Truck Accident Lawyer Queens

Why Choose Us to Represent Your Truck Accident Case

Choosing the right legal team after a truck crash can significantly impact your recovery. At the Law Office of Cohen & Jaffe – Queens Personal Injury Lawyers, we have a strong record of dedication, results, and community commitment. We focus on building trust with clients, guiding them with care, and pursuing the best possible outcomes. Here is why many in Queens choose us:

• Decades of Combined Experience – Our attorneys, Stephen M. Cohen and Richard S. Jaffe, have decades of experience representing injury victims throughout New York, achieving significant verdicts and settlements in complex cases. Mr. Cohen has secured results such as $4 million for a motorcyclist with paraplegia, $1.2 million for a child with a fractured skull, and $1.5 million for a worker injured in an elevator accident.
• Distinguished Education and Credentials – Mr. Cohen earned his B.S. from Bradley University and his J.D. from St. John’s University School of Law. Mr. Jaffe earned his B.A. from SUNY Binghamton and his J.D. from Touro College Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center. Fluent in Spanish, he began advocating for injury victims in 1988 as a paralegal for a personal injury law firm.
• Award-Winning Advocacy– Our firm’s accolades, recognized by respected legal organizations and professional publications, such as Martindale-Hubbell, the American Institute- Personal Injury Division, Super Lawyers, AVVO, and BBB Accredited Business, reflect a strong commitment to justice and outstanding client service.
• No Fee Promise – You pay no legal fees unless we win your case, allowing you to focus entirely on your recovery without financial stress.
• Deep Community Roots – Our community involvement includes scholarships, charitable programs, and local initiatives that underscore our dedication to families.

Trusted High-Rated Reviews

We’ve earned stellar reviews on Yelp and Google :

• Mary Beams: “I was very pleased with the service that I received. Everything was very organized. Everything was very prompt. The people were very kind and nice everyone I spoke to everything was explained proper. I was not inconvenienced once everything went very smooth. I would definitely recommend them.” Read more
• Yanu Alexandra. “My name is Yanu and I am a client of the law office of Law Office of Cohen & Jaffe, LLP LLP. I have had a pleasant experience with both the attorneys and staff. I was impressed with their professionalism and customer service and their staff is not only friendly but also highly skilled.” Read more
• Dalivid Solano. “I felt HONORED and GRATEFULLY to have legal representation & settlement for my Injury Related case By COHEN & JAFFE. This is by far THE BEST law firm I have ever work with. The lawyers are extremely good, kind , highly professional and they were always Available I HIGHLY Recommend this Team”. Read more

 Common Types of Commercial Trucking Accidents in New York

Not all truck accidents unfold the same way, and the type of collision often determines how liability is established and what evidence matters most. Queens roads present unique hazards for large commercial vehicles, with tight intersections, high-density traffic, and constant delivery activity creating conditions where specific crash patterns recur.

Delivery Truck Accidents (Amazon, FedEx, and UPS)

Delivery trucks have become a permanent fixture on Queens streets, and so have the accidents they cause. Amazon, FedEx, and UPS drivers operate under intense scheduling pressure, which contributes to speeding, abrupt stops, and double parking that force other vehicles into dangerous maneuvers. 

A critical legal issue in these cases involves driver classification: some delivery companies classify drivers as independent contractors rather than employees, which can complicate liability disputes after a crash.

Jackknife and Rollover Accidents

A jackknife happens when a truck’s trailer swings outward and forms a sharp angle with the cab, often triggered by sudden braking, slippery roads, or improper load distribution. Rollovers typically follow similar causes: excessive speed through curves, top-heavy cargo, or evasive maneuvers on highways like the Long Island Expressway or the Van Wyck. Both crash types can sweep multiple vehicles into the collision zone and frequently result in catastrophic injuries. Investigators can examine driver logs, cargo manifests, and pre-trip inspection records to determine whether the accident was preventable.

Underride and Rear-End Collisions

An underride accident occurs when a smaller vehicle slides beneath the rear or side of a truck trailer, often due to inadequate underride guards or a truck that stops suddenly without warning. These crashes are among the most deadly in personal injury law because the structural integrity of the smaller vehicle is completely compromised. 

Rear-end collisions involving trucks differ from ordinary fender-benders, as stopping distances for an 80,000-pound loaded tractor-trailer are vastly longer than for a passenger car. When drivers fail to account for that difference, the consequences are severe.

Common Causes Of Truck Accidents In Queens

Most truck accidents in Queens happen because of negligence, often involving driver fatigue, mechanical failure, or poor training. These crashes are rarely accidental in the purest sense. Instead, they’re frequently tied to shortcuts taken to meet deadlines or cut costs.

Here are several of the most common contributors to trucking collisions in the borough:

• Fatigued Driving – Long hauls often push drivers beyond safe hours. Even with FMCSA regulations on hours-of-service, violations remain a serious issue.
• Distracted or Impaired Operation – Whether it’s texting, GPS use, or drug/alcohol impairment, divided attention behind the wheel can be deadly.
• Unsecured or Overloaded Cargo – Improperly loaded freight can shift, increasing the chance of rollovers and brake failure.
• Equipment Malfunctions – Brake defects, tire blowouts, or broken turn signals can stem from poor maintenance or manufacturing errors.
• Driver Inexperience – Inadequate training leads to mistakes navigating tight city streets, especially in high-density areas like Queens.

Queens is unique in that its truck routes intersect with residential and school zones, intensifying the risks. That’s why an experienced truck accident lawyer in Queens investigates not just the crash, but the entire chain of decisions that led to it.

Identifying Liable Parties: Who Is Responsible?

