Truck Accidents
Truck Accident Lawyer Long Island
Helping Victims of Commercial Truck Accidents Pursue the Compensation They Deserve
Truck accidents are among the most devastating crashes on Long Island. A fully loaded tractor-trailer can weigh 80,000 pounds and when that much steel collides with a passenger car, the impact is tremendous.
Tractor-trailers, delivery trucks, dump trucks, garbage trucks and other commercial vehicles travel Long Island's busiest roads every day. They are hauling freight on the Long Island Expressway (I-495), making deliveries along Sunrise Highway and servicing construction sites and businesses throughout Nassau County and Suffolk County.
Truck accident cases are also more complicated than ordinary car crashes. The industry is governed by federal safety regulations that create responsibilities ordinary drivers don't have. Sorting out who is negligent takes experience and quick action. If you or a loved one were injured in a Long Island truck accident, contact Gabriel Law for a free consultation.
On This Page
Your Guide to Long Island Truck Accident Claims
- What Makes Truck Accident Cases Different From Car Accident Cases?
- Common Causes of Truck Accidents on Long Island
- Who Can Be Held Liable After a Truck Accident?
- What Compensation Can You Recover in a Long Island Truck Accident Claim?
- Does New York’s No-Fault Insurance Apply to Long Island Truck Accidents?
- The Serious Injury Threshold and When You Can Sue After a Truck Accident on Long Island
- Where Can I Find a Truck Accident Lawyer Near Me on Long Island?
- New York Truck Accident Frequently Asked Questions
What Makes Truck Accident Cases Different From Car Accident Cases?
While truck accident cases and car accident cases both involve negligence, truck cases involve more complexities. Some examples of why they're more complicated include:
Multiple Insurance Policies
A single truck crash can implicate the driver's policy, the trucking company's commercial coverage, the cargo owner's insurer and excess policies layered on top. Sorting out which coverage applies and getting each insurer to pay can be complicated.
Electronic Logging Devices and Black Box Data
Modern commercial trucks carry a lot of evidence. When required, ELDs track driving hours, and onboard electronic systems may capture speed, braking and other data from the moments before a crash. This is evidence that can either contradict or confirm each party's version of what happened.
Driver Qualification Files and Company Records
Trucking companies must maintain driver qualification files, maintenance records and safety policies. These documents can reveal whether the company hired an unqualified driver, skipped required maintenance, or ignored its own safety rules.
Due to these circumstances, liability in a truck case is often far more complex than in an ordinary car crash. Most of the evidence that proves it is in the trucking company's hands, which is why preserving it quickly matters so much.
Common Causes of Truck Accidents on Long Island
Most truck crashes on Long Island's roads come down to preventable failures by drivers, companies or both. Some common reasons incidents occur include:
Driver Fatigue and Hours-of-Service Violations
Fatigue is one of trucking's most persistent dangers, which is why federal FMCSA Hours-of-Service regulations strictly limit how long a driver can be behind the wheel. When drivers or companies push past those limits to meet delivery schedules, exhausted drivers sharing the LIE with everyone else are much more likely to cause crashes.
Distracted Driving and Speeding
A distracted or speeding truck driver is substantially more dangerous than a distracted car driver; an 80,000-pound vehicle needs far more distance to stop, and Long Island's congested roads offer little margin of error.
Improper Maintenance
Commercial trucks require rigorous maintenance. Skipped inspections can contribute to brake failures on a downhill stretch or tire blowouts at highway speed. Maintenance records often reveal if inspections were skipped or maintenance was neglected, leading up to the crash.
Improper Cargo Loading
Cargo that is overloaded, unbalanced or poorly secured affects how a truck handles and can cause rollovers or jackknifes. In some cases, cargo can fall off the truck, causing multi-vehicle accidents.
Blind Spot Accidents
Large trucks have massive blind spots on all four sides. Drivers who change lanes without accounting for them may sideswipe cars they can't see.
Who Can Be Held Liable After a Truck Accident?
One of the most important questions in any truck case is who is responsible, which is actually more complicated than it seems at times. Potential defendants include:
- The truck driver, for negligent driving, fatigue or violations of safety rules
- The trucking company, for negligent hiring, inadequate training, unrealistic schedules or its drivers' conduct on the job
- The cargo loading company, when improperly loaded or secured freight contributes to the crash
- A maintenance contractor, when skipped or botched repairs lead to mechanical failure
- The vehicle manufacturer or a parts manufacturer when a defective truck component causes or worsens the crash
- A third-party driver whose negligence forced the truck into the collision
More than one party can share responsibility and each typically has its own insurer and its own lawyers working to shift blame elsewhere.
What Compensation Can You Recover in a Long Island Truck Accident Claim?
