the law office of dennis p. ryan

AUTO ACCIDENT ATTORNEY in New York: understanding truck ACCIDENTS

When a truck collides with a passenger truck, disaster follows. It is among the deadliest types of auto accidents in the United States. The reason is simple: the sheer size of the truck (and its potential contents) versus a passenger vehicle. The average truck with a fully loaded trailer can weigh up to 80,000 pounds while the average passenger vehicle's weight ranges between 4,000 to 5,000 pounds. If you or someone you love has been injured or killed in a truck accident, receiving fair and just compensation may be your only recourse for physical, mental, and emotional recovery.

Accidents involving 18-wheelers or commercial trucks are different from accidents involving only passenger vehicles. There's a lot more involved. The truck driver isn't the only one who may be liable. There are federal regulations to consider alongside state laws. The mechanics involved in the truck, too, are quite different and may be relevant, making truck accident cases more complex.

The problem is this: an insurance company may not settle for what's fair. You may need to file a personal injury claim. The Law Office of Dennis P. Ryan can help you file a strong, well-documented claim while advocating your rights and representing your best interests. Contact us today at (212) 441-4352 to learn more.

Common Causes of Truck Accidents in New York

Accidents involving semi-trucks or another type of commercial truck are caused for any number of reasons. 

Some of the most common include:

  • Distracted driving

  • Excessive speed

  • Drunk or drugged driving

  • Driving in high winds

  • Unsafe lane changes

  • Inadequate training

  • Inexperience

  • Excessive fatigue

  • Defective truck parts

  • Poor truck maintenance

  • Shifting cargo inside the trailer

  • Poorly-fastened cargo on a flatbed trailer.

Not all truck accidents are caused by the truck driver or an issue with the truck. Other causes may include environmental conditions, poor road design, or another driver's error. In the end, there may be several causes that lead up to the accident, which again makes these cases more complex than other types of auto accidents.

Common Types of Injuries in New York from Truck Accidents 

No matter how it is caused, a truck crash often leads to severe injuries for the people in the passenger vehicle. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) provides annual statistics, and year after year, it's been documented that more than 80 percent of those who die from bodily injuries sustained in a truck accident are occupants of the other vehicle (or pedestrians or bicyclists). Only rarely is the truck driver or a passenger of the truck killed, and that's in part because the sheer size and weight of the truck is to their advantage. 

Though fatalities often result from semi-truck collisions, there are other serious injuries that can have life-changing effects on the victim. These injuries include:  

  • Spinal injuries

  • Broken and fractured bones

  • Crushing injuries

  • Severe or life-threatening lacerations

  • Internal bleeding and damage to internal organs

  • Traumatic brain injuries

  • Nerve damage

  • Paralysis

  • Limb dismemberment

  • Burn injuries.

In some cases, certain injuries can lead to additional compensation. For example, if you are left scarred or unable to work, you deserve more than someone who will fully recover.  

Why File a Personal Injury Claim for a Truck Accident in New York?

Truck accidents are complex cases. Injuries sustained from them are often severe, and, as such, are extremely costly. Insurance companies may be happy to settle, but the offer will likely not reflect what's fair and just. 

When insurance companies make an initial settlement offer, their first goal is to protect their own bottom line – not help the victim recover. They will try to cut costs by not thoroughly investigating the accident. This means the insurer may not uncover all the underlying causes and potential liable parties (e.g., truck driver, trucking company, loaders, mechanics, etc.). Insurance companies will also try to get away with not paying for future medical bills, future lost wages, loss of earned income, and other expenses that you may not be aware of but which the law allows you to recover. 

By filing a personal injury claim, victims can pursue the compensation that they really deserve. 

Timing of the personal injury claim, however, is critical. There are deadlines you must meet in order to recover. If you miss certain deadlines, like those imposed by statutes of limitations, then you may not be able to recover anything. It is important to know the laws specific to your jurisdiction, thus, the reason why it is so very critical to your personal injury case to speak to a truck accident lawyer today.

Contact a Truck Accident Attorney in New York Today

Truck accidents can be devastating for everyone involved. Make sure you get the compensation you deserve by hiring an auto accident lawyer at Law Office of Dennis P. Ryan. Contact us online or at (212) 441-4352 to schedule a Free Consultation today.

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recent results

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recent results |

  • The Law Office of Dennis P. Ryan was able to win an important motion to allow a Department of Sanitation Supervisor to bring a Personal Injury Claim against the City of New York. Anyone who plans to sue a municipality in the State of New York, must file a Notice of Claim within 90 days of the date of the accident. A New York City Sanitation Supervisor recently contacted our law firm 5 months after the accident, and more than 2 months after the Notice of Deadline had passed. Our office was successfully able to convince the Court that our client's claim fell under an exception and should be allowed to proceed. Our client is now likely going to be able to receive money for his pain pain and suffering and lost wages.

  • Our client was a Sanitation Worker who was hit by a car while he was servicing his route. He suffered an ankle injury that required him to go for Physical Therapy for 1-2 months. Even though he did not need any injections or surgery, we were able to convince the insurance company to offer the full amount of its $25,000 to settle the case. We were able to achieve this settlement before our client needed to appear for a deposition.

  • Our client was a Sanitation Worker who was hit by a car while he was servicing his route. He had to have a shoulder surgery and missed several months of work, losing Chart Money, Truck Money and Overtime Money. We filed a lawsuit on his behalf in Kings County (Brooklyn). Our office was able to settle case for the full amount of the driver's Insurance Policy. We were able to achieve this settlement before our client needed to appear for a deposition.

  • Our office was able to settle a case for the full amount of Insurance Policy for Pedestrian who tripped and fell on sidewalk in Nassau County. This was a tough case in a tough venue for Plaintiff's attorneys. Our client had contacted 2 previous law firms who declined her case because they thought it would be too difficult to obtain a settlement. Our office was not only able to settle the case but we were able to persuade the insurance company to offer the full amount of its insurance policy to settle the case.

  • Our office was able to obtain a settlement for $95,000 (out of a total of $100,000) for a Sanitation Supervisor who hurt his ankle in a car crash. The insurance company for the other driver made several motions to the court asking the Judge to dismiss the case. We were able to defeat each of these motions and eventually settle the case for $95,000. This was more than 3 times the initial settlement offer that the insurance company made.

  • Our client fell on a broken sidewalk in the Bronx in front of a 1 family house. We brought a lawsuit against the City of New York and the insurance company for the homeowner. Our client aggravated injuries to his ankle that he had suffered years ago while playing sports. The Insurance Company made a Motion to the Court asking to dismiss our case. We were able to defeat this Motion and we were eventually able to settle this case against the City of New York and the Insurance Company for a total of $75,000.

  • Our office was able to obtain a settlement of $97,500 out of a possible $100,000 in available insurance coverage for a Car Crash that happened in New Jersey. Our client was involved in a 2 car crash. She had a stop sign and the other driver did not have a stop sign. For that reason, the insurance company claimed that the crash was completely the fault of our client. Our firm hired investigators who canvassed the scene for witnesses, photos and videos of the crash. We were able to prove that the other driver was driving too fast for the intersection and was also at fault for the crash.

  • Our office was able to obtain a settlement of $170,000 for a woman who slipped and fell on ice on the stairs of the house that she rented an apartment at. Her landlord's insurance company argued that the landlord had done everything it could to prevent our client's fall. We were able to prove that the landlord had not properly shoveled and salted the steps before our client's fall.

  • Our Office settled a case for a Sanitation Worker who tripped and fell on uneven pavement inside his Sanitation Garage and hurt his ankle. The Worker had several prior Line of Duty Injuries (LODIs) where he had also hurt his ankle. Our office was able to prove that this LODI aggravated the old injuries and made the injuries worse.