New York Truck Accident Lawyer

In a recent month in New York City, 679 accidents involved large commercial trucks. At that rate, there will be more than 8,000 trucking accidents in NYC in the coming year.

If you are driving a car, an accident with a tractor-trailer or other large truck can be far more dangerous than a regular car accident. The massive size and weight of large trucks can be devastating when trucks collide with smaller vehicles. Trucks may also carry toxic substances that can spill or fall onto the passenger vehicle, which may cause additional serious injuries.

If you’ve been injured in an accident with a tractor-trailer or other large truck, you may feel overwhelmed with all the things you have to deal with. You may be in pain. You may have limitations on what you can do.

You may be unable to enjoy the things you used to love doing. You may not be able to work your regular schedule, or maybe you can’t work at all. You may be feeling pressure and stress from unexpected expenses.

An experienced NYC personal injury attorney can help. You have the right to sue to get compensation for your expenses and losses. You can’t change the fact that the accident happened, but we may be able to help you take some of the pressure off.

At Terry Katz & Associates, we want to see you get the help you need from a truck accident attorney to get your life back on track. We would be glad to answer your questions.

Call us at (516) 997-0997 to find out more and to get a free and confidential case evaluation.

What Should I Do If I’m Involved in a Truck Crash in NYC?

If You are Involved in a Truck Accident, Follow These Steps:

1. Call 911. Get an ambulance if you or anyone else involved in the accident needs one. Even if you aren’t seriously hurt, you should still get a police report. It will provide important evidence when you file a personal injury claim for compensation.
2. If it’s safe to leave your vehicle and walk around, take photos of the accident scene. Your phone camera is fine. You can also write notes describing what the scene looks like, the road conditions, and the weather. The photographs and notes will provide evidence that will help you prove your claim.
3. Get information from the other driver or drivers and from witnesses, if there are any.  Ask the truck driver for his or her contact information (name, address, phone number, and email), insurance policy number, employer contact information, and license plate number. If other drivers were involved in the crash, get their contact and insurance information and license plate numbers. From the witnesses, you just need to get contact information.
4. Before you get your vehicle repaired, contact your insurance company. They may have certain requirements that you need to follow to get payment for the property damage to the vehicle. You may have to get an appraisal before getting the vehicle repaired. Your insurance company may require you to use only repair shops that are on their list. They may tell you to take photographs of the car before getting it fixed. Every insurance company is different, so contact your company directly.
5. Everyone who was in your vehicle at the time of the accident, including you, should get a medical evaluation at a doctor’s office or hospital. Even if you think you weren’t hurt, you may have truck accident injuries that aren’t obvious or where the symptoms won’t show up until later. This medical care is important both to protect the health of you and your passengers and to provide evidence for when you file a claim.
6. Contact a truck accident lawyer at Terry Katz & Associates to find out about your rights to compensation.
7. Be discreet. Don’t post about the accident on social media. If the police ask you for a statement, tell the truth about what happened, but don’t say it was your fault. Even if you think it was your fault, the law might not see it that way. Leave it to your truck accident lawyer to figure out who was at fault.

Typical Truck Accident Cases Our NYC Firm Handles

Terry Katz & Associates represent people who were injured in trucking accidents involving any kind of truck or large vehicle, including:

• Large commercial vehicles (big rigs, also called semis, tractor-trailers, 18 wheelers, and semi-trucks)
• Tow, cargo, fuel, box, concrete, sweeper, and garbage trucks
• School buses

The truck accident lawyers at our firm have the experience and knowledge to handle any kind of commercial truck accident, no matter how complex or simple.

How a Truck Accident Attorney Investigates Accidents in New York City

The highly experienced NYC truck accident lawyers at Terry Katz & Associates know exactly what kind of evidence to look for and where to find it. They gather physical evidence from the accident scene, get eyewitness testimony, and obtain the many documents necessary to provide a solid foundation for getting a fair settlement or jury award.

