Brooklyn Truck Accident Lawyer

Truck Accident Victims in Brooklyn Should Call The O’Connor Law Firm

Commercial trucks whiz in and out of Brooklyn 24 hours a day. 18-wheelers, tractor-trailers, tankers, and other box trucks transport goods and fuel across state lines but also pick up material or provide critical sanitation services to residents. Any collision with a large, heavy truck is bound to cause devastating injuries. In fact, many accident victims remain in pain for the rest of their lives, unable to work or enjoy the life they once had.

A Brooklyn truck accident lawyer at The O’Connor Law Firm can help. We understand how the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulates the trucking industry and how to identify and prove FMCSA violations that general practice lawyers just won’t understand.  We will take on the task of dealing with the trucking companies and their insurers so that you can focus on your recovery. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation. 

Types of Trucks Involved in Accidents

Our legal team can assist someone who is struck and injured by any large truck, including:

• Box trucks
• Semi-trucks
• Tractor-trailers
• Fuel trucks
• Cement mixers
• Dump trucks
• Sanitation vehicles
• Tow trucks
• Moving vans

These large vehicles are difficult to maneuver, and many drivers need a commercial license before they can lawfully get behind the wheel. Due to their size, these trucks are harder to turn and have huge blind spots which contribute to collisions.

However, some trucks are driven by ordinary people, such as moving vans and U-Hauls. Many inexperienced drivers get into a crash because they aren’t familiar with all the ways these vehicles differ from smaller sedans.

Driver Negligence & Brooklyn Truck Accidents

Many crashes are caused by truck drivers who use insufficient care while driving. Trucking is a difficult profession, and many truckers are struggling with physical or mental health issues. In our experience, many truck accidents are caused by:

• Driver distraction
• Illegal cell phone use
• Alcohol or drug use
• Fatigue
• Lack of familiarity with surroundings
• Driving too fast for conditions
• Tailgating
• Improper lane change
• Failure to check blind spot
• Aggressive driving

Many regulations try to limit unsafe driving. For example, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) prohibits using hand-held cell phones in a truck when it is in motion. Nevertheless, many truckers continue to use them. And hands-free devices can still cause distraction because they split a driver’s attention, leading to errors behind the wheel.

Truck Defects & Brooklyn Accidents

Truck defects are another leading cause of crashes. For example, we have seen collisions due to:

• Brake problems
• Faulty tires
• Defects due to insufficient maintenance
• Defective mirrors
• Mechanical malfunction

When a defect is involved, the truck owner or the manufacturer could be liable for the accident. Your Brooklyn truck accident lawyer will want to inspect the vehicle or check maintenance records to determine whether the truck was unsafe when it slammed into you.

How a Brooklyn Truck Accident Lawyer Can Assist Your Case

Although some people negotiate their own car accident settlements, it is a serious mistake to try and negotiate on your own following a truck collision. These are complicated legal claims, and a seasoned truck accident attorney provides many benefits. Contact The O’Connor Firm today to learn more.

Our legal team can immediately swing into action to help anyone injured in a truck crash. Don’t forget: the trucking company will probably send an investigator to the scene of the crash within hours to begin collecting evidence. Any victim is at a decided disadvantage if they do not have someone in their corner to help with evidence collection and interviewing witnesses.

A truck accident attorney in Brooklyn can begin investigating a claim immediately. We can request information from the trucking company, such as truck logs, which show how long the driver was working before the crash. Other helpful information includes the truck’s maintenance history and weight restrictions, along with the driver’s disciplinary history and internal records. Trucking companies are not eager to share this information, but we know how to get it.

Thanks to our experience, we can also find regulatory violations, which will support a claim against the trucking company. For example, a trucking company might have refused to give drug or alcohol tests as required by federal law. Or a truck driver could have worked too many hours in a week. Trucking companies that encourage or ignore these violations are a clear danger to the public.

Trucking Companies Aggressively Defend These Cases

Not only do trucking companies immediately investigate a crash, but they have armies of investigators and lawyers working on their behalf to fight off claims. A trucking company might go so far as to have someone follow you around to see if you are truly injured.

Any truck accident victim needs a lawyer who can build a case for compensation. The O’Connor Law Firm will work with expert witnesses to inspect the truck for hidden defects. An accident reconstruction expert can also help us model the accident so that it “comes alive” and clearly shows who is to blame for the collision. Without this help, obtaining full compensation is much harder.

Unfortunately, some claims do not settle—and trucking companies are unafraid to take a case to court. We have the experience you need to litigate a truck injury case from start to finish.

Assigning Liability for a Brooklyn Truck Accident

Truck accidents differ from car accidents in important ways. For example, more parties could be liable for the accident and need to pay you compensation, including:

• Truck driver. If the driver was careless or reckless, then he is usually at fault.
• Trucking company. The trucking company could be liable because it negligently hired and trained its drivers, or if its fleet maintenance is inadequate. Also, New York makes employers automatically liable when their employees negligently injure someone while on the job.
• Mechanics. Whoever worked on a truck could have done shoddy repairs, making them at least partially responsible for a wreck.
• Freight loaders. Improper loading can render a truck unstable and cause jackknifes and rollovers, among other accidents.
• Truck manufacturers. A defect in the design or manufacture of a truck can cause a crash.

One advantage of hiring an attorney is letting them sift through the evidence to assign fault. Often, it is not obvious who is to blame. Accident victims should focus on recovery and let an experienced attorney focus on making a legal claim.

Brooklyn Truck Accident Compensation

Any truck accident can cause severe, long-lasting injuries. Accident victims deserve compensation when a truck driver or other entity is to blame for the crash. It is not unusual for accident victims to end up in the back of an ambulance or in the operating room. This care is expensive—but it is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to financial losses. It is not unusual for truck accident victims to lose $100,000 or more in a collision.

Our legal team can seek full compensation to cover:

• Lost income and lost earning capacity
• Hospital bills
• Rehabilitation costs
• Prescription drug expenses
• Future medical care
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress damages
• Disfigurement or scarring
• Loss of consortium
• Property damage, such as damage to your car

The amount our clients receive depends on various factors, such as the severity of their injuries and the identity of the defendant.

Hire an Experienced Brooklyn Truck Accident Lawyer Today

The O’Connor Law Firm is ready to assist anyone involved in a truck accident. We have deep experience with all federal and state regulations and can identify the correct party to sue after your crash.

To learn more, contact us to schedule a free consultation. We will answer any questions you have and provide an overview of truck accident law. We can also highlight what information might be missing that we need to fully strengthen your claim.