Kings County NY Truck Accident Lawyer

Truck Injury Attorneys
Kings County, NY

Kings County and the borough of Brooklyn share the same boundaries. Kings County is a very convenient place to live and work – it is connected to the rest of New York City by eight bridges, three subway tunnels (18 subway lines), and one vehicular tunnel. Kings County is a county of neighborhoods with distinctive characters. Kings County’s economy is a mixture of thousands of small businesses, support businesses for major Manhattan corporations, high-tech industries, and a variety of manufacturing. The world-famous Coney Island is in Kings County, as well as some of New York’s best arts and cultural organizations and New York’s most famous parks.

In such a highly-populated, on-the-move community, accidents of kinds are prone to happen. Tens of thousands of businesses large and small, as well as residents of Kings County, require and expect deliveries, which means trucks will be involved in accidents.

If you or a member of your family are hurt or killed in a truck accident, you will need an experienced truck accident attorney to recover damages from the party responsible for the accident. At Hill & Moin LLP, our personal injury attorneys have decades of successful experience getting compensation from truck accident victims. We can assist you in all the matters related to a truck accident lawsuit. Also, our law firm manages truck accident cases on a contingency fee basis; if we do not get compensation for you, you owe us nothing.

What Defines a Truck Accident in New York

To put it in simple terms, a truck accident refers to a vehicle collision involving a commercial truck, semi-truck, tractor-trailer, or delivery truck. Truck accidents can occur due to a wide variety of reasons. The list includes driver error, trucking company negligence, equipment failure, hazardous cargo, or hazardous road conditions. Due to the tremendous size and mass of trucks, trucking accidents often lead to catastrophic injuries and fatalities. They also typically cause significant damage to other vehicles they come in contact with.

From a legal point of view, truck accidents can be quite complex due to various reasons. For example, different rules and regulations apply to trucks and truck drivers, as opposed to regular cars and other motorists. Liability may also be more difficult to determine. But on the other hand, due to the more consistent insurance policies that truck drivers and trucking companies carry, the compensation amounts are higher in case of truck accidents.

If you have been involved in a truck crash, it is imperative to appeal to the services of a truck accident lawyer. At Hill & Moin, our attorneys can help you navigate the complex legal process of a truck accident suit, and help you secure the compensation you deserve.

Statute of Limitations for Truck Accidents in Kings County, NY

When it comes to truck accidents, the statute of limitations is the law that defines the time limit required for a truck accident lawsuit to be filed. The New York statute of limitations for truck accidents pretty much applies to New York City and Kings County.

This being said, if you sustained injuries from a trucking accident in Kings County, NY, you have three years from the date of the crash to file a lawsuit. In the unfortunate event that a truck accident victim dies due to the injuries sustained from that particular accident, the case turns into a wrongful death case, and the time limitation that applies to file a wrongful death claim is only two years.

Exceptions from the three-year time limitation are when the truck accident victim is a minor, or when the defendant is a government agency. If the victim is a minor, the statute of limitations for filing a truck accident claim is tolled until their 18th birthday. Once they reach the age of majority, the three-year limitation commences.

Finally, in case a government entity is named as the liable party in a motor vehicle accident involving a truck, the time limitation for filing a suit is significantly shorter. The plaintiffs have 90 days from the date of the crash to file a Notice of Claim with the involved government entity. Failing to do so, they may risk their case to be dismissed.

How Is Liability Determined in Truck Accidents

Many people assume that identifying the responsible party in a truck accident also determines liability. This isn’t entirely accurate. Plaintiffs must not only establish fault prior to proceeding to court, they also must explain how the responsible party was at fault. That’s why in order to have a solid truck accident case and pursue the maximum amount of compensation, the plaintiffs must provide compelling evidence of liability with more convincing force than the opposing party.

As we’ve already mentioned, truck accident cases can be complex due to numerous reasons, one of these reasons being that multiple parties can be involved and held liable. So, who can be held liable in a truck accident?

Responsible parties in trucking accidents may include:

The truck driver
Independent contractors
Trucking companies
Cargo loaders
Truck mechanics
And others involved in the trucking industry

Needless to say, since more than one party may be responsible for your truck accident injuries, an investigation is necessary. That’s where an experienced truck accident attorney comes in. At Hill & Moin, our legal experts know how to investigate your accident and the trucking company. We will also examine the training of truck drivers and maintenance workers.

We will also analyze the truck driver’s Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) and logbook. Our law firm will conduct an in-depth study of all the existing evidence to determine if the driver followed federal and New York trucking laws and regulations. You deserve diligence and professionalism – and our truck accident attorneys offer nothing less.

What Makes A Solid Truck Accident Case?

To put it in simple terms – evidence. In order to have a strong truck accident case and pursue the maximum compensation available, you must provide high-quality, compelling evidence to support your claim. For truck accidents, there are three distinct types of evidence, different from the usual evidence commonly needed in car accidents. These are:

Truck inspection reports. When a commercial truck is involved in a collision, a certified truck inspector must review the state of the vehicle before it is removed from the scene. This special report typically isn’t included in the police report and you must ask for it separately. This truck inspection report usually contains crucial information with regard to the condition of the truck after the accident, as well as its trailer.
Black box information. Similar to other commercial vehicles, many trucks are equipped with black boxes. These devices collect a great deal about the performance of the vehicle before, after, and at the time of the accident. They can provide data regarding the speed of the truck, how long the driver had been driving before the crash, when did they apply the brakes, and more.
Other high-tech devices information. Along with the black boxes, many commercial trucks are equipped with other high-tech devices which can also provide crucial evidence from a crash, or verify the consistency of other bits of evidence. GPS devices, dashcams, onboard computers, and other devices can fall into this category.

The list of evidence types that can contribute to the strength of a truck accident case doesn’t end here. Depending on the circumstances of the accident, your truck accident lawyer may gather a variety of other evidence, such as:

Photographs from the scene
Traffic camera footage
Tire marks on the road
Witness testimonies
Expert witness testimonies
The truck driver’s hours of service, phone records, and qualifications
Alcohol or drug test results

Of course, you may not know how to gather and compile all this evidence, but truck accident attorneys do. At Hill & Moin, we have all the resources and expertise regarding truck accident investigations. We will collect every bit of information available, use it to build a strong case, and make sure you are compensated fully for your damages.

Contact a Kings County Truck Accident Lawyer at Hill & Moin

The Kings County personal injury attorneys at Hill & Moin are professionals at obtaining considerable compensation for victims of serious traffic accidents, including truck accidents. Our seasoned truck accident lawyers are committed to your best interests. Our main goal is to help you collect the maximum compensation possible for your truck accident injuries and damages.

You might be entitled to medical expenses and lost pay. Additionally, you can be entitled to damages for pain and suffering, damages for loss of companionship, and punitive damages, based on the circumstances of your case and the extent of the injuries. Our law firm manages cases on a contingency fee basis; if we do not get compensation for you, you owe us nothing.

Time is of the essence! Call us today at (212) 668-6000 to schedule a free consultation and learn about your Personal Injury Recovery SolutionsⓇ.

Don’t wonder about your rights!