Truck accidents in Brooklyn are anything but rare. With a large population and many commercial establishments, the heavy traffic in this borough can be overwhelming for anyone. Making one’s way down the crowded streets can be challenging for motor vehicle drivers. Even the speed on the Brooklyn Bridge was lowered to try and combat congestion.
Congestion is just one of the reasons truck accidents tend to happen more often in Brooklyn. In this blog, we will look at why truck accidents occur more often in Brooklyn and provide statistics to document what many city residents already know.
Truck Accidents in New York City
Brooklyn is not alone when it comes to truck accidents. They occur over the five boroughs, although Brooklyn does have an excessive number. The following is a breakdown from 2021:
- Truck accidents in Brooklyn: 32.5 percent of the city’s total.
- Queens truck crashes: 24.2 percent of the city’s total.
- Truck collisions in the Bronx: 21.8 percent of all truck accidents in the city.
- Manhattan truck crashes: 17.7 percent of the city’s total.
- Staten Island’s truck collisions: 3.5 percent of the number of the city’s accidents.
Truck Accidents in Brooklyn Leading to Injuries and Deaths
It is estimated that 30,000 to 40,000 motor vehicle collisions occur within Brooklyn each year. An annual total of more than 50 fatalities are caused by over 15,000 accidents. Recent studies report 2,214 truck accidents in Brooklyn alone, resulting in 502 injuries and seven deaths. The majority of those accidents (1,705) resulted in property damage. In addition, trucks often haul raw materials, fuel and chemicals, which can result in hazardous waste spills, disastrous for businesses, homes and residents. NYC established regulations to minimize this problem within the city’s limits.
Causes of Truck Accidents
Various factors, including driver fatigue and distraction, can cause truck crashes. Of these, distracted driving is high on the list.
It occurs when the trucker pays attention to something other than driving. Often a distraction is due to multitasking, such as checking GPS or speeding up the delivery. Fatigue is another problem for truckers as companies push them to get a delivery to its destination in the shortest amount of time.
Mechanical failures or malfunctions can cause sudden stops or loss of control in trucks, resulting in dangerous situations. In addition, poor vehicle maintenance can result in brake failure or tire blowouts, leading to severe accidents. This is often the failure of the trucking company or the manufacturers of truck parts. A truck accident lawyer in NYC can address such issues in a product liability lawsuit.
Other Causes of Truck Accidents in Brooklyn
Additional reasons truck accidents occur in Brooklyn:
- Most of Brooklyn is residential. Few jobs are there and many people commute. The population of NYC is 8.468 million. The population of Brooklyn is 2.577 million. You do the math.
- Increased traffic means road damage. This leads to more road repair crews balling up the traffic even further through roadway closures.
- In 2018, Brooklyn had 5,028 truck accidents or 27 percent of the total in the five boroughs.
- Garbage, delivery, cement and water trucks might be smaller but present significant hazards due to their slowness, lack of maneuverability and numerous blind spots. Their heavy loads and longer stopping distances make them dangerous on Brooklyn’s city streets.
Can an NYC Truck Accident Lawyer Help After an Accident?
Yes, consulting a New York City truck accident attorney can be a good move. Truck accident cases are often complex. Trucking companies are required to not only maintain their fleet but also to repair or replace defective and worn parts. For instance, worn tires can result in a blowout, and defective brakes can lead to a driver losing control. The company also has a duty to train drivers and check their qualifications and past driving record before hiring them.
At our law firm, we send investigators to the crash scene, check truck logs and potential signs of driver negligence and look for defective auto parts. Our investigators also use accident reconstruction techniques to see why the crash happened and obtain traffic light and business security camera footage for digital renditions of the crash. This evidence is used to build a strong case for our clients.
