The serious injuries that you or a loved one suffered in a Brooklyn truck rollover accident may have changed your life dramatically. Medical procedures, treatments, and more may now fill your days instead of work and time with family. Depending on the circumstances of your accident, you may have the right to pursue a personal injury claim and lawsuit.
A Brooklyn personal injury lawyer can help you fight for compensation to cover the full cost of your injuries. However, you must act quickly if you want to seek compensation from those liable for your harm.
How Truck Rollover Accidents Occur
Cargo trucks face a high risk of rolling over due to their large, heavy loads. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), 78 percent of rollover accidents result from driver error. These types of accidents typically involve drivers of cargo trucks carrying liquid and potentially hazardous materials.
The FMCSA refers to the slosh and surge of the tanker’s contents as what creates a weight imbalance. As a result, commercial truck drivers who fail to manage their tanker trucks can cause serious accidents.
In addition to driver error, most truck rollover accidents occur due to:
- Vehicle condition: one study found that 54 percent of rollovers involved a vehicle with some sort of brake defect.
- Load size: Partial loads sometimes constitute a key component in truck rollover accidents.
Materials hauled by cargo tanker trucks include items such as:
- Gasoline
- Crude oil
- Flammable gasses
Rollover accidents prove hazardous due to exposure to fire and harmful chemicals. The tragic injuries that can result from both the collision and the exposure serve as one of the primary reasons why you should contact a lawyer.
Truck rollover accidents can also occur with tractor-trailer trucks. An unbalanced or unsecured load can result in the same type of accident common with cargo tank trucks. Construction materials and other dangers can cause additional harm in a collision.
When a truck rollover accident occurs, you may not have sufficient time to avoid a collision. The shift of an unsecured load or the slosh effect in a tanker truck should not result in major life changes for you.
You may never fully recover from serious injuries sustained in a Brooklyn truck rollover. Consider getting the help you need by contacting a Brooklyn truck accident lawyer today.
Your Truck Rollover Accident Injuries
A truck rollover accident may result in a fire. Flammable substances that escape or ignite can cause accident victims to experience serious burns. The quick action of first responders at such accident scenes often proves imperative for victim survival.
Burn treatment typically includes skin grafts, plastic surgery, and infection prevention. Patients sometimes require care at a burn center. This type of specialized care may require traveling far from home.
Additional injuries from such a traumatic accident can include:
- Broken bones: may result in a lengthy recovery or possible amputation.
- Brain injury: impacts brain function, making simple tasks difficult or impossible.
- Spinal cord Injury: typically results in paralysis and a lifetime cost of millions.
- Internal injury: impacts organ function and can result in death.
Truck drivers must follow specific routes when entering Brooklyn and must adhere to strict traffic laws and regulations. A cargo tanker truck driver who drives recklessly and causes an accident may bear liability for the resulting injuries.
Truck drivers’ urgency to reach their destinations should not impact your quality of life forever. Consider seeking the help you need to hold the truck driver accountable for your harm.
If mechanical issues, like that of poor brakes, contribute to your crash, your lawyer can investigate. A Brooklyn personal injury lawyer can help you identify all potentially liable parties in your accident and determine from which parties to pursue compensation.
Common Types of Negligence in Truck Rollover Accidents
Your attorney must prove negligence on the part of the truck driver, trucking company, or both. If both parties use care, they can generally avoid a truck rollover accident.
A commercial truck driver must obey the same rules of the road as other drivers, such as:
- Avoiding drug and alcohol use: no use of beer, liquor, or other narcotics behind the wheel.
- Refraining from distracted driving: putting smartphones down and keeping eyes on the road.
- Not engaging in aggressive driving: obeying speed limits and stopping for red lights.
- Getting enough rest off the road: following federal regulations regarding rest.
Truck drivers sometimes face tight delivery deadlines, yet drivers must adhere to the federal hours of service. Some drivers may find it difficult to rest during specific and mandatory breaks.
An undiagnosed sleep disorder or other related sleep problem might lead truck drivers to engage in reckless actions to stay awake. Alcohol, drugs, limited patience, and texting all constitute behind-the-wheel dangers that can cause a tragic accident.
Truck rollover accidents also occur due to poor truck maintenance.
A trucking company that allows its fleet of trucks to enter Brooklyn in the following conditions may face liability for your damages:
- Poor brakes
- Broken lights
- Worn tires
- Engine problems
Companies that bypass inspections or routine maintenance must face accountability when tragedy results. Most truck drivers receive their income on a per-mile basis. This pay structure may lead some drivers to take risks behind the wheel.
When a driver pushed for time engages in reckless behavior in a dangerous truck, the results sometimes prove catastrophic. A lawyer can investigate your accident to ensure that all responsible parties face accountability for their negligence.
If you or a loved one suffered serious harm due to a negligent truck rollover accident, think about fighting for compensation. No one should pay out of pocket for injuries that result from another driver’s negligence. The truck driver and possibly others may need to pay for your damages.
