Long Island, NY Truck Accident Lawyer
Miles of green farmland, beaches, and wineries could inspire anyone to fall in love with Long Island, NY. Yet, the bridges, highways, and tunnels that connect Long Island to the rest of New York can be dangerous.
Long Island is composed of Kings, Queens, Nassau, and Suffolk Counties. In Queens alone, there were 2,349 accidents in December 2021. The truck crashes included in that number caused property damage, serious injuries, and death.
The days after a trucking accident can be a time of tremendous pressure for accident victims. At Hill & Moin, our Personal Injury Recovery SolutionsⓇ make a difference for those who trust us to find legal remedies for their problems. To learn how our experienced truck accident lawyers can help you secure your future, schedule your free case evaluation by calling (212) 668-6000.
What You Deserve from the Trucking Industry
A truck driver’s hours might make deadlines hard to meet, but each owes it to others to drive in a safe manner. Nevertheless, many truck accidents occur when trucking companies or individual drivers fail to act responsibly. Personal injury lawyers investigate truck accidents to determine their cause.
What if negligence or recklessness were at the root of a truck accident? The responsible party is liable for damages. A truck accident attorney can pursue proper compensation from the trucking company’s insurance and other parties that may also be involved.
Are you wondering what kinds of negligent acts contribute to truck accidents in New York? The next section lists several factors that could cause a serious accident.
Preventable Causes of Long Island Truck Accidents
According to the New York Department of Health, a truck accident is not a random act of destiny. “Predictable patterns, with recognizable risk factors” are at play when a large truck crashes. Truck accident injuries are “predictable and preventable” events. For instance, some driver behaviors are known to make trucking accidents more likely.
Driver distraction
When operating large trucks, focus is essential. A distraction could take the driver’s attention away from the activities necessary for safe driving.
Research indicates that focusing on a distraction, even for a short time:
- Reduces awareness
- Impairs decision-making ability
- Lowers performance
- Delays the recognition of information necessary to maintain control
- Increases the risk of a truck crash
Distractors can be anything – an event, activity, object, or person – that competes with the driving task. What could take the attention of a truck driver away from the road? Any of the following:
- Adjusting controls (e.g. radio or climate control)
- Eating or drinking
- Using a cellphone
- Consulting a navigation system
- Talking to a passenger
- Noticing something outside of the vehicle
If a distracted commercial truck driver hit you, you could sue for the money you spent on medical bills in a truck accident claim. Would you like to know whether you have a case?
At Hill & Moin, our compassionate lawyers never charge truck accident victims for their initial consultations. Fill out the contact form to request your free truck accident case evaluation, and someone will contact you soon.
Improper speed
In New York, the speed limits for rural and urban highways range from 40 to 65 mph. Residential streets are limited to 20 to 45 mph.
If no speed limit is posted, truck drivers should not exceed 25 mph in New York City. The minimum speed of most New York expressways is 45 miles per hour.
These speed limits are not as straightforward as one might imagine. The New York Safety Council defines a speed limit as “the maximum legal speed you can travel on a road under ideal conditions.”
A responsible truck driver should assess and adjust his or her speed in the following circumstances:
- Narrow or congested roads
- Intersections or train crossings
- Winding, sharp, or blind curves
- Around pedestrians
- Animal crossings
- School zones
- Wet or slippery streets
- Damaged pavement
- Potholes
- Whenever driving hazards are present
Preventable truck accidents can occur when inclement weather, traffic, or the state of the road makes conditions less than ideal for high speeds.
Alcohol and drug use
New York law acknowledges that truck drivers must take extreme care while operating heavy machinery to keep themselves and others safe. A tractor-trailer crash, for example, could cause much more damage than a passenger vehicle accident. Therefore, a truck driver’s legal blood alcohol content (BAC) is 0.04, half of the state limit for other drivers 21 or older.
