Truck Accident Attorneys

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Truck Accident Attorneys

man laying in gurney

Trucks are crucial to our economy, but a menacing presence on New York and New Jersey’s roadways. Because of their sheer size and weight, accidents with trucks tend to cause more damage than accidents involving smaller vehicles. Accidents involving large trucks account for over 130,000 injuries and 5,000 deaths each year in the United States, and almost 35% of those injuries can be categorized as catastrophic.

If you or a family member has been in a truck accident, The Injury Group is here to help. We have helped many truck accident victims recover from their injuries, and our team can advocate for compensation for your mounting medical and repair bills. No amount of money can undo the trauma of a truck crash, but a proper settlement can help significantly ease your financial burdens and compensate for your pain and suffering. Contact us today to find out how much your case is worth.

Find Out How Much Your Case Is Worth

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Causes of Truck Accidents

Given the unique dangers of tractor-trailers, the causes of truck crashes are almost as varied as each truck accident itself. Trucks handle differently than passenger vehicles on the road and are susceptible not only to weather and road conditions, but to training issues, mechanical defects, and driver error on the part of the truck driver and other drivers on the road. Mechanical errors causing truck accidents may include tire failure and electronically-controlled braking systems.

Because tractor trailers are so large, powerful, and potentially dangerous, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) institutes strict regulations for these trucks and their operators, such as the amount of hours and consecutive hours a tractor trailer driver can drive during a day and week. The FMCSA also mandates that truck owners perform regular maintenance checks on their vehicles and make any necessary repairs. These regulations are meant to make the roads we share with large trucks safer. Unfortunately, many trucking companies don’t follow these rules and encourage their drivers to skirt regulations in order to increase profits. These illegal practices can include:

Speeding

Overloading trailers

Driving more hours than federally mandated

Not taking rest breaks

Driving in dangerous weather

Driving when fatigued

overturned semi truck

Types of Truck Accidents

Collisions: Passenger vehicles rarely fare well in crashes with tractor trailers. While the average automobile weighs 3,250 pounds, a fully loaded semi truck can weigh 80,000 pounds.

Underride accidents: Because the trailer of a big rig rides so much higher than most passenger vehicles, serious accidents can happen when another vehicle rear ends or T-bones a tractor trailer and slides under it.

Jackknife accidents: Because semi trucks consist of two or more vehicles hitched together, serious accidents can happen when the tractor loses control of the trailer. Jackknife accidents can result from a variety of causes, including malfunctioning rear brakes, icy or slick road surfaces, sudden braking, or going too fast down a hill.

Trailer detachment: Jackknifing often results in the tractor part of a semi truck becoming separated from the trailer. Trailer detachments can also happen when a hitch fails or the trailer is improperly attached. It's easy to understand how dangerous it can be to have a multi-ton trailer careening down the roadway without a driver.

Rollover accidents: Rollover accidents can be particularly dangerous to surrounding vehicles. Rollovers can be caused by many things, including jackknifing, overloaded or improperly loaded trailers, trailers carrying unstable cargo like hanging beef, blowouts, etc.

Runaway trucks: Due to their weight and number of axles and tires, tractor trailers employ multiple braking systems. These include air brakes, hydraulic brakes, electric brakes, and compression release brakes. As with all mechanical devices, brakes may fail due to poor maintenance, manufacturing, or design. Runaway trucks can be a serious traffic hazard, particularly when the big rig is going down hill and gaining speed and momentum.

Contact an Experienced Truck Accident Attorney

If you’ve been injured or lost a loved one in an accident involving a truck, it’s important to remember that trucking companies carry large insurance policies due to the dangers their vehicles and operators pose to other drivers. But, their insurers aren’t necessarily going to offer you the settlement you deserve. To get a settlement worthy of your injuries or lost loved one, it’s important that you’re represented by the experienced team of personal injury lawyers at The Injury Group.

Our Legal Process

1. Investigation and Gathering Evidence

The first step in winning a truck accident case is for the personal injury lawyer to investigate the accident and gather evidence. This may involve reviewing police reports, obtaining witness statements, reviewing the trucking company’s safety records, and inspecting the vehicles involved in the accident.

2. Determining Liability

Once our legal team has gathered all of the facts of the case, we need to determine who should be held liable for the accident. This may involve reviewing federal and state regulations that apply to the trucking industry, as well as determining whether the truck driver, trucking company, or any other parties involved in the accident were negligent or violated any safety regulations.

3. Negotiation and Settlement or Litigation and Trial

Depending on the circumstances of the case, your attorney will either negotiate a fair settlement with the insurance company and other parties involved in the accident, or proceed to litigation and trial. During the trial, the attorney will present evidence, call witnesses, and fight on your behalf to prove liability and recover fair compensation for their injuries and damages.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Injury Group’s truck accident lawyers have been fighting for the rights of injury victims for decades, and can answer any questions you may have about your case, including how much your case may be worth.
Our personal injury team can evaluate the value of your case based on medical costs, the amount of future medical care needed, lost time from work, emotional pain and suffering, and more.