Truck Accident Lawyers

When you’re navigating the road, it’s important to be vigilant of other vehicles. A trucker, or truck driver, is one such presence that is hard not to notice. These large vehicles are often referred to as tractor-trailers or eighteen-wheelers and they transport numerous goods throughout the state and across the nation. Unfortunately, collisions involving trucks can result in serious injuries. Should you suffer an injury from a truck-related accident, it’s crucial to promptly consult with a truck accident attorney.

When trucks crash, they often hurt other drivers severely. Trucks are so large that they often damage or even crush other vehicles in an accident. Injuries and damages are usually large in scope. When truck drivers are careless and hurt people, they should be held accountable. The direction and outcome of a possible lawsuit will depend on how your truck accident happened. 

Our truck accident lawyers in Westchester have worked on many cases involving truck accidents, and we are ready to help you in any way we can. Contact the Law Office of Cesar Zuniga, Esq. to talk to a member of our team about your accident for free. Call us at (914) 677-1330 as soon as you can. 

Proving Liability in a Truck Accident Lawsuit

After a truck accident, you might be able to sue more than one person or group. It is important to talk to an experienced lawyer about your case to find the right defendants who can pay for your damages. Most of the time, truck accident victims look to the truck drivers as the main people to proceed against. You could also sue the trucking company that employs that driver and any other drivers who contributed to the accident. 

Establishing Liability on the Part of the Truck Driver

A truck accident may be mostly the truck driver’s fault. Driver mistakes like not paying attention, being drunk, or being too tired cause accidents. If we can show that the driver caused the accident, they may have to pay for the damage they caused. Suing a driver individually may not be enough however. The driver’s employer may need to be named as a defendant as well.

Suing the Truck Driver’s Employer

Under a few different legal theories, the truck driver’s employer could be held responsible for your accident. Respondeat superior is a type of “vicarious liability” which states that employers are responsible for the carelessness of their employees. Under this theory, a trucking company could be held responsible for an accident that happened because one of their drivers wasn’t paying attention. An employer can only be held responsible for actions that are part of an employee’s job. For example, the employer might not be responsible if an employee drove the truck without permission or went off the route. 

You could also try to proceed against the employer to pay for his or her own mistakes. Most of the time, trucking companies are in charge of taking care of the fleet of vehicles, so problems with equipment could be their fault. In the same way, the trucking company could be held responsible if they hired a driver who had a history of accidents or driving while drunk. 

Suing Other Potential Tortfeasors

You might also be able to sue other drivers who were at fault for the accident. For example, let’s say another car cut off a speeding trucker without using a turn signal to change lanes, and the trucker responded by slamming on their brakes. Both the driver of the other car and the trucker could be partly to blame for the accident that happened as a result. Our truck accident lawyers in Westchester can help you figure out who the best defendants for your case are. 

Causes of Westchester Truck Accidents 

Trucking accidents can be caused by many different things. Your accident could have been caused by a mistake by the driver or a problem with the car. The conditions of the road and the weather can also be important in your truck accident case. 

Even if everything is perfect and the truck equipment is working well, accidents can still happen. Driver error is the cause of many truck accidents in Westchester, and both the driver and their employer may be responsible for your damages. Driver mistakes can be caused by things like not paying attention, being drunk, or driving too fast. In a single truck accident, it is not unusual for more than one mistake to be made by the driver. 

Even if the driver is paying attention and driving as safely as possible, an accident can still happen because of a broken piece of equipment or something else about the truck itself. The blind spots on trucks are very big. The trailer behind a truck is often very long and wide, making it hard for the driver to see who is behind or next to them. If you are in a truck’s blind spot when it turns or changes lanes, you could get into an accident. 

Some equipment failures, like broken brakes, could make it impossible for a truck to stop in time. Trucks are very big and very heavy. If the truck’s brakes can’t handle the speed, the truck might not be able to stop in time to avoid hitting another car. 

Conditions on the road may also be important. When the roads are wet or icy, drivers and people in other cars need to be more careful. If these rules aren’t followed, a truck could hit other cars or go off the road. In the same way, driving at night when it’s hard to see may also make accidents more likely. 

Death Arising from a Truck Accident

Accidents with trucks can lead to catastrophic injuries including death. If a truck accident caused the death of a family member, you might be able to file a wrongful death claim against the truck driver and the company that hired the driver. 

Personal injury cases are different from wrongful death cases because the person at the center of the case is no longer alive. A wrongful death suit can include any claims that the person who died could have made if they had lived through the accident. Things like medical bills and any pain and suffering. In wrongful death cases, funeral and burial costs are also often paid for. 

Your family may also be able to recover money for the loss of financial support, company, and parental support that the person who died would have given. Our truck accident lawyers in Westchester, New York, can tell you what your legal options are if you need to file a wrongful death lawsuit. 

Contact Our Truck Accident Lawyers in Westchester, NY 

If you were hurt in a truck accident, the truck driver and the company that hired them should be held responsible. Our truck accident lawyers in Westchester know how to get compensation for people hurt in truck accidents. You can get a free legal consultation from the Law Office of Cesar Zuniga, Esq.. You can reach us at (914) 677-1330.

We also love serving all of the Yonkers community, including Alexander Smith, Bronxville Heights, Bryn Mawr, Centuck, Crestwood, Colonial Heights, Getty Square, Homefield, Lincoln Park, Ludlow, Nepera Park, Nepperhan, Park Hill and more.