Navigating a semi-truck through the busy city streets of the Bronx requires skill and focus. Commercial truck drivers who fail to maintain control of their semi-trucks may face liability for the damages that result. Pedestrians, motorcyclists, bicyclists, and other drivers face a risk of sustaining serious harm. If you suffered severe injuries due to an out-of-control semi-truck, consider hiring a Bronx semi-truck accident lawyer today for a free case evaluation.
Semi-Truck Dangers on Bronx City Streets
The truck component of a tractor-trailer, a semi-truck is comprised of a cab and engine. These types of trucks may have an attached trailer or travel without one. Regardless of whether the semi-truck in your accident involved a trailer, if you sustained injuries in a preventable accident, you shouldn’t have to bear the associated costs.
Semi-truck drivers in the Bronx must follow New York City’s Truck Route Network. Semi-truck drivers have two designated routes within the network:
- Local truck routes
- Through truck routes
In addition to the specific routes, semi-trucks must adhere to the city’s permissible truck weights and dimensions. A truck driver who chooses to ignore the rules, regulations, and routes and causes an accident will likely bear liability for the resulting damages.
Semi-truck drivers may also engage in dangerous behavior behind the wheel that causes them to lose control of their trucks.
Examples of truck driver behavior that can cause a serious accident include:
- Drunk driving: The blood alcohol content (BAC) level for commercial truck drivers is .04 percent or higher, lower than the 0.08 percent limit for other drivers.
- Drowsy driving: Commercial truck drivers must follow the hours-of-service regulations set by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). The hours of service govern drive time and the length and number of rest breaks. Failure to follow the guidelines can result in drowsy driving.
- Aggressive driving: Truck drivers must stay on schedule as much as possible. Strict deadlines for deliveries or pick-ups may cause truck drivers to speed or engage in road rage acts.
- Distracted driving: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lists three main forms of distracted driving: visual, cognitive, and manual. Semi-truck drivers can fall victim to distractions both inside and outside the cab.
Additional dangers that may contribute to a semi-truck accident include mechanical failures and poorly maintained trucks. No matter the cause of your semi-truck accident, a lawyer can help you fight for compensation.
The injuries you experienced can leave you unable to return to work, either temporarily or permanently. Experienced personal injury attorneys understand the potentially significant impact that a semi-truck accident can have on your life.
It may prove difficult to pursue compensation on your own following a Bronx semi-truck accident. The civil process involves intricate details, but it constitutes your best avenue toward pursuing the compensation you need to cover the full costs of your injuries. If your injuries make it difficult or impossible to return to work, you may want to seek a free case evaluation today.
Semi-Truck Accidents and Devastating Injuries
Semi-trucks constitute a dangerous force when out of control. When truck drivers cannot brake in time to come to a complete stop, they can quickly lose control, causing nearby drivers, bikers, or pedestrians serious harm.
Severe and catastrophic injuries can include:
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
- Spinal cord injury (SCI)
- Broken bones
- Internal injuries
- Severe road rash
These and other types of injuries can cause you great pain and result in extensive medical costs. For example, a traumatic brain injury can require long-term medical care that far surpasses your ability to pay. If the injury resulted from negligence, the liable party should pay for the care you or a loved one requires.
Serious injuries can develop complications that may result in hospitalization, such as infections. In addition, some injuries, like spinal cord injuries, require a lifetime investment in medical equipment. This may include power chairs, accessible transportation, and replacement of both throughout the years.
A Bronx semi-truck accident caused by negligence is a serious matter. You should seek medical treatment for your injuries as soon after your accident as possible, and you should consider retaining a lawyer to help with your injury claim. A Bronx personal injury lawyer can get to work investigating and building a strong compensation case; however, you must reach out for a free case evaluation as soon as possible.
Common Types of Damages
A semi-truck accident affects more than just your physical body; it also impacts your overall quality of life. The harsh physical, emotional, psychological, and financial harm that results constitute your damages.
A civil claim and lawsuit generally include the pursuit of such damages as:
- Medical costs: emergency transport, hospital and doctors’ fees, and other related medical care
- Long-term medical costs: expenses relating to care like that of rehabilitation, various therapies, and prescription medications
- Lost wages: the income lost due to recovery
- Loss of future income: your loss of earning capacity if you cannot return to your job due to your injuries
- Pain and suffering: the mental distress you experience from the semi-truck accident
The negligent parties should pay for these costs, not you. Unfortunately, many insurance companies want to protect their bottom lines and may go as far as to blame you for the accident.
The at-fault party in your accident should bear liability for the mounting medical costs you face. A lawyer can help you hold the negligent semi-truck driver, the trucking company, or possibly both, responsible for your damages.
How a Lawyer Fights for Your Bronx Semi-Truck Accident Damages
Upon reviewing your accident, a Bronx lawyer will determine the best method for moving forward with your case. Personal injury cases constitute civil matters separate from any related criminal case. If the semi-truck driver responsible for your injuries receives criminal charges, your right to pursue compensation remains—regardless of the outcome of the criminal case.
