trailer accidents happen all over the country and New York is no exception. Commercial trucks are driven many thousands of miles each year and parts wear out. It’s as simple as that. Truck drivers and trucking companies have a responsibility to keep their vehicles in good working order to ensure the safety of other drivers. When they fail to do that, they are risking the lives of innocent motorists and pedestrians in runaway truck crashes. Brakes, wheels, tires, couplings and other components can contribute to a driver being unable to stop a truck.

You can trust our experienced firm to investigate the circumstances of your accident and determine whether it could have been prevented. We will hold those responsible for your injuries accountable and ensure you receive the compensation you need.

Driver fatigue

Federal trucking regulations specify how many hours a truck driver can be on the road in order to reduce driver fatigue. Too often, however, these regulations are ignored in favor of a higher profit. When truck drivers get tired, they can fall asleep at the wheel, have diminished control over their big rig, and make other serious and potentially fatal mistakes.

When a truck driver falls asleep at the wheel or makes an error in judgment because of lack of sleep, who is at fault? Truck companies cannot control how much sleep their drivers get each night. However, they should enforce accurate driving logs, and not demand that their drivers be on the road longer than regulations allow.

Speeding

A speeding tractor-trailer or other truck carries a huge amount of momentum. When combined with excessive speed, the size and weight of a loaded truck makes it a serious road hazard. Under the best of circumstances, trucks need much more time to stop than a car.

When a truck speeds on narrow roads or steep inclines, the danger is even greater, because there is less room to maneuver than on an interstate highway. Moreover, speeding is not limited to traveling faster than the speed limit. On wet or icy roads, driving at the posted speed can be dangerous.

Wide turns

To make a turn, drivers of tractor-trailers frequently must go wide and into the opposite lane of traffic. Busy New York City streets combined with wide-turning trucks are a recipe for disaster. While drivers should know this and remain aware of traffic, they should not let an insurance company claim that a truck accident was their fault. Many semi-trucks are required to warn other motorists of wide right turns through signs and pictures. Additionally, truck drivers need to take caution and compensate for their larger vehicle. When they do not take normal common sense precautions, they can be held liable for injuries and deaths caused by wide turns.

Tailgating

Tailgating in New York City, whatever the type of vehicle, is irresponsible. When a large truck tailgates in bumper-to-bumper traffic, the chances of a serious accident increase significantly. Everyone, including the drivers of large trucks, knows that heavier vehicles simply need more time to stop. Truck drivers must compensate for this; this best way to avoid an accident is to provide enough space between vehicles to stop.

Our law firm handles other types of cases involving truck drivers who operate negligently. Texting, driving while impaired by drugs or alcohol, altering logbooks, or disregarding New York City truck routes can result in serious injury. If you or a loved one are seriously injured by these types of negligence, you do not have to deal with the consequences by yourself. Our law firm will use its extensive resources and experience to tenaciously go after the compensation you deserve. We will gather evidence to build a convincing case that leaves the insurance company or jury no other option than to give you a fair recovery.

Trucking companies have a responsibility to make sure they are only putting safe, well maintained trucks on New York’s roadways. In addition, they have a responsibility to make sure they are only hiring qualified and safe truck drivers. If you were injured due to the negligence of a trucking company, you may be entitled to significant compensation.

Are You a Victim of Trucking Company Negligence?

Trucking companies can be liable for injuries and damage caused by their drivers due to improper training as well as company-imposed schedules and goals that cause drivers to drive with little sleep and cut corners on safety measures.

Many trucking companies are located outside of New York State and as a result a suit must be brought in Federal Court. Our attorneys are skilled in Federal litigation and are familiar with the special rules pertaining to interstate trucking.

Trucking companies often will not admit to their mistakes unless they face pressure from an experienced personal injury firm. If you have been injured due to truck company negligence, you need an aggressive lawyer on your side. Our firm stands up for the victims of trucking company negligence. Contact us for a FREE case evaluation.

Whether a tractor-trailer rig or a moving van, a truck must have not only well-maintained equipment, but also properly designed and manufactured equipment. Defective tires, brakes, wiring and safety equipment can result in serious crashes. Filing a product liability lawsuit because of defective truck components requires an attorney who understands product liability law and has the resources to mount a thorough analysis of the situation.