Truck Accident Lawyer Bronx
As a commercial center, New York is both a starting point and a destination on many commercial truck routes. Trucks are essential to the movement of goods that keeps out economy robust, but they are also the cause of serious accidents because of their large size and weight relative to other vehicles on the road. In the trucking industry, time is money, and drivers are often under pressure to deliver their cargo in the least possible amount of time. That often means long hours on the road with minimal rest. Drivers may experience stress and exhaustion, which can impair their ability to drive safely. If time becomes more important than safety, trucking companies may be tempted to delay routine maintenance and skip inspections. Drivers may use drugs to help them stay awake so they can put in extra hours on the road, sometimes exceeding legal driving time restrictions. When the pressure is on, driver negligence becomes more common and auto accidents, resulting in wrongful deaths and injuries can occur. If you or your loved one were to find themselves in such a situation, you will want the help of Bronx truck accident lawyer; Dino Domina on your side.
Other commercial truck types, especially those used in the construction and sanitation industries, can also be responsible for serious accidents and injuries.
A passenger vehicle hardly has a chance if it is hit by a large truck. Injuries can be serious, and fatalities are common. A person who has been injured in a truck accident, or the surviving family members of someone who has been killed in a Bronx truck accident are entitled to make a claim for compensation for their damages if the accident was the fault of the truck’s driver, owner, or other party responsible for its safe operation.
Injuries Caused by Truck Accidents
The potential injuries to the body from a truck accident are many:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Burns
- Spinal cord injuries with paralysis
- Internal organ damage
- Broken bones
- Dislocations
- Amputations
- Crush injuries
- Lacerations
- Facial and eye injuries
- Scarring
- Neck and back injuries
- Herniated discs
- Chronic pain
- Psychological trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Wrongful Death
Types of Trucks Causing Accidents
Commercial trucks come in all shapes and sizes and serve a variety of purposes:
- Courier and delivery services, such as DHL, FEDEX, and UPS, own fleets of trucks that deliver packages to homes and businesses. These delivery services typically operate across state lines, which brings them under the regulation of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Smaller local area delivery service trucks are regulated by state law.
- Tractor-trailer trucks, also called semis, 18-wheelers, or big rigs, combine a tractor with a cab and a trailer, which contains the truck’s cargo. They are governed by both federal and state laws, which mandate special training for their drivers and dictate rules for maintenance and inspection schedules, weight limits, record-keeping, insurance coverage, and maximum driving hours. Semi trucks, when fully loaded, can weigh around 80,000 pounds, enabling them to do serious bodily damage in a crash with a passenger car a fraction of their size.
- Tanker trucks carrying liquid cargo create a serious danger on the road, particularly if the tank is not filled properly. If the liquid is able to slosh around inside an incompletely filled tank, the shifting weight can cause a tanker to roll over. It can also make it difficult to stop the truck quickly in an emergency situation. Additionally, tankers frequently carry hazardous materials, gasoline, for example, and can catch fire in an accident or release toxic substances.
- Dump trucks are used in construction to transport loose materials like as gravel, sand, or topsoil in a hinged box that can be mechanically tilted for emptying the truck. They are heavy trucks that can cause extensive damage in a crash with another vehicle, or if they hit a pedestrian. They are sometimes involved in back-over accidents at construction sites, or they may injure someone when dumping a load.
- Cement mixers are industrial vehicles, also used in construction. Because they are large and extremely heavy, they can cause serious injuries and fatalities. They are prone to rolling over because they are top-heavy, and they can back over workers on a job site.
- A flatbed truck has a flat, open platform as its cargo area and is often used for moving construction equipment. Collisions and injuries caused by falling cargo are not uncommon.
- Garbage trucks pick up solid waste from homes and businesses and haul it to landfills or recycling plants. They often operate in tight residential or commercial areas where they back up frequently and can cause serious accidents by striking pedestrians or colliding with other vehicles.
Causes of Truck Accidents
Many trucking accidents are the result of unsafe practices, trucking company and truck driver error, and road hazards. These are some of the many causes of truck accidents that can be attributed to someone’s negligence:
- Poorly trained drivers
- Speeding to comply with tight schedules
- Driving while using alcohol or prescription or illegal drugs
- Driver fatigue from driving excessive hours without rest, in violation of federal regulations
- Improper loading
- Failing to properly secure the truck’s cargo
- Failing to secure trailer
- Distracted driving
- Skipping required inspection and maintenance
- Under-filling tanks holding liquids
- Passing, backing, and changing lanes without checking blind spots
- Disregarding traffic regulations; ignoring signs and traffic signals
- Equipment defect or failure
- Tire blowouts
- Lack of under-ride guard
- Dangerous or poorly maintained roads
As with any with any claim, it is important to have the best legal representation you can find to maximize your likelihood of recovering compensation. In the Bronx, our truck accident attorneys have more than twenty years of experience in successfully bringing justice to those fallen victim to truck accidents .
Getting Help With a Truck Accident Lawyer in the Bronx
If you or a family member has been injured in a New York truck accident call the office of Dino Domina, a truck accident attorney in the Bronx, for a free consultation. The Bronx truck accident lawyers at Domina Law have a top-notch reputation and a 20-year-long track record in going up against insurance companies in truck accident cases, recovering millions of dollars for accident victims and their families. Contact us now at 718.962.0600 while the evidence is fresh.