Content reviewed by:
Alex Shulman
Injuries from a truck accident can lead to significant damages from medical expenses and time away from your job. Shulman & Hill’s Brooklyn truck accident lawyers work hard to obtain justice and compensation for New Yorkers injured by negligent drivers and trucking companies. Protect your right to seek compensation after a truck accident by speaking with one of our skilled and experienced personal injury lawyers in Brooklyn.
Why Choose the Brooklyn Truck Accident Lawyers at Shulman & Hill?
A truck’s size and weight greatly increase the odds of a serious injury or fatality in an accident, especially when it involves less protected individuals such as someone in a passenger car or a pedestrian. However, truck accidents are often complex, and liability may not always be clear. A Brooklyn truck accident lawyer can investigate your accident, determine who is liable, and pursue a settlement that fairly compensates you for all your damages.
Shulman & Hill’s Brooklyn personal injury attorneys understand the issues that matter the most in truck accident cases. We draw on our deep knowledge and experience to develop winning strategies. We can protect your interests and guide you through the claims process with compassion, clearly explaining the issues involved. We are committed to providing each client with comprehensive legal representation and multilingual support from a diverse staff.
Our approach has enabled us to recover over $700 million in verdicts and settlements for thousands of New Yorkers over the past decade.
Our success has resulted in numerous honors for the firm’s attorneys. Founding partner Alex Shulman has received recognition as a New York Super Lawyer every year since 2017 and has been named to the National Trial Lawyers Association’s Top 40 Under 40 list.
How Often Do Truck Accidents Happen in Brooklyn?
There were 6,876 truck accidents in New York State in 2022, half of which resulted in an injury or fatality. Accidents involving semis and other large trucks accounted for 2,842 of those reports, placing New York in the top 10 states with the most truck accidents in 2022. New York was among the top three states for most truck accident injuries that year, with 3,416 injuries. Only Texas and California had more injuries from truck accidents.
According to the New York City Police Department, there were 196 large truck accidents in Brooklyn in January 2024 alone. This figure represents about 34 percent of the 578 citywide commercial truck accidents and was the highest among New York City’s five boroughs.
Common Causes of Brooklyn Semi-Truck Accidents
Many different events and circumstances can cause a Brooklyn semi-truck accident. However, the most common causes of Brooklyn truck accidents include the following:
- Distracted driving
- Driver fatigue
- Driving under the influence of alcohol or another substance
- Speeding
- Failing to adjust driving to account for bad weather conditions
- Driving an overweight or improperly loaded semi-truck
- Vehicle defects
Semi-truck accidents can happen at major intersections, on busy highways, and along popular trucking routes in Brooklyn. Often, several factors contribute to a truck accident, making it more difficult to determine fault and liability.
Liability in Brooklyn Truck Accident Cases
More than one party may have contributed to your truck accident and be liable for your injuries and losses. Assigning fault usually begins with the truck driver and others directly involved in causing the accident.
For example, a truck driver may be liable if they were driving while fatigued and caused an accident. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration imposes limits on how many consecutive hours a truck driver can be behind the wheel.
The trucking company or the company that employs the driver may also be liable for your damages. For example, an employer may be liable for a truck driver’s negligence if the accident happened while the driver was working.
A truck driver’s employer can also be liable for accidents that result from negligent hiring or supervision. For example, an employer may be liable if they knew the driver had a history of truck accidents or wasn’t properly trained or licensed.
If an overweight or imbalanced cargo load caused the accident, those responsible for cargo handling may also be liable. Additionally, if malfunctioning equipment caused the accident, the manufacturer, repair shop, or another party responsible for keeping the truck properly maintained may be liable.
If you are involved in a collision with a truck, you may have contributed to the accident. However, New York law allows you to recover compensation even if you were partially at fault. Under New York’s comparative fault law, your compensation will be reduced in proportion to your share of the fault. For example, if you sustained $100,000 in damages and were 30 percent at fault, you could still collect $70,000.
Available Damages After a Truck Accident in Brooklyn
New York law allows accident victims to pursue several types of damages resulting from a traffic accident. You can generally recover economic damages, such as compensation for medical expenses, property damage, and lost wages. You can also seek damages for non-economic losses, which cover the intangible impacts on your life, such as pain, suffering, and emotional distress.
Punitive damages may also be available in cases where a defendant’s actions were willful or reckless. In a wrongful death case, New York allows certain family members of those killed in accidents to recover economic losses, including medical costs and funeral expenses.
Common Injuries Caused by Truck Accidents
The injuries from a truck accident vary from case to case, depending on the circumstances. For example, pedestrian or motorcycle personal injuries will be more severe compared to someone wearing a seatbelt in a car. The following injuries commonly occur in truck accident cases:
- Concussions
- Skull fractures
- Brain bleeding
- Broken arms and legs
- Spinal cord and back injuries
- Pelvic and abdomen injuries
- Organ damage
- Road rash
- Lacerations
Why Is It Important to Hire a Truck Accident Attorney?
Hiring a skilled Brooklyn truck accident attorney after an injury is crucial for several reasons. An experienced attorney can also thoroughly investigate your accident, gather evidence, and interview witnesses to build a strong case. They can also calculate your damages and ensure you pursue all the compensation you’re entitled to.
Moreover, a skilled and experienced attorney can take on powerful trucking companies and their insurance carriers. Our Brooklyn truck accident lawyers know the tactics and strategies insurance companies use to avoid paying full compensation. We can fight back, refute their arguments, and negotiate a fair and just settlement. If they fail to make an acceptable settlement offer, we won’t back down. We’ll take them to trial and fight for the compensation you deserve.
How Long Do I Have to File a Truck Accident Claim?
New York has a strict three-year statute of limitations for filing a personal injury lawsuit. This time starts to run on the date of your accident. In New York, the statute of limitations for a wrongful death suit is two years from the date of death. If you file too late, the court will dismiss your case, and you will lose the right to seek compensation.
Three years may seem like a long time, but you shouldn’t wait. Memories fade and evidence disappears. You must start building your case as early as possible to ensure your best shot at maximum compensation. Talk to our lawyers as soon as possible to get started on your claim.