Because truck accident injuries are often severe, the compensation at stake is frequently substantial. Victims may recover economic damages such as medical expenses, future medical care, lost wages and reduced earning capacity. Additionally, you could receive non-economic damages for pain and suffering, emotional distress, mental health issues such as anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. Property damage, including the repair or replacement of your vehicle, is also recoverable.
When you lose a loved one in a truck accident, surviving family members may pursue wrongful death damages. The full value of a claim depends on the severity of the injuries and their long-term impact; an experienced Long Island truck accident lawyer can evaluate your losses and pursue compensation from every liable party.
Punitive Damages
In rare cases, punitive damages may also be available. Under New York law, these generally require conduct that goes beyond ordinary negligence, such as willful or wanton conduct or recklessness demonstrating a conscious disregard for the rights and safety of others. A trucking company that knowingly falsified safety records or a driver who operated while intoxicated and engaged in additional wanton or reckless conduct may meet this standard.
Unlike other damages, punitive damages are intended to punish the wrongdoer and deter similar conduct rather than compensate the victim.
Does New York’s No-Fault Insurance Apply to Long Island Truck Accidents?
Yes. New York is a no-fault insurance state and that system applies to truck accidents on Long Island just as it does to ordinary car crashes. After most truck accidents, the applicable no-fault insurer generally pays your medical expenses, a portion of your lost wages and certain other basic economic losses, regardless of who caused the crash.
PIP has significant limits and they matter more in truck cases than almost anywhere else. No-fault benefits do not cover pain and suffering, do not replace your full lost wages and do not pay for property damage. When a collision with a commercial truck causes catastrophic injuries, PIP benefits are often exhausted quickly, leaving losses that far exceed what the no-fault system provides.
This is where the ability to start a lawsuit becomes essential. If your injuries meet New York's serious injury threshold, you can pursue non-economic damages from the responsible parties. You may also pursue eligible economic losses beyond basic no-fault coverage.
The Serious Injury Threshold and When You Can Sue After a Truck Accident on Long Island
New York law defines a "serious injury" through several categories, including fractures, significant disfigurement, permanent consequential limitation of use of a body organ or member and significant limitation of use of a body function or system.
In truck accident cases, this threshold is likely met more often than in typical car crashes due to the severity and impact of the truck. An experienced Long Island truck accident lawyer can assess your injuries and determine if you are eligible to pursue pain and suffering damages once these categories are met. Eligible economic losses beyond basic no-fault coverage may also be recoverable.
Locations
Where Can I Find a Truck Accident Lawyer Near Me on Long Island?
Gabriel Law represents truck accident victims across Nassau and Suffolk Counties from its office at 2 Lincoln Ave., Suite 400, Rockville Centre, NY 11570.
Truck accidents happen on every major route throughout the island and wherever yours occurred, the firm is conveniently located. Gabriel Law handles cases for clients in Hempstead, Mineola, Garden City, Long Beach and communities throughout Nassau County, with the Nassau County Supreme Court in Mineola just a short distance from the office.
Suffolk County clients in Huntington, Babylon, Smithtown, Islip, Brookhaven and Riverhead are served just as readily, with the firm appearing regularly in the Suffolk County court in Riverhead. Call today to schedule a free consultation with a Long Island truck accident lawyer.
Long Island — Main Office
2 Lincoln Ave., Suite 400, Rockville Centre, NY 11570
In Rockville Centre, Nassau County — serving all of Long Island.
Manhattan
340 W 57th St #2L
New York, NY 10019
Brooklyn
2653 Coney Island Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11223
Queens
39-10 Main St #200
Queens, NY 11354
The Bronx
1136 Castle Hill Ave
Bronx, NY 10462
Can’t make it in? Phone and video consultations are available. When you’re ready to talk, we’re ready to listen.
New York Truck Accident Frequently Asked Questions
Call 911 so the responding agency, whether it's Nassau County Police, Suffolk County Police or New York State Police on the highways can create an official report. Get medical attention right away at a hospital such as Nassau University Medical Center, Stony Brook or Good Samaritan, even if you think you feel okay at the scene.
If you're able to do it safely, photograph the vehicles, the roadway, the truck's company markings and DOT number. Make sure to also collect witness contact information. Then contact a truck accident lawyer quickly, because evidence such as driver logs and black box data can disappear unless someone acts to preserve it.
Contact Us
Call Gabriel Law Today to Schedule a Free Case Evaluation with a Long Island Truck Accident Lawyer
The aftermath of a truck accident is very overwhelming. You're likely facing serious injuries and hoping to obtain compensation to cover your losses, while the trucking company and its insurers are trying to do the opposite.
Gabriel Law knows how these cases work and we move fast to secure the evidence and hold every responsible party accountable. Your consultation is free and you pay no fee unless we recover compensation for you. Reach out to our team today to schedule an initial meeting with a Long Island truck accident lawyer.