A BAC is a general guideline that does not mean all truck drivers with a BAC of 0.04 are in proper condition to operate a semi-truck. The NY Department of Motor Vehicles identifies five conditions that affect a person’s level of alcohol impairment:
- Gender
- Weight
- Amount of alcohol consumed
- Amount of food eaten before or while drinking
- How long the individual takes to drink the alcohol
Drugs can negatively affect a driver’s brain, making a commercial vehicle a life-threatening menace for pedestrians, bicyclists, and other motorists. Studies associated drugged driving with:
- Slowed reaction times
- Difficulty or error in judging time and distance
- Decreased coordination
- Aggression and recklessness
- Driver fatigue, sleepiness, or dizziness
- Impaired cognitive functioning
Though a commercial truck driver might feel fine, drugs or alcohol could change his or her ability to drive a vehicle safely. A truck accident lawyer can determine whether a truck driver caused an accident while under the influence of a drug, including illicit substances, prescription drugs, and over-the-counter medications.
Other factors
New York City data reveals various other truck driver errors that contributed to recent accidents:
- Failure to yield the right-of-way
- Passing or following too closely
- Turning improperly
- Reacting to an uninvolved vehicle (e.g. over-correction or gapers’ delay)
- Driver fatigue
- Mechanical failure (e.g. defective brakes, tires)
- Improper lane usage
- Oversized vehicles
- Unsafe backing
- Disregarding traffic controls
- Driver inexperience
The more than 1 million entries on the crash statistics list reveal that each truck accident is unique. Hill & Moin can take a closer look at your situation and determine which factors enable you to pursue maximum compensation.
Working with one of our truck accident lawyers is like having a caring family member defend your rights. Call (212) 668-6000 and let our experienced team empower you with the legal advice you need.
Why Truck Accident Victims Should Know Their Rights
New York personal injury law has a purpose. Those whose truck accident injuries originated from carelessness, negligence, and intentional harm can seek compensation for their losses. Truck accident cases have helped people like you to win compensation for the damages described below.
Medical costs
In Suffolk County, the highest risk of traumatic brain injuries (TBI) came from crashes related to alcohol use and disregarded traffic signals. For these momentary infractions, the costs can last a lifetime. Northwestern University estimates that the lifetime costs of TBI treatment are between $85,000 to $3 million.
New York requires drivers to carry personal injury protection (PIP) insurance. Understanding your policy and claiming all of your benefits is vital to getting the compensation you need to pay for serious injuries such as TBIs. After a truck collision, be sure to reach out to a truck accident lawyer right away.
While you recover, your attorney can take care of the exhausting details of your Long Island truck accident insurance claim. With a truck accident lawyer on your side, you can face the future confident that you know what your policy includes.
Lost wages
After a truck collision, you might need time off work to get treatment and recuperate from your injuries. Sometimes permanent disabilities make working in the same capacity impossible.
This is not only inconvenient but also disappointing. Studies show that positive self-esteem and satisfaction come from a job well done.
Suppose a preventable Long Island truck accident temporarily or permanently robbed you of your ability to work. In that case, trucking companies could be liable for your lost future earning potential and missed wages. The emotional repercussions of your accident could also affect your amount of available compensation.
Property damage repair or reimbursement expenses
New York State allows semi-trucks weighing up to 80,000 pounds to travel on New York highways such as I-95, I-295, and I-495. A tractor-trailer might be 13 feet 6 inches high, 8 feet wide, and 55 feet long.
It is no wonder, then, that when a commercial truck collides with another object, the damage can be severe. Truck accidents cause thousands of dollars in repair expenses and totaled vehicle reimbursement costs every year.
Wrongful death damages
If you lost a loved one in a Long Island truck accident, grief could sap you of emotional and physical energy. Our clients know they can rely on us to seek justice like we would for our own family. Learn who qualifies to file a wrongful death claim and what losses you can recover by contacting a truck accident lawyer today.
Learn What Over 50 Years of Combined Experience Can Do
What can you do if an insurance company seems reluctant to pay for a trucking company’s negligence? How do you know when a Long Island truck accident settlement offer is fair?
Learn your rights and equip yourself to protect them by taking advantage of a free legal consultation with Hill & Moin. Counting on our effective law firm, among New York’s Super Lawyers, can yield extraordinary results.
Why not learn your Personal Injury Recovery SolutionsⓇ as soon as possible? Schedule your Long Island truck accident case review by calling Hill & Moin at (212) 668-6000 at any time, day or night. Don’t wonder about your rights!