Once your lawyer identifies all parties liable for your harm, your lawyer will typically negotiate with the truck company’s insurance company for a fair settlement. A large percentage of personal injury cases settle without ever going to court.
Insurance companies that represent the truck industry may resist paying accident victims compensation. If an insurance company offers you an initial settlement, you should consult an attorney before accepting it.
Consider Getting Help With Aggressive Insurance Adjusters
The stress of your situation may make the settlement offer seem appealing to you and your family. The amount initially offered may seem like the answer to your stress. However, this initial offer likely won’t cover your future medical care.
If you accept the initial settlement, you will miss out on future opportunities for pursuing additional compensation. Never accept a settlement before consulting with an experienced attorney, particularly during this time of injury, vulnerability, and uncertainty. If the settlement provides enough compensation to cover the full cost of your injuries, your attorney will likely recommend that you accept it. Otherwise, your attorney will continue negotiating for increased compensation.
Insurance companies employ tough negotiators; accident victims deserve equally aggressive personal injury lawyers. Your lawyer works for you, the client, to secure the best possible outcome in your civil case. If your case proceeds to trial, your attorney will keep you informed about the process.
The sudden changes in your life that follow a Bronx semi-accident can overwhelm you. By securing a lawyer, you can rest easier knowing someone has your best interests at heart. This powerful knowledge leaves you more time to focus on your recovery.
Give careful thought to contacting a Bronx semi-truck accident lawyer today for help with your case.
Fatal Semi-Truck Accidents
Some semi-truck accident victims do not survive their injuries. If you lost a close loved one due to a semi-truck accident involving negligence, you may want to contact a lawyer. Your relationship with the decedent may qualify you to pursue a wrongful death claim and lawsuit.
Compensation in a wrongful death claim and the lawsuit can never replace all that you lost, particularly the priceless relationship with your loved one.
Financial compensation can, however, ease your stress during this time. Unexpected and new expenses, along with household bills, can make the loss of a spouse especially difficult. The pursuit of compensation—if successful—can also serve as a form of justice for your loved one.
Common types of damages in a wrongful death claim and lawsuit include:
- Funeral and burial costs
- Final medical expenses for your loved one
- Loss of income from your loved one
- Loss of inheritance for children
These constitute just a few examples of the types of damages possible. A Bronx wrongful death lawyer can determine if you qualify for pursuing a civil case for your loss. Your lawyer will treat you with care and compassion while aggressively negotiating with insurance companies for a fair settlement.
If Your Lawyer Does Not Win, You Do Not Pay Legal Fees
Most Bronx semi-truck accident lawyers do not collect legal fees if they do not win your case. You won’t have to come up with a retainer or down payment. Accident victims should not allow the fear of attorney fees to prevent them from reaching out for help.
The trucking industry has insurance companies and lawyers on its side. Facing such forces alone can only add to your stress. The result may leave you without the funds you desperately need to pay bills and seek additional medical care.
There is no way to predict the outcome of your case, but you certainly don’t want to accept a settlement offer that doesn’t compensate you for the full cost of your injuries. Your decision to fight for fair compensation —with the help of a Bronx semi-truck accident lawyer—starts with a free case evaluation. You have nothing to lose and much to learn and possibly gain by hiring someone to protect your best interests.
A Bronx Semi-Truck Accident Lawyer Can Help You
A traumatic semi-truck accident can leave you scarred in many ways. You may face a long road to recovery or a permanent disability. Other accident outcomes may include post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which results in nightmares, a fear of another accident, and other challenges.
You don’t want to add to your challenges by attempting to pursue compensation for your injuries on your own. Placing your case in the hands of a professional Bronx semi-truck accident attorney relieves you of the need to manage the legal details.
Your lawyer can ensure that your case meets all legal requirements and court deadlines, which will help ensure that you do not miss the statute of limitations for filing your civil lawsuit.
Personal injury and wrongful death cases must meet the filing deadlines set by New York law. Failure to file within the statute of limitations can leave you without options for seeking compensation.
You Should Take Quick Action For Your Bronx Semi-Truck Accident
Time passes very quickly when you suffer a serious injury or loss. This time can prove highly emotional as you deal with multiple changes in your life. Before you know it, weeks, months, and years pass.
A Bronx semi-truck accident lawyer can protect your best interests by managing your case. Traveling busy Bronx streets by foot, bicycle, motorcycle, or car, should not result in life-altering harm or loss.
You may want to contact a Bronx semi-truck accident lawyer today. The sooner you have a free case evaluation, the faster your attorney can get to work on your behalf. The time starts ticking when you suffer injury or loss; if you wish to pursue compensation, you must act quickly.
Commercial truck drivers must obey New York City traffic rules, regulations, and laws. Failure to do so places everyone at risk. Bronx traffic is challenging enough without a truck driver acting recklessly.
If you or a loved one experienced a tragic Bronx semi-truck accident, reach out to an attorney for help. A personal injury or wrongful death attorney can represent you against those representing the driver responsible for your harm. Think about contacting a Bronx semi-truck attorney today to start your journey toward justice and possible compensation for your damages.