Truck Accident Injuries

Commercial truck accidents are fairly unique compared to your standard car accident case. In a commercial truck injury, sometimes you have a contractor driving for a large trucking company. For example, you get hit by a truck hauling a trailer for a big company; it doesn’t necessarily mean your claim is against that big company, but rather it may be the independent trucking company that was driving the front part of that tractor trailer. These cases can be very complicated jurisdictionally as well because it depends on where the accident happened and where the actual commercial truck driver is incorporated.

In addition, there are federal laws and regulations that govern things like how many hours a driver can log, how much weight they can haul, mandatory drug and alcohol testing, and checking into weigh stations. A violation of those regulations can significantly help your case, regardless of how the accident happened. In addition, people injured by a tractor trailer are typically suffering catastrophic injuries and need representation right away. These are cases where an insurance company may reach out with a a low offer to make the case go away. You should never accept that offer before talking with an attorney about the value of your case and the potential liability implications of filing a lawsuit against the trucking company, which they don’t want you to do.

In addition, you should document the accident as well as you can. Get witness names, the information from the truck that hit you including their insurance company, the name of the entity they were driving for, the name of the entity they’re hauling for and if possible, their individual information. In addition, you want to get medical attention right away for your injuries.

With trucking injuries, or any motor vehicle accident in New York state, you will have no-fault insurance benefits; that’s automatic through your insurance company. Everyone has this built-in to their insurance policy in the state of New York. No-fault benefits provide $50,000 of medical coverage to anyone involved in a motor vehicle accident in the state of New York. This is something that’s on the table for you, as long as you fill out your no-fault application on time. There are very strict deadlines for the no-fault application, and that’s another thing your attorney would be able to advise you on. You should not navigate a trucking accident yourself. You should meet with an experienced attorney as soon as possible after the accident.