Content reviewed by:
Alex Shulman
In a massive metropolis like New York City, truck drivers play a crucial role. Whether they are delivering goods or transporting construction materials, these drivers keep the city operating efficiently. Unfortunately, this important job also comes with its fair share of risks.
Numerous factors may influence the potential severity of your injuries and losses if you are ever harmed in a motor vehicle accident on Staten Island. The size and nature of the vehicles involved in the accident can be a major factor. Although any motor vehicle accident can have devastating consequences, accidents involving large commercial trucks can cause greater harm than accidents involving smaller cars.
If you are injured in a Staten Island truck accident, your injuries may require substantial medical treatment. You might not be prepared to pay for such treatment. Your injuries may also be so severe that you are unable to work. If you are not earning an income, paying for your care becomes even more challenging.
It is important to understand your rights in these circumstances. Instead of absorbing medical bills and other expenses yourself, you can likely seek compensation for your losses. You should consult with a Staten Island truck accident lawyer at Shulman & Hill to learn more. One of our dedicated personal injury lawyers near Staten Island can discuss your case with you during a free legal consultation and offer aggressive representation as needed.
Staten Island Truck Accidents: What You Need to Know
Statistics indicate the rate of accidents involving large commercial vehicles is significantly lower on Staten Island than in all other New York City boroughs. However, this does not mean that drivers, bicyclists, and pedestrians on Staten Island can let down their guard when sharing the road with truckers. It is still vital that you remain aware of your surroundings and take all necessary steps to ensure your safety.
Even if you do prioritize safety, you might still be injured in a Staten Island truck accident. If this happens, you should contact our personal injury law firm near Staten Island to learn more about your rights.
Causes of Staten Island Truck Accidents
Potential causes of a Staten Island truck accident include (but are not limited to) the following:
- Drunk driving
- Speeding
- Vehicle defects
- Hazardous road conditions
- Improper vehicle maintenance
- Distracted driving, which is contributing to an increasing number of accidents in the age of smartphones
- Lost truck drivers. On Staten Island, there are areas where truckers unfamiliar with the borough might find themselves on roads that were not designed for large vehicles
- Failure to obey traffic signals
- Failure to secure loads
Driver Error
This may be particularly common among truckers. Although truckers are supposed to have special licenses and qualifications for their jobs, operating a large commercial vehicle is far more challenging than operating a car. A mistake that a car driver might be able to easily correct before an accident occurs can have much more significant consequences when a trucker makes the same mistake.
Sleep-Deprived Driving
Sleep deprivation is a significant issue in the trucking industry. A New York Times report indicates many truckers know that they should not drive when they have not had adequate sleep. However, they feel pressured to do so because their employers expect them to make all deliveries on schedule. This can put other drivers and pedestrians at significant risk. Researchers have found that driving while sleep-deprived is essentially as dangerous as driving drunk.
How Our Truck Accident Law Firm Near Staten Island Can Help
Regardless of the cause of your Staten Island truck accident, you may be able to seek compensation for your losses by filing a claim against the insurance of the party whose negligence caused the accident. You should strongly consider enlisting the help of a Staten Island truck accident lawyer before doing so. The following are key ways we can help you pursue compensation:
Investigating the Accident
After a Staten Island truck accident, the target of your claim or lawsuit may be the trucking company if they are in some way responsible for the accident. A trucking company may be liable if an accident happened because one of their drivers was negligent or if they failed to adequately maintain their fleet.
Identifying the parties responsible for compensating you after a Staten Island truck accident may require conducting a thorough investigation. The experts at our truck accident law firm near Staten Island have the resources necessary to do so.
Handling Administrative Tasks
Because truck accidents tend to leave victims with major injuries, recovering from an accident can take a long time. You might not want to spend this time burdening yourself with the various tasks involved in the claims process. Submitting paperwork, corresponding with insurance adjusters, and collecting evidence can be time-consuming tasks for one to complete alone.
Fortunately, you do not have to. This is among the primary benefits of working with a personal injury law firm near Staten Island after an accident. At Shulman & Hill, we can handle all these tasks and processes on your behalf.
Seeking an Appropriate Settlement
Every case is unique. Our experienced attorneys will conduct an investigation so that they have the evidence they need to fight for the compensation you may be entitled to. We can also negotiate with insurance companies and prevent them from convincing you to accept an unreasonably low settlement offer.