The Bronx Truck Accident Lawyer

Accidents involving large trucks can lead to serious, if not, devastating consequences. Vehicles of a much bigger and heavier size compared to other vehicles can be involved in collisions that result in serious injury or death. Trucks such as 18-wheelers, tractor-trailers, delivery trucks, and other commercial vehicles are common in these types of accidents. If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in a truck accident, legal options are possible.

To begin, you may need to consult with a Bronx truck accident lawyer to ensure that your legal rights are protected. With a personal injury attorney familiar with these cases in your corner, they may pursue a claim and secure potential compensation that can cover medical expenses, income loss due to miss work, pain and suffering, and other damages.

Why Are Truck Accidents Much Different Compared To Others?

It’s true that not all motor vehicle accidents are the same. That’s because they involve different types of vehicles such as trucks. Nevertheless, there are several reasons that truck accidents may be a bit more complicated than regular car crashes. They include:

• Larger scale of damage: With trucks, they have the potential to cause a large scale of damage in an accident. As such, it can make injuries and property damage more severe.
• Multiple parties involved: This is where determining liability can get tricky. One such instance is when multiple parties are involved in the crash. This may include the trucking company, maintenance contractors, parts manufacturers, or other possible liable parties.
• Federal regulations: Truck drivers and companies are required to comply with strict rules and regulations outlined by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). Such measures include but are not limited to hours-of-service limits, maintenance requirements, cargo standards, and other measures.
• Commercial insurance policies: Trucking companies usually carry large insurance policies. Their insurers can also make it difficult for victims of these accidents because of their tactics to ensure minimal payouts are the result instead of a “fair settlement”.

Nevertheless, having an experienced Bronx truck accident attorney assisting you from start to finish can make a difference. No accident claims should ever be challenged alone. Especially when it may lead to risks such as inadvertently admitting fault or accepting a lower settlement from insurers.

What Are The Common Causes of Truck Accidents

Truck accidents may occur from numerous factors. This may be at the fault of the driver, the trucking company, or even poor vehicle maintenance. These common causes include the following:

• Driver fatigue: Truckers typically work long hours. As such, fatigue can be common and can lead to commercial vehicle crashes. Because it is one of the leading causes, federal regulations require drivers to limit their driving time. Despite this, some drivers violate this and put themselves at risk.
• Distracted driving: These types of accidents include the use of a mobile device (texting), adjusting a GPS, or other distractions that go on inside the cab. Whatever takes the driver’s attention off the road for a long enough period of time can lead to devastating crashes.
• Speeding or reckless driving: Unlike other vehicles, commercial trucks require longer stopping distances. Thus, speeding, aggressive driving, or failing to adapt to the current road conditions (i.e – during adverse weather) can cause jackknife accidents or even rear-end collisions.
• Improper loading: Cargo that is unbalanced or overloaded can cause instability in a truck. Not only that, it can increase the potential of rollover or spill accidents.
• Mechanical failures: These include tire blowouts, faulty brakes, and other mechanical issues that may be linked to poor maintenance or defective parts.
• Driving Under the Influence: While it is illegal to drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol in New York, there have been truck accidents where such substances were a factor. Aside from the civil penalties a driver faces, they can also face criminal charges.

A truck accident lawyer in the Brinx may be of assistance if you have been involved in a truck accident. The same applies if you have had a loved one who was killed in such an incident and wish to file a wrongful death claim in the aftermath. Whatever the legal options might be, our skilled lawyers at Duffy & Duffy can help you determine the best one moving forward.

Who Can Be Held Liable in a Truck Accident?

Liability in truck accidents can be a bit more complicated compared to regular car accidents. As such, there may be one or more responsible parties. Here are some of the potential parties that may be liable:

• Truck drivers: They may be liable for negligent driving, fatigue, DUI, or violating New York traffic laws.
• Truck company: Negligent hiring, lack of proper training, or encouraging unsafe driving practices may play a role, holding the truck company liable.
• Vehicle maintenance providers: Liability on their part can be due to such infractions like failing to properly inspect a truck, repair, or even maintain the vehicle involved.
• Cargo loaders: Improperly securing cargo that leads to imbalances or spills can lead to holding them accountable.
• Manufacturers: Truck components such as brakes, tires, or steering systems can be defectives.
• Other motorists: This may include actions from another driver that may have caused the crash.

Once again, determining liability has its challenges. Which is why an experienced Bronx truck crash attorney can assist you in terms of exercising your legal options if you or a loved one have been injured or killed in a truck crash.

What Are The Common Injuries In Truck Crashes?

Truck crashes can be violent in nature. For this reason, the injuries that are common are often the ones that are severe and even life-threatening. These include but are not limited to the following:

• Spinal cord injuries and paralysis
• Broken bones and fractures
• Internal bleeding
• Organ damage
• Amputations
• Burns from hazardous cargo or fires
• Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
• Wrongful death

As a result, such injuries require medical treatment that require extensive hospital stays, surgeries, physical therapy and rehabilitation, and other forms of long-term care. For surviving family members of a victim that was killed, they may consider a wrongful death claim. If you survive a truck crash, you have the option to discuss your legal steps with a Bronx lawyer.

Please note that even if the injuries are minor or not immediate, it is highly recommended that you receive medical attention immediately. This may be due to the fact that you may suffer from internal injuries and may become more serious if they go unaddressed. The sooner you receive medical attention, the better considering it can be documented for legal purposes that you may pursue later on.

Injured In A Truck Accident? Contact a Bronx Attorney from Duffy & Duffy Today

Injuries from a truck accident can be serious. To the point where you may need long-term medical care, even for life. Thus, it is important that you should consider a Bronx truck accident lawyer who can guide you through the legal process if you have a strong enough claim. If you have been injured in a truck accident, contact Duffy & Duffy today to set up a consultation on what to do next in terms of legal action.