New York Truck Accident Attorneys

Dedicated to New Yorkers

Truck accidents are much bigger and heavier than typical passenger cars, which means accidents can occur on a much larger scale, resulting in serious and fatal injuries. Because truck drivers are often driving commercially for companies, there are also other regulations and policies in place that may make the average personal injury case more complicated. If you’ve been injured, you deserve to have a team of experienced and professional lawyers on your side who can fight for your right to compensation. At Flanzig & Flanzig, LLP, our New York truck accident attorneys have recovered millions for our injured clients and are dedicated helping as many individuals heal as we can.

For a free consultation, call (866) 794-1112 today, or contact us online. We’re here to listen.

What Causes Truck Accidents?

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, around 500,000 trucking accidents occur each year in the United States. About 5,000 of these accidents result in fatalities, and one out of every eight traffic fatalities involves a trucking collision.

Many factors can cause a dangerous truck accident. The most common are:

• Driver errors: Truck accidents often take place due to poor decisions by the driver. If a driver is under the influence, has insufficient training, is speeding to meet unrealistic deadlines, hasn’t secured heavy loads properly, is driving a truck that is in need of repairs, or has driver fatigue, serious injuries can occur.
• Dangerous actions of passenger vehicles: Although rare, some truck accidents are caused by a small passenger vehicle. These can start with unsafe practices such as trying to get ahead of a truck and not managing to accelerate fast enough, driving between commercial trucks without keeping sufficient distance from the back and front of the truck, changing lanes suddenly and coming in front of a speeding truck, entering traffic incorrectly, and causing truck drivers to brake or turn abruptly.
• Unavoidable and Unforeseen Circumstances: Occasionally, circumstances are beyond a truck driver’s control, such as oil spills during rain, swerving or turning suddenly to avoid colliding with a broken down car or a pedestrian, or sudden mechanical or brake failures that causes a driver to lose control.

Regulations & Laws

Truck drivers work long hours, face strenuous deadlines, and must abide by strict schedules. This often adds up to driver fatigue, one of the highest causes of truck accidents in the United States. In 1939, an “hours of service” rule began to limit the number of hours that any truck, driven by a single truck driver, can be on the road. Even though truck drivers and trucking companies must comply with these laws, many do not because they have tight schedules or the desire to make more money.

That isn’t the only federal regulation that governs the trucking industry. There are also many laws regarding the driver’s actions and the upkeep of the vehicles. Often, trucking accidents occur because of improper maintenance. In those situations, the federal rules and regulations help hold these drivers and companies accountable.

Such rules include preventive maintenance and inspection of the trucks, checking and understanding brake performance, specific documentation and conduct, keeping a driver's log book, conducting routine alcohol and drug testing, proper transportation of HAZMAT goods, etc. These laws are in place to regulate the industry and decrease the number of catastrophic trucking accidents on the road.

Decades of Reliability

At Flanzig & Flanzig, LLP, we represent people who have been injured in various types of truck accidents throughout the five boroughs. Truck accidents can involve commercial vehicles such as tractor trailers, delivery trucks, industrial trucks, municipal trucks, and virtually any other type of large truck. Our firm understands this industry and can help you if you were involved in a truck-related accident.

Ready to begin your recovery process? Call our New York truck accident lawyers at (866) 794-1112.