Truck Accident Lawyers in Suffolk County, New York How to Recover Complete Financial Compensation After a Truck Accident in New York Large commercial trucks are essential to the U.S. economy and consumer markets, and nowhere is this more evident than in Suffolk County and around Long Island. A considerable amount of goods and products […]
Large commercial trucks are essential to the U.S. economy and consumer markets, and nowhere is this more evident than in Suffolk County and around Long Island. A considerable amount of goods and products enter or leave the country from New York, and so it is no surprise to find tractor-trailers, big rigs, and other large commercial vehicles on the roads and highways in Suffolk County. The drivers of these large vehicles are supposed to be “professionals,” and indeed many are. Even professionals, however, make mistakes. Unfortunately, when trucks are involved, these mistakes can cost drivers and passengers of small passenger cars dearly.
When injuries do occur, those hurt in Suffolk County truck accidents may be entitled to recover monetary compensation for the expenses related to the collision, including medical bills, counseling costs, home health care expenses, and other similar costs. Parker Waichman LLP is a Suffolk County truck accident law firm helping victims of truck collisions protect and assert their legal rights.
Even though commercial truck drivers are required to complete more rigorous training than the driver of a personal car and are subject to stricter medical and physical requirements, truck accidents still occur with frightening regularity. These horrific and tragic collisions can be devastating to drivers, passengers, and bystanders, resulting in life-changing and permanent injuries, mental and emotional trauma, and even death. In a significant number of truck accidents, the negligence – that is, the carelessness – of the truck driver is to blame. For example:
Other causes of truck accidents in Suffolk County include improper maintenance of a truck cab or trailer, improper or unsafe loading of cargo, improper or inadequate hiring and screening practices, and drivers who operate their trucks when doing so is beyond their physical abilities (such as when the driver is too tired to continue driving but does so anyway or when the driver is not wearing corrective lenses when needed).
Getting to the bottom of why a truck accident occurred is the job of a Suffolk County truck accident attorney. By discovering the root causes of a truck collision, the attorney will be able to know which person(s), business(es), and/or government entities may have played a role in the truck accident and may, therefore, be liable for any injuries or harm the victim(s) suffered as a result.
Those hurt by commercial trucks in collisions and accidents in Suffolk County may be disheartened to know that merely being injured by a truck does not guarantee them any amount of compensation – or that they are even able to file a lawsuit. New York is known as a “no-fault” insurance state. This means that, in most ordinary circumstances, a driver’s own insurance company will be responsible for covering the costs of your losses.
In order to be able to file a lawsuit, a trucking collision injury victim must first demonstrate that he or she suffered one or more significant or serious injury or injuries (as defined by New York law). This can include death, dismemberment, or permanent disability. Making this initial showing is what permits the injury victim to pursue a claim of compensation through the New York court system.
Even when a person is able to file a lawsuit after a trucking accident, obtaining monetary compensation will depend on showing a court that the truck driver’s own carelessness was the predominant cause of the collision. In other words, the truck collision injury victim would need to prove to a court that (1) the truck driver operated his or her truck in a careless manner (for example, by engaging in one or more of the behaviors described above); (2) the way in which the truck driver operated the truck is what caused the crash to occur (or at least a primary reason why it occurred); and (3) the crash is what caused the victim to suffer the injuries and losses he or she did.
Victims of truck accidents in Suffolk County are fortunate in that there are many local hospitals where they may receive treatment. These include The Peconic Bay Medical Center in Riverhead (1300 Roanoke Avenue, Riverhead, NY 11901), Brookhaven Memorial Hospital Medical Center (101 Hospital Road, Patchogue, NY 11772) and Stony Brook University Hospital at 100 Nicolls Road, Stony Brook, NY 11794.
Truck accidents typically cause a great deal of financial harm to the victims. As a result, most truck accidents will be filed in the local Supreme Court. For Suffolk County, there are Supreme Courts located in Riverhead, Central Islip, and Ronkonkoma. Once a truck accident victim retains an attorney’s services, and it is determined that a lawsuit is to be filed, the victim’s attorney will determine which court is the most appropriate place to hear your lawsuit.
Catastrophic. That, in a word, described the severity of most truck collision-related injuries. These injuries can easily change a truck accident victim’s life and the life of his or her family for years to come – or even forever. One can expect to see one or more of the following serious injuries in any truck accident case:
Injury victims in trucking accidents can also suffer injuries and trauma to internal organs, cuts and lacerations, and injuries and trauma to the spinal cord or neck. This is on top of the emotional trauma, pain and suffering, and other harm that can befall a trucking accident victim that is more difficult to quantify.
Truck collision injury victims who are successful in their lawsuits are typically able to recover a financial judgment that equals the “cost” of their injuries and losses. This means the injury victim can receive a court order directing the at-fault truck driver to pay for the injury victim’s:
Parker Waichman LLP aims to help Suffolk County truck accident victims and their families obtain the most compensation possible so that they are not left to fend for themselves. Parker Waichman LLP believes careless truck drivers deserve to be held liable for the financial cost of the harm they cause.
In New York, truck crash victims are restricted from filing a lawsuit seeking damages after a truck collision if more than three years have passed from the date of the truck accident. This limit – called a statute of limitations – is meant to encourage injury victims to file their lawsuits and claims early, when evidence can still be located and preserved, and witnesses’ memories are freshest. This time limit or “clock” counts down quickly, and there are only a few ways to “stop” (or “toll”) the time period or gain additional “time on the clock.” In almost every case, a Suffolk County truck crash lawsuit filed after the statute of limitations has run will result in the dismissal of the lawsuit without the case ever seeing the inside of a courtroom. Truck accident injury victims then are encouraged to speak with an experienced attorney or law firm as soon as possible to ensure their right to file a lawsuit does not expire unintentionally as opposed to waiting until the last minute and then attempting to file a lawsuit just before the statute of limitations expires.
Trust the law firm that has been awarded the coveted “5 Dragons” rating from Lawdragon.com as well as other accolades and positive reviews to handle your Suffolk County truck accident case. Parker Waichman LLP’s team of dedicated and professional attorneys will help you in your legal quest for financial damages every step of the way. Our team is waiting to hear from you, so speak with our office today by calling 1-800-YOURLAWYER (1-800-968-7529) or by contacting our firm online using our website contact form.