Truck accident cases rarely involve just one driver making one mistake. Commercial trucking operations involve multiple parties, each of whom may carry a share of responsibility and separate insurance coverage. Identifying every liable party from the start is essential to recovering full compensation. A Queens truck accident lawyer can identify every liable party from the start, which is essential to recovering compensation. 

Depending on the facts of your case, responsible parties may include:

• Truck Driver: The most visible defendant, liable for negligent driving, fatigue, distraction, or impairment.
• Trucking Company: Liable for hiring unqualified drivers, violating federal hours-of-service rules, or allowing unsafe vehicles on the road. Under respondeat superior, employers are responsible for an employee’s negligent acts committed during the course of their employment.
• Cargo Loaders and Shippers: Liable when improperly secured freight shifts during transit and causes a crash.
• Maintenance Contractors: Liable when faulty brake work, tire failure, or other neglected repairs contribute to the accident.
• Vehicle or Parts Manufacturers: Named defendants when a defective component is traced back to a design or manufacturing flaw.

New York follows a pure comparative negligence rule. Under New York Civil Practice Law and Rules § 1411, an injured party may still recover damages even when sharing some degree of fault, though compensation is reduced proportionally to their assigned percentage of responsibility.

Serious Injuries Resulting from Truck Crashes

The size and weight of commercial trucks mean that the injuries they cause usually alter a person’s life. Medical treatment, lost income, and long-term disability costs can accumulate quickly, which is why understanding the full value of a claim matters from the beginning.

Some of the most serious injuries seen in truck accident cases may include: 

• Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI): The violent forces involved in a truck crash can cause a traumatic brain injury even without direct head impact. TBIs range from concussions with delayed symptoms to severe brain damage affecting memory, cognition, and personality. Insurance carriers sometimes challenge the severity of these injuries, especially when symptoms are not immediately visible, but our Queens truck accident lawyers can work with neurological experts to document the full extent of the harm and counter those tactics.
• Spinal Cord Injuries and Paralysis: Damage to the spinal cord can result in partial or complete paralysis, dramatically changing a victim’s independence, earning capacity, and daily life. These injuries require lifelong medical management, adaptive equipment, and, often, home modifications. The lifetime cost of a spinal cord injury can reach into the millions, and a settlement or verdict must account for that full projection, not just immediate medical bills.
• Internal Organ Damage: Blunt force trauma from a truck collision can rupture the spleen, lacerate the liver, or damage the kidneys and bowel, sometimes without immediately obvious symptoms. Delayed diagnosis of internal injuries is common and dangerous. When a hospital fails to identify organ damage after a truck accident, a separate medical negligence claim may arise alongside the personal injury case.

No two cases are identical, but injuries at this level share one thing in common: their financial and personal impact extends far beyond the initial emergency room visit. 

Compensation You Can Recover in a Truck Accident Claim

After a truck accident, injured victims are entitled to pursue compensation from every party whose negligence contributed to the crash. At Law Office of Cohen & Jaffe – Queens Personal Injury Lawyers, we can build cases that document the full scope of our clients’ losses, not just the immediate medical costs.

Recoverable damages in a truck accident claim may include medical expenses such as emergency treatment, surgery, hospitalization, physical therapy, and future care. Lost income, both during recovery and in the long term when injuries affect earning capacity, is also recoverable. Compensation for pain and suffering addresses the physical and emotional toll the accident and its aftermath place on a victim’s daily life. Property damage, including vehicle repair or replacement, may also be included in a claim.

Proving a claim requires demonstrating that the liable party caused the injuries and that those injuries produced measurable losses. Our legal team can compile medical records, accident reports, witness statements, and expert analysis to build a complete picture of the harm our clients suffered and the compensation they deserve.

New York’s Statute of Limitations for Trucking Lawsuits 

The time you take in building a case can directly affect your ability to recover compensation after a truck accident. Under New York law, most truck accident lawsuits must be filed within three years of the date of the crash under CPLR § 214.

However, some cases involve shorter deadlines and additional legal requirements. Claims involving government entities, municipal vehicles, sanitation trucks, or public authorities may require a Notice of Claim within 90 days and can carry significantly shorter filing deadlines.

Because these timelines vary depending on who was involved in the accident, acting quickly after a crash is important. Missing a legal deadline can prevent you from pursuing compensation altogether.

Contact a Queens Truck Accident Lawyer for a Free Consultation

Truck accident claims involve complex liability, aggressive insurance carriers, and strict legal deadlines. Our team at Law Office of Cohen & Jaffe – Queens Personal Injury Lawyers helps injured victims understand their options and pursue the compensation they deserve under the law.

Anyone hurt in a truck accident does not have to navigate this process alone. Contact a Queens truck accident lawyer at (516) 358-6900 for a free consultation. There are no fees unless we recover compensation for you.

Call a truck accident lawyer near you:

• Truck accident lawyer in Nassau County
• Truck accident lawyer in Long Island

Resources About Truck Accident Claims:

• Trucking Company Liability: Understanding When the Company Is at Fault
• Watch Out for Truck Blind Spots
• 6 Common Causes of New York Truck Accidents

Areas We Serve in New York
Long Island, Nassau County, Baldwin, Astoria, New Hyde Park, Huntington, Great Neck, Oyster Bay, Islip, Glen Cove, Floral Park, Freeport, Jackson Heights, Flushing, Lynbrook, Forest Hills, Valley Stream, Westbury, Garden City, Jamaica, Babylon, Hollis, Levittown, Hicksville, Rockville Centre, Hempstead, Long Beach, Elmhurst, Corona, Mineola, Glen Oaks