Common Causes of Trucking Accidents in New York City

Truck drivers’ carelessness and mistakes are the cause of many truck accidents. Distracted driving, often caused by truckers using their phones, being impaired by drugs or alcohol, and speeding, are common causes of accidents. Fatigue is also a common cause because many truckers are on the road for long hours.

But truck driver negligence or mistakes are not the only causes of truck accidents. Road conditions, work zone dangers, shifting or spilling cargo, or problems with the truck itself can all cause a truck to veer out of control.

Depending on who is at fault, you may be to sue one or more of the following people or companies:

• The Truck Driver
• The Trucking Company that Owns the Truck
• A Manufacturing Company that Made Defective Parts For the Truck
• A Contractor Who Loaded the Cargo Into the Truck

Avoiding an Accident With a Truck in New York City

When you are driving near a tractor-trailer or other large truck, you have to take different precautions than you would around smaller vehicles. You need to be aware of a truck’s larger blind spots, the longer distance required to stop or slow down, the longer time needed to accelerate, and wider turns.

Be especially careful when passing a truck. Don’t try to move in front of a truck until it is visible in your rearview mirror. Don’t try to pass it at all if it’s going downhill because it will tend to accelerate. Always give the truck plenty of room, whether you are trying to pass it, or it is trying to pass you.

Be mindful of the truck’s blind spots. Can you see the driver in his or her side mirror? If not, you are in the driver’s blind spot. Never tailgate, and never cut a truck off — the truck driver may not be able to see you.

Don’t get too close to a truck that is turning. Give trucks plenty of room at intersections.

How Long Do I Have To File an NYC Truck Accident Claim?

It’s important not to wait too long to file an injury claim after a commercial truck accident. In New York State, there are deadlines for filing called “statutes of limitation.” If you miss the deadlines, you won’t be allowed to file an injury claim, and you will lose your right to seek compensation.

If you were hurt in the accident, or if your vehicle was damaged — or both — you have three years from the time of the accident to file a claim. However, if a loved one died in a truck accident, and you want to sue on his or her behalf that’s called a “wrongful death lawsuit” you only have two years to file from the time your loved one passed away.

Don’t lose your legal rights by waiting too long. Call the experienced New York truck accident lawyers at Terry Katz & Associates today at (516) 997-0997 to learn more about how we can help.

How Can I Be Compensated for a New York City Truck Accident?

If you were injured in a truck accident, you are going to have medical and maybe other bills to deal with. At the same time, you may be losing income because of your injury. You may feel like you are being squeezed at both ends.

By filing a personal injury lawsuit, you are seeking compensation for these extra expenses and losses. Your compensation may include:

• Payment for your medical bills, both for medical treatment you have already received for your injury and for estimated medical expenses in the future. This may include payment for doctor’s visits, hospitalizations, rehabilitation, and medical devices.
• Lost income, if you were unable to work according to your usual schedule because of your injury. This may also include payment for estimated lost income in the future.
• Compensation for pain and suffering.
• Payment for damage to your vehicle.

If a family member was killed in a truck accident, you may be able to file a wrongful death lawsuit. In addition to seeking compensation for your loved one’s medical expenses, you may also be able to get compensation for:

• Funeral costs.
• Your loved one’s income, including income your loved one could be expected to earn if he or she had lived out a full lifespan.
• Loss of your loved one’s contribution to your household, including loss of parental guidance.

Speak With a New York City Truck Accident Lawyer Today

If you or a loved one were in a truck accident, you deserve to get the help you need.

At Terry Katz & Associates, we have been fighting for motor vehicle accident victims’ rights for decades. Our New York truck accident attorneys are devoted to using their experience, knowledge, dedication, and work ethic to help our clients get the maximum compensation the law entitles them to receive.

All our clients are individuals. No two accidents are the same.

We invite you to call us at our law office at (516) 997-0997 or contact us online for a free consultation with a member of our personal injury legal team so we can talk to you and find out more about what happened.

We would be happy to answer your questions, evaluate your case, and tell you about what steps you may be able to take next.