How a Personal Injury Lawyer Helps Truck Rollover Accident Victims
A Brooklyn personal injury lawyer offers free case evaluations to help victims learn more about their options. Free case evaluations constitute an important first step for those who experience physical, emotional, psychological, and financial harm due to negligence.
Multiple people may reach out to you soon after your accident, eager to assist you. If an insurance adjuster representing the truck driver and/or trucking company contacts you, you may want to proceed cautiously.
Those liable for your harm want nothing more than to settle your case quickly and for the least amount possible. They do not want your case to go to trial; rather, they want to protect their best interests.
No trucking company should place profits above safety. A Brooklyn personal injury lawyer can help you during this difficult time by protecting your best interests. Your lawyer will work hard to fight for fair compensation.
Concern about how to pay your medical costs and your inability to work can overwhelm you. Accepting a check from an insurance adjuster may seem like a quick solution, but it can lead to a permanent problem.
Once you accept a settlement, the insurance company closes your case. You have no second chance to pursue additional compensation, which can prove especially troubling if your medical condition worsens.
Pursuing compensation constitutes an extremely important process for accident victims. Hiring a Brooklyn lawyer to protect your best interests now can save you heartache later.
Call a Brooklyn personal injury lawyer to schedule a free case evaluation, during which you can ask questions about your legal options. You should think about reaching out today. You will face no obligation to retain the attorney with whom you speak, and you may feel better after learning more about your options.
Truck Rollover Accidents and Fatalities
The news that your loved one died due to a truck rollover accident may shock you and change your life forever. Whether your loved one sustained injuries as a pedestrian, bicyclist, motorcyclist, or another motorist, your grief may reach immeasurable levels.
Your relationship with the victim determines whether state law allows you to pursue legal action. Surviving spouses, parents, and children often have a right to pursue compensation for their losses. A Brooklyn wrongful death attorney can determine if you qualify for pursuing a claim and lawsuit.
The sudden death of a close loved one can leave you with unexpected expenses, like that of a funeral. The loss of income from the death can make paying for such expenses challenging. A funeral can cost thousands of dollars, causing you additional anxiety.
You do not need the extra stress of an aggressive insurance adjuster. By hiring an attorney to represent you, you can focus more on family and less on your civil case. Having those you love by your side can prove invaluable as you adjust to the changes in your life.
Nothing can replace your loved one; however, pursuing legal action can help ease your stress. Having a Brooklyn wrongful death attorney by your side can provide you peace of mind as you mourn your loss.
The Legal Clock Ticks From Moment of Impact
Whether you seek to pursue a personal injury or a wrongful death case, you must act quickly. The legal clock for pursuing compensation generally begins at the moment of impact.
The New York statute of limitations provides injured individuals with three years from the date of their accidents to file a personal injury claim and two years for wrongful death. While this may seem like a long time, once these deadlines pass, you may lose out completely on your right to pursue compensation.
The aftermath of a serious accident turns your world upside down. From multiple medical procedures to planning a funeral, life as you know it may come to a stop. Unfortunately, this can cause you to lose track of time—something very dangerous for a civil case.
The sooner you contact a Brooklyn lawyer for help with your case, the faster you can unload the burden from your shoulders. Referring assertive insurance adjusters to your lawyer removes that stress from your life and also improves your chances of negotiating a favorable settlement.
Allowing your lawyer to handle the details of your case frees you from focusing on other matters, such as your health or grief. You should act quickly and entrust your lawyer with protecting your best interests.
How a Lawyer Can Help
Lawyers understand New York laws and have experience litigating cases. Experienced attorneys have the skills and resources necessary to negotiate with insurance companies and other lawyers. If necessary, your attorney can apply his or her courtroom skills to your trial.
The trucking industry has powerful attorneys on its side that oftentimes choose to fight a claim. In addition to wanting to protect profits, trucking companies sometimes try to blame others for accidents. A strong attorney by your side can aggressively protect you against such allegations.
Losing a loved one in a preventable accident often proves tragic and feels unfair. Fighting for compensation may prove difficult but constitutes an important step toward justice. You don’t want to attempt to handle your case alone; you should schedule a free case evaluation with an experienced attorney.
Retain a Brooklyn Truck Accident Lawyer
A truck rollover accident can prove an extremely frightening experience. The severe injuries you suffered may place you in a trauma or rehabilitation center far from home.
Your career and relationships may change as a result of your injuries or loss. While you may struggle to return to your same lifestyle as before the crash, you should look to the future with hope.
No attorney can promise or guarantee that you will recover compensation. Fighting for fair compensation means not settling for what insurance companies want to give you. A Brooklyn personal injury or wrongful death lawyer stands firmly by your side while pursuing the best outcome possible.
If you suffered a traumatic injury or loss due to a Brooklyn truck rollover accident, you shouldn’t attempt to handle your case alone. Representing yourself can prove risky due to the knowledge and experience of insurance adjusters. They often employ defensive tactics aimed at confusing unrepresented parties and reducing their companies’ liability.
The damages you suffered demand accountability. If you or a loved one suffered serious harm or you lost a loved one, consider contacting a Brooklyn truck accident lawyer as soon as possible.