Truck Accident Lawyers in New York

When a fully loaded tractor-trailer can weigh 20 to 30 times what your car weighs, the injuries are rarely minor and the fight is rarely fair. The trucking company’s insurer often has a team on the ground within hours, working to limit what it pays you.

You get a better result when someone on your side moves just as fast to protect the evidence and identify everyone who is legally responsible.

Why truck cases are different from car cases

Commercial trucks are regulated by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). Those rules cover how long a driver can be behind the wheel, how a truck must be inspected and maintained, how cargo is secured, and how much weight a rig can legally carry. When a carrier ignores them and someone gets hurt, those violations become powerful proof of negligence.

Trucks also carry evidence a passenger car does not: electronic logging device records, the engine control module (the “black box”), driver qualification files, maintenance logs, and dispatch records. Much of it can be overwritten or lost if no one demands it be preserved. That is one of the first things we do.

Common causes of truck crashes

• Driver fatigue — pushing past hours-of-service limits to hit a delivery window.
• Overloaded or improperly secured cargo — shifting loads and jackknifes.
• Brake failure and poor maintenance — worn or out-of-adjustment brakes on a rig that needs far more room to stop.
• Speeding, tailgating, and distraction.
• Inadequate driver training or hiring drivers with bad records.

Who can be liable

A car crash usually comes down to one other driver. A truck crash can involve several liable parties, and identifying all of them often makes the difference in whether your bills actually get covered:

1. The driver, for negligent operation.
2. The motor carrier, for the driver’s conduct on the job and for its own hiring, training, and maintenance failures.
3. The company that loaded or secured the cargo.
4. A manufacturer, if a defective brake, tire, or part failed.
5. A maintenance contractor that signed off on an unsafe truck.

Why trucking companies fight so hard

Commercial policies carry much higher limits than a typical car policy, so the money at stake is larger and the defense is more aggressive. Expect quick contact from an adjuster, a recorded-statement request, and sometimes a modest early offer before you know the full extent of your injuries. You are not required to give a recorded statement to the other side’s insurer, and you should talk to a lawyer before you do.

New York deadlines and No-Fault

The general deadline to sue for a personal injury in New York is three years. Under New York No-Fault (Insurance Law Article 51), your own auto insurer pays initial medical bills and lost wages regardless of who caused the crash, but you generally must file the claim within 30 days. To sue the truck driver and carrier for pain and suffering, your injury must meet the serious-injury threshold under Insurance Law §5102(d) — for example a fracture, significant disfigurement, or a permanent limitation.

Under the modified comparative negligence rule New York adopted for motor vehicle cases in May 2026, you can still recover if you share some of the fault — reduced by your percