BROOKLYN TRUCK ACCIDENT LAWYER

We’ve taken on powerful insurance companies, trucking companies, and other tough adversaries and proven that we can help our clients win life-changing results. To date, we’ve won hundreds of millions of dollars in settlements and jury verdicts. Now, we’re ready to fight for you. Schedule a free consultation with a member of our skilled team by contacting our NYC law office today.

The Platta Law Firm Can Make a Difference After You’ve Been Hurt in a Truck Accident in Brooklyn, NY

You deserve time to rest and recover after getting into an accident with a big rig, tractor-trailer, semi-truck, or another large commercial vehicle in Brooklyn. At the same time, you deserve to be compensated for your medical bills, loss of income, and other damages resulting from the crash.

When you hire our Brooklyn personal injury lawyers, you’ll give yourself the opportunity to do both. Our law firm will handle all aspects of your truck accident lawsuit, giving you the opportunity to focus on your road to recovery. We will invest the full force and resources of our law firm into your case as we:

• Promptly investigate your truck accident to pinpoint why and how it happened.
• Identify all potentially liable parties and available insurance benefits.
• Gather black box data, dashcam footage, driver records, witness statements, property damage, forensic reports, accident reports, trucking company hiring policies, and other evidence that can be used to build a strong legal claim for damages.
• Consult trucking specialists, medical professionals, accident reconstructionists, and other expert witnesses as we determine the value of your truck accident lawsuit.
• Utilize tried-and-true negotiation strategies to leverage a meaningful settlement offer from the trucking company and/or its insurance carrier.
• Represent your best interests at trial if the trucking company refuses to offer a fair settlement.

When you choose The Platta Law Firm, you make it clear to the defendant that you won’t be pushed around or manipulated into accepting a lowball deal. We’re nationally recognized award-winning trial attorneys for a reason, and our reputation is well-known in Brooklyn and across New York City. Call our law office today to set up a time for a free initial case evaluation. We’re here to help 24/7.

How Common Are Truck Accidents in Brooklyn?

No borough has more reported truck accidents every year than Brooklyn. According to NYPD crash data, 4,991 big rig accidents were reported citywide in 2021. At least 1,625 of those tractor-trailer accidents happened in Brooklyn – accounting for roughly 32.5 percent of the city’s total. Statistically speaking, there are between 4 and 5 large truck accidents in Brooklyn every day.

What Causes Most Brooklyn Truck Accidents?

Truck accidents can, for the most part, be avoided. That’s due in large part to state and federal safety regulations that guide trucking practices in the state of New York. Unfortunately, these trucking regulations only work when trucking services and truck drivers comply. Accidents involving semis and other large trucks tend to happen when drivers and companies cut corners or make avoidable mistakes.

Some of the leading causes include:

• Fatigued driving (often after violating FMCSA Hours of Service limitations)
• Speeding
• Driving too fast for road or weather conditions
• Wide turns
• Uneven cargo load
• Unsecured cargo
• Distracted driving
• Driver inexperience
• Drug and alcohol use
• Failing to perform mandated inspections and maintenance
• Failing to pull a defective vehicle from service
• Following too closely
• Braking errors

Truck accident cases can be complicated, and often require in-depth investigations to get to the bottom of what happened, and why. Our truck accident attorneys in Brooklyn will carefully analyze your specific crash and work with trusted experts to uncover the truth. Once we’ve established the cause(s), we’ll begin to craft a compelling legal claim that highlights liability and helps you get the compensation you deserve.

Who’s Liable For My Brooklyn Truck Accident?

Liability for a truck accident can belong to one individual party or extend to several. Ultimately, anyone who contributes to a truck accident can be held financially responsible for the resulting damages.

• Truck Drivers: Truck drivers can be considered negligent if they speed, drive in excess of Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulations, rely on drugs or alcohol to help cope with the stresses of the job, or engage in other dangerous behaviors behind the wheel.
• Trucking Companies: Trucking companies can be liable for a trucking accident based on the doctrine of vicarious liability, where the employer is responsible for the negligence of its employee. A company may also be liable for a crash if its own actions – like negligent hiring, improper training, or inadequate vehicle maintenance – contribute to a big rig accident.
• Truck Manufacturer: Sometimes truck accidents happen because parts of the vehicle – like brakes – are defective. The company that’s responsible for manufacturing or selling the truck can be strictly liable if defects contribute to a tractor-trailer accident.
• Third-Party Motorist: It’s not just truck drivers who can be reckless behind the wheel. If another motorist is negligent and contributes to an accident, they can also be accountable for the results.
• Freight Broker: The companies that arrange to have trucks transport specific cargo on behalf of other companies – can sometimes be held liable if logistics or planning contribute to an accident.
• Government Agencies: There are situations when poor road design or poorly maintained roads cause tractor-trailers to crash. In these situations, the government agency responsible for oversight can be held liable.

The Platta Law Firm will actively pursue monetary damages from any party that’s indirectly or directly responsible for causing a truck accident. Our attorneys can explore available insurance benefits and/or work to hold liable parties personally accountable in a civil lawsuit for damages.

What Damages Can I Recover In a Brooklyn Truck Accident Claim?

As a Brooklyn truck accident victim, you can file a legal claim to seek compensation for your financial losses and harder-to-value trauma. These are known as economic damages and non-economic damages, respectively, and can include money for:

• Hospitalization, surgery, prosthetics, medical equipment, follow-up medical care, and other current medical bills
• Reasonably necessary future medical expenses
• Lost income, wages, and earning opportunities
• Disability
• Property damage
• Nursing care
• Funeral expenses if a Brooklyn truck accident is fatal
• Pain and suffering
• Inconvenience
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Disfigurement
• Loss of consortium
• Emotional distress

Expect pushback from the trucking company when you file a claim for damages. It will try to downplay your injuries and the ways in which the truck accident has affected your life. Our trucking accident attorneys in Brooklyn won’t let these tactics work.

We will carefully construct a compelling legal claim that highlights the defendant’s liability and emphasizes the costs and trauma you’ve experienced as a crash victim. When it’s time to negotiate, the other side will have no choice but to sit down and engage in meaningful conversations about getting you the compensation you deserve.

Can Contributory Negligence Impact My New York Truck Accident Settlement

Yes. Sharing any responsibility for a Brooklyn truck accident will have a direct impact on your financial recovery. New York has a pure comparative negligence statute. Under the law, damages are reduced proportionately to fault.

Let’s say you’re injured in a jackknife truck accident in Brooklyn and suffer damages worth $200,000. It’s determined that you’re 10 percent responsible for the accident.

As a result, your maximum settlement or jury award would total $180,000. Expect to be blamed. Prepare by trusting our Brooklyn truck and car accident attorneys for help right away. We’ll anticipate these tactics and work to counter them at every turn.

What Are the Most Common Truck Accident Injuries?

Whether you’re in a rollover accident, underride accident, squeeze play crash, or another type of truck accident can influence the types of injuries you’re likely to suffer. However, some of the most commonly reported truck accident injuries – regardless of the type of crash – include:

• Broken bones
• Nerve damage
• Crushing injury
• Internal organ damage
• Brain injury
• Spinal cord injury
• Paralysis
• Spinal fracture
• Herniated discs
• Joint injury
• Burn injury
• Amputation
• Catastrophic injury
• Wrongful death

Report your accident to the NYPD immediately. Then, seek out emergency medical treatment at a local hospital in Brooklyn. Prompt care can reduce the risk of complications and potentially limit the scope of your injuries. It can also ensure that your injuries are documented right away, which will be critical if you decide to take legal action.

How Long Will I Have to File a Lawsuit After a Truck Accident in New York?

Pursuant to New York law, the statute of limitations for truck accident lawsuits is:

• Three years for cases resulting in personal injury, and
• Two years for cases resulting in wrongful death.

There are some exceptions, but they only apply in a limited number of cases. Typically, these involve truck accidents resulting in injuries to children or cases where government negligence is a factor. Don’t expect to have additional time to assert your rights and demand compensation. Make sure you file your claim before the statute of limitations expires, or risk losing out on the money you need and deserve.

Call Our Trusted Brooklyn Truck Accident Lawyers
For Help Today

Have you suffered catastrophic injuries in a truck accident in Brooklyn, New York? Do not struggle with the consequences on your own. Give our Brooklyn truck accident lawyers a call and find out how we can help you fight for the maximum financial award you deserve.

When you choose The Platta Law Firm, you put a trusted team of litigators with a collective 150 years of combined experience in your corner. Get started today by contacting our law office in NYC to schedule a free consultation.

Brooklyn Neighborhoods We Serve

Central Brooklyn

Crown Heights, Weeksville, Flatbush,  East Flatbush, Farragut, Fiske Terrace, Prospect Park, Prospect Lefferts Gardens, Prospect Park South, Windsor Terrace, Kensington, Ocean Parkway, and Parkville.

Eastern Brooklyn

Brownsville, Canarsie, East New York, City Line, Cypress Hills, New Lots, Spring Creek, Starrett City, and Highland Park.

Northern Brooklyn

Bedford–Stuyvesant, Ocean Hill, Stuyvesant Heights, Bushwick, Wyckoff Heights, East Williamsburg, Greenpoint, and Williamsburg.

Northwestern Brooklyn

Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn Navy Yard, Clinton Hill, Downtown Brooklyn, Bridge Plaza, Dumbo, Fulton Ferry, Fort Greene, Prospect Heights, and Vinegar Hill.

South Brooklyn

Boerum Hill, Carroll Gardens, Columbia Street Waterfront District, Cobble Hill, Gowanus, Park Slope, South Park Slope, Greenwood Heights, and Red Hook.

Southern Brooklyn

Barren Island, Bergen Beach and Georgetown, Coney Island, Brighton Beach, West Brighton, Manhattan Beach, Sea Gate, Sheepshead Bay and Madison, Homecrest, Midwood, Flatlands, Gerritsen Beach, Gravesend, Marine Park, Mill Basin, and Plumb Beach.

Southwestern Brooklyn

Bay Ridge, Bensonhurst, Bath Beach, New Utrecht, Borough Park, Dyker Heights, and Sunset Park.