Garden City Truck Accident Lawyer

Truck Accident Injuries Can Be Severe or Even Deadly

Large trucks can weigh up to 30 times as much as smaller cars, according to the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety-Highway Loss Data Institute (IIHS-HLDI). For this reason, truck accident injuries can be severe or fatal for people in smaller vehicles.

Recovering from significant injuries could take a great deal of time that results in missing work and losing income. This can result in not being able to pay medical expenses for emergency and ongoing care, as well as everyday bills.

If you or a loved one is in this situation, you could seek to recover monetary damages so that you can pay your expenses and take care of other responsibilities, but you must establish who is liable for your accident.

Establishing liability is not an easy feat and you should not pursue this action alone. Instead, contact a personal injury attorney Garden City for an evaluation of your claim. In truck accidents, you may be tempted to blame the truck driver, but your attorneys might also want to go after the trucking company, the authorities responsible for the state of the road, other drivers involved in a multi-vehicle accident, and so on. It is best to leave these matters in the capable hands of a law firm that has the skills and resources to identify the liable parties.

Establishing Liability in Your Garden City Truck Accident

In addition to suffering severe injuries, wounded parties have the burden of proving who caused their accident before they can present their case for compensation. This task can be overwhelming to victims who are in pain and trying to figure out their next steps.

They also may not have the legal background to understand the legal complexities that truck accidents can involve. This is where having a lawyer can be helpful.

One reason that truck accidents are not as straightforward as one may think is that the truck driver who caused the crash may be at-fault, but not the only liable party. Other parties that could share liability for the crash include:

• The trucking company that employs the driver
• The company responsible for loading the truck’s cargo
• The company responsible for the truck’s maintenance and repairs

The Truck Driver

A truck driver can be found negligent if they were:

• Speeding above the posted speed limit
• Engaging in dangerous driver behaviors
• Driving while under the influence of a substance
• Driving while distracted or tired

The Trucking Company

If the driver’s employer is found liable, they could have:

• Encouraged the driver to skip federally required rest periods
• Failed to check the driver’s background
• Failed to keep their trucks properly serviced for repairs
• Fallen short on training drivers properly

If more than one party is responsible for your truck accident, your lawyer can determine that after investigating all parties’ involvement.

Gathering Evidence

Your lawyer could also review the following to learn more information about your accident:

• An official police accident report
• Your medical records
• Black box data
• Invoices, receipts for the cost of repairs, replacements
• Witness testimony
• Expert witness testimony (e.g., an accident reconstructionist)

If you are ready to explore your legal options with a lawyer, the Law Office of Cohen & Jaffe, LLP is ready to get started. Call our legal team today for a free consultation at (866) 878-6774 to learn how a Garden City truck accident lawyer can help.

You May Be Able To Recover Damages with a Lawyer’s Help

If you have been severely hurt in a truck accident, you likely have medical expenses for the emergency care you received as well as your hospital stay, any doctor-ordered tests, medications, and more.

We believe someone else should pay these expenses and restore what you lost. After your Garden City truck accident lawyer establishes the liable party or parties in your accident, they can identify your damages and tell you what is recoverable based on the factors in your case. Your damages can include past, present, and future expenses.

Types of Compensation You Can Demand in Your Claim

You may be able to recover awards for the following:

• Medical expenses (including future bills)
• Lost income (could include future lost wages)
• Lost employee benefits (vacation time or bonuses)
• Other accident-related expenses

You could also be compensated for:

• Mental and emotional distress
• Pain and suffering
• Permanent scarring or disfigurement
• Permanent disability

A lawyer can help you calculate these damages accurately.

How Do You Know What Your Case Is Worth?

Working with a lawyer on assessing your damages ensures you have a proper assessment of how much your case is worth. Having this knowledge can be useful if you receive low-ball settlement award offers from the liable party’s insurance company.

Insurers are known for offering to settle quickly for a lower amount before injured truck accident victims have had time to consider the legal ramifications in their case. A lawyer could also represent you during your dealings with the insurer so that you do not have to talk to them.

A lawyer with the Law Office of Cohen & Jaffe, LLP can also review any offers you receive from an insurer and handle negotiations on your behalf.

New York’s Statute of Limitations

If you want to seek legal action in your truck accident, you generally have three years per New York Civil Practice Law and Rules (CVP) §214. To give your lawyer enough time to build your case, we recommend that you start as soon as possible.

If you lost a loved one in a truck accident, you have two years to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the negligent parties under Public Authorities Law (PBA) §2981. You could recover damages for burial or funeral expenses, loss of financial support from the decedent, and other losses.

Call Today for Legal Help with Your Truck Accident

The Law Office of Cohen & Jaffe, LLP cares about helping our clients put their lives back together after suffering harm in an accident. We can help you seek financial recovery after your accident, keeping your needs in mind. Give our legal team a call today for a free consultation at (866) 878-6774. We are ready to work for you.