Know Your Rights After a Commercial Vehicle Accident in NYC: Bronx Personal Injury Lawyer Explains
Auto accidents are one of the most common causes of personal injuries in the United States. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports there are roughly 2.74 million people injured and 36,000 traffic fatalities each year in the United States due to traffic accidents. Of these, large trucks and commercial vehicles were responsible for approximately 5,100 fatalities. According to statistics published and regularly updated by the New York City Police Department (NYPD), each year in just NYC alone, there are 44,300 injuries and approximately 200 fatalities due to motor vehicle accidents. Many of these injuries and fatalities result from auto crashes involving commercial vehicles in NYC.
Here at Stern Law Firm, our Bronx personal injury lawyer knows just how serious or catastrophic auto accidents involving commercial vehicles in NYC can be for victims and their families. This is why we have dedicated our practice to representing victims and families who have suffered serious or catastrophic personal injuries due to the negligence of another person, business, or government entity. We have a proven track record of success for our clients, including recovering $3.5 million in a bus accident, $2.713 million for a pedestrian hit by a bus, $430,000 in a truck wreck, and other verdicts and settlements for victims of negligent auto accidents in New York (prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome). If you or a loved one was seriously injured, or if a loved one was wrongfully killed in NYC, please call our experienced personal injury lawyers for a FREE consultation by dialing (516) 294-2664.
What are Examples of Commercial Vehicles in NYC that Could Cause an Auto Accident?
Some of the largest commercial vehicles operate in New York City to help with necessary daily operations. Whether it is resupplying stores or gas stations, transporting passengers, or performing municipal services, you cannot go too far in NYC without seeing a commercial vehicle. Some examples of commercial vehicles in NYC that could cause a serious or fatal auto accident include the following:
Tractor Trailers, Box Trucks, Construction vehicles, Buses and Tankers
Buses
Other large and obvious commercial vehicles also include commuter buses, school buses, and private buses. These vehicles are difficult to drive because there are a lot of distractions both outside the bus, but also on the bus which add a different layer of difficulty for drivers. Victims who can be hurt in an auto accident with this type of commercial vehicle may not just be occupants in other vehicles or pedestrians, but also passengers.
Municipal Vehicles
Municipal vehicles such as garbage trucks, maintenance vehicles, postal trucks and first responder vehicles are also large commercial vehicles. Not only are these vehicles heavy and dangerous, but they are also protected by special notice of claim laws requiring you to file Notices of Claims within 90 days fo the accident and then start suit within a shortened period of time to recover compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and for pain and suffering. The failure to do so could bar a recovery.
Delivery Vans
Delivery vans are also common commercial vehicles on our roads, frequently jetting in and out of tight places as they travel through the city streets. This is particularly true given the boom of online shopping, including the number of vehicles and new drivers needed to keep up with the shipping demands. The owners of these vehicles, such as Amazon, are vicariously responsible for their driver’s negligence.
Taxis, Car Services and Livery Vehicles
It is impossible to go to NYC and not see a taxi. They are one of the most recognizable commercial vehicles on our roads. They are also one of the most dangerous, as they frequently dart in and out of traffic in a rush to get passengers to their destinations and move on to the next fare.
Why are Commercial Vehicle Accidents Often More Serious?
Large commercial vehicles like big rigs, tractor trailers, tankers, box trucks, buses, and delivery vans are dangerous vehicles for several reasons, including:
Larger vehicles provide limited visibility with more blind spots that not all drivers check, increasing the risk of a crash
Larger vehicles often mean heavier vehicles, which means more momentum and force in an impact
Heavier loads and vehicle weight mean greater stopping distance
Even at low speeds, the heavy weight of a truck can cause significant damage on impact
Greater maintenance requirements which must be kept up, and unfortunately are not always done, which can result in mechanical defects that could cause trucking wrecks
Other risks inherent to commercial vehicles that our Bronx personal injury lawyers could help recover compensation for you in a crash.
Common Injuries in Auto Accidents Involving Commercial Vehicles in NYC
There are many different types of common injuries that could be caused in auto accidents involving commercial vehicles in NYC. Some of the most common injuries include the following:
Traumatic brain injuries or TBIs
Spinal cord injuries or SCIs
Amputations
Broken bones
Organ injuries
Blindness
Neck injuries and back injuries
Nerve injuries and damage
Head injuries
Emotional injuries such as extreme anxiety, depression, fear, and related harm
Muscle, tendon, or ligament injuries
Joint damage requiring partial or total replacements
Need for surgery, including open reductions or fusions
Wrongful death, and
Other serious personal injuries resulting in permanent disability, death, or significant lost wages and medical bills.
How Can Stern Law Firm Help Me?
Our Bronx personal injuries lawyers at the Stern Law Firm can help recover compensation for a victim’s pain and suffering, medical bills, lost wages, loss of consortium, and any other damages related to auto accidents involving commercial vehicles in NYC. We do this by working with your treating physicians and sometimes hiring medical experts to help explain the damages done and your future needs, pain and suffering, and future surgeries. We also work with leading accident reconstruction experts to help establish liability against a negligent drivers. Both types of experts are used to help boost your damages claim while establishing entitlement to a recovery.
If you or a loved one were seriously injured in any type of auto accident in New York City, especially an auto accident involving a commercial vehicle in NYC, call our compassionate and experienced team to learn how we can help you during a FREE consultation by dialing (516) 294-2664 or by sending us a private message through our contact us box available here.
