If you’ve been hurt in a semi-truck crash, you’re almost certainly dealing with devastating injuries and losses. Find out how to get compensated by working with a Long Island truck accident lawyer.
An accident with an 18-wheeler or a semi-truck can be a frightening experience. A fully loaded commercial truck can weigh 80,000 pounds, which is more than sixteen times the weight of the average passenger car. When a large truck like that is involved in an accident, it can mean devastating consequences for the people in the smaller vehicle.
It can be difficult to know what to do after such a wreck. The experience can up-end everything—your finances, physical abilities, and emotional state alike. What’s worse is that trucking companies often have safeguards in place in the form of legal protections that can make it very challenging to get the settlement you’re owed from those at fault.
By working with a legal ally who understands the trucking company’s insurance protections, you can gain an invaluable representative who will fight for your rights. A Long Island truck accident attorney with Siler & Ingber, LLP will have experience standing up to the trucking companies—and winning. Call now for a free case evaluation.
Truck accident case statistics in Long Island, Nassau County, Suffolk County and all of New York indicate a worrisome trend of potentially avoidable losses. A loaded 18-wheeler truck can weigh as much as 80,000 pounds, creating a life-threatening impact even at low speeds. Here are a few key truck accident statistics for New York indicating the risk present for every driver sharing the road with trucks. These statistics come from the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles.
In many of these truck accidents, the driver is responsible for mistakes that created human loss or property loss of another driver. Some may be the result of company pressures to operate long hours without enough sleep (or breaks in between shifts) or improper management of truck driver time behind the wheel.
The causes of truck accidents can be much more difficult to determine than you might think. That’s because the trucking industry involves a chain of various people who, when they act carelessly, can put other drivers at risk.
The following are some examples of parties who might be responsible for Long Island 18-wheeler accidents:
All truck accidents are serious and can result in death or severe injuries to those involved. Not all accidents are alike and there are several different types of truck accidents.
When you contact a Long Island truck accident lawyer from our firm, the first thing we need to do is review all aspects of your case to determine who is at fault. There are many people involved with the maintenance, operation, loading, and driving of an 18-wheeler and any of them could have contributed to the crash.
For example, one entity may own the truck, another party may be responsible for loading the truck, and a separate organization could have manufactured the truck’s parts. The truck driver is just one factor in a multi-person/company operation. It’s necessary to determine which of these parties were negligent so that you can name them all in your personal injury claim.
If the trucker was at fault in your accident, there are a number of dangerous driving behaviors in which he or she could have engaged in that led to the accident. These include the following:
After a trucking accident, you may be dealing with an extremely difficult situation. Perhaps you are in severe physical pain, facing mountains of car repair bills, or maybe you’re dealing with a loved one’s severe injury, brain injury, or death. In such a state, you’re in no position to make decisions that represent your best interests.
Unfortunately, this is precisely the time when a trucking company’s lawyers or insurance representatives will try to take advantage of your situation. Trucking companies have teams of trained litigators who are very good at what they do: protect the trucking company.
Representatives of the trucking company’s insurance team often immediately come to the scene of the accident to take pictures and collect reports, all with one goal in mind: discredit the victim and protect the trucking company’s profits. Right away, you may be asked to sign a waiver designed to reflect the company’s best interests.
Your Long Island personal injury lawyer will understand the trucking company’s tactics and how an insurer may try to take advantage of you when you are in an extremely vulnerable position. Our firm will ensure that you’re represented fairly and work to get you every penny that you’re owed.
In the immediate aftermath of a truck wreck, the trucking company may offer you a settlement. While it can be tempting to accept a settlement right away, such an offer might only cover your most obvious damages. We at Siler & Ingber, LLP evaluate the value of each case and do not look to settle at the first offer from the insurance company. Instead, we prepare every case as if it will go to trial, thereby maximizing the result.
A Long Island truck accident lawyer from our office will know that the physical, emotional, and financial costs can be incredibly steep after a collision—and that those costs can keep coming. We will work with your doctor to take into account all the ways you have been negatively impacted by your injuries and what you’ve been through:
The negative effects of a commercial trucking accident can be both long-lasting and far-reaching. Your Long Island truck accident lawyer will understand that after a crash, your entire world can be turned upside-down. When the accident was caused by a trucker or trucking company and the responsible parties are more interested in protecting their bottom lines than in getting you the settlement you deserve, insult is added to the injury.
Truck accidents in Long Island occur for various reasons. When the truck driver or his or her company is responsible for the losses another driver faces, that victim has the ability to file a lawsuit or obtain a settlement for what he or she lost. Yet, this can be a complex situation because many factors contribute to the losses the driver incurs.
Whether a small box truck or an 18-wheeler, the amount of any truck accident settlement in Long Island will specifically relate to the actual financial losses the individual suffers. Examples of these losses include the following:
Because Long Island truck accident settlements can be significant, it is essential to work closely with an attorney to calculate all types of losses suffered immediately after the incident and in the long term.
One thing you don’t have to worry about is getting the answers you need to your concerns. Below, you’ll find answers to a few common questions. Please contact our office to speak with a Long Island truck accident lawyer if you would like additional information.
It’s possible, but certain conditions would need to be present. In general, the cargo would need to be dangerous somehow, such as by being flammable or toxic, and the carrier would need to have been uninformed of this, thereby preventing them from taking the proper precautions.
The trucker certainly has a responsibility to make certain that the cargo was ready for transport before getting on the road. The company who loaded the cargo could also be at fault, as could the company who made the restraints if they failed due to a defect of some sort.
While a drunk driving conviction can certainly help prove your case for compensation, it won’t automatically award you with the money you need. For that, you’ll still need to file a claim against the intoxicated commercial truck driver or his or her employer.
The injuries you suffer in a truck accident are more than enough to put your life on hold. Get your life back with the help of a Long Island 18-wheeler crash lawyer.
Long Island sees its fair share of commercial truck accidents. Given the massive size of these vehicles, the associated injuries are almost always severe, and the drivers of smaller vehicles are usually the ones who suffer most.
The difficult truth about truck accidents is that they’re often the fault of the trucker or someone else in the trucking industry. That’s unfair and unfortunate, but you can fight back.
A Long Island 18-wheeler accident lawyer can help you pursue the compensation you deserve after you’ve been hurt in a large truck accident. The law firm of Siler & Ingber, LLP won’t back down until your claim for compensation is resolved.
The road to recovery may seem impossibly long, but help is available for accident victims. Contact a Long Island truck accident lawyer with Siler & Ingber, LLP today. To get started with a free consultation, call 1-516-294-2666 or use the online contact form found on this page.
