New York Truck Accident Lawyers
Tractor-Trailer Accident Lawsuits
Were you hit by a reckless truck driver and suffered serious injuries? Devastating truck accidents like yours happen throughout New York every day. While the details of a truck accident make it unique, one thing remains true in all cases: The Russell Friedman Law Group, LLP can help injured motorists seek justice and compensation through a tactful and efficient truck accident claim.
New York liability laws allow injured drivers to demand economic and non-economic damages from negligent truck drivers after a crash. Economic damages are designed to pay for tangible costs like medical bills and lost wages. Non-economic damages are designed for abstract costs like your pain and suffering. Our New York truck accident attorneys will be focused on securing every penny in your name for all types of damages possible.
Dial (855) 465-4622 to speak with our team about your truck accident today.
Causes of Truck Accidents
Investigating the root cause of your truck accident is an important step in building your claim or lawsuit. The defendant will try to avoid liability or look for clever ways to blame you for it. Proving how the accident happened can defeat their argument before it has a chance to get any traction. Our truck accident lawyers can network with crash reconstruction professionals, medical experts, and trucking industry insiders to find and utilize ample evidence that clearly shows the cause of your crash.
Truck accidents are often caused by:
- Fatigue: Truck drivers can be scheduled to work up to 14 hours in a single day and 70 days a week. Many truckers deal with exhaustion toward the end of their shifts. Some try to wake themselves up with off-the-shelf and illegal stimulants, but those exaggerate exhaustion once they wear off.
- Speeding: Truck drivers are paid by the mile driven or job completed, not by the hour. Some truckers speed to try to finish their routes faster.
- Merging issues: There are enormous blind spots on tractor-trailers. Before merging, turning, or changing lanes, a truck driver needs to act with heightened caution to not collide with a smaller vehicle that is unseen.
- Poorly loaded trailers: A top-heavy trailer can tip over if the truck driver takes a sharp turn or drives along a banked road. Poorly loaded cargo can fall off or out of a trailer and hit vehicles behind the truck.
Can You Sue to the Trucking Company, Too?
You might be able to sue the truck driver by using their individually purchased insurance plan. The legal rule of respondeat superior might also allow you to sue the truck driver’s employer for additional damages that were not paid by the trucker. This rule applies if the truck driver was an employee, not an independent contractor.
We can help you understand your rights and options when filing a trucking accident claim, including who can be named as a defendant. The goal is to secure as much compensation for you as possible by uncovering as many applicable insurance policies as we can.
Contact Our Firm Before Another Day Passes
You should begin your truck accident claim soon and while the details of what happened are fresh in your mind. Our New York truck accident attorneys are standing by to hear from locals who need our assistance when pursuing compensation and taking on insurers and trucking companies. If there is a legal fight to be had, then we want to be the ones who fight it for you.
Fill out an online contact form and request a FREE consultation.
Frequently Asked Questions About Truck Accidents
How much does a lawyer cost for a truck accident case?
Hiring our truck accident attorneys won’t cost you anything upfront because we have no-cost case evaluations. We work for contingency fees, too, so we do not get paid attorney fees unless your case ends with a successful settlement or verdict. This system creates a virtually risk-free financial situation for our truck accident clients.
Why are truck accidents often worse than car accidents?
Commercial trucks are enormous compared to the average passenger vehicle. Simple physics tells us that the force of an impact between a truck and a car will affect the lighter vehicle much more. At low speeds, a truck accident will still have enough force to cause severe injuries.
What compensation do I get for a truck accident claim?
The compensation you can demand in your truck accident claim will include medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Other forms of damages could apply, like punitive damages approved by the court to penalize a truck driver who has committed an egregious and reckless mistake. Vehicle repairs can also be paid by the trucker or trucking company, but those are technically handled in a property damage claim.
How long does a truck accident lawsuit take?
A truck accident lawsuit could easily take more than a year to conclude. Hotly contested lawsuits with intricate evidence could take two years or longer. However, a truck accident claim that does not rely on litigation could conclude much sooner, such as in six or so months. It all depends on how much the insurance company is willing to fight your case.
How much time do I have to file my truck accident claim?
New York allows truck accident victims three years to file a claim and begin legal action against the parties liable for the crash. Once the three-year statute of limitations ends, future claims will be rejected by the court. We suggest filing – or at least talking to an attorney – well before the end of the three-year statute of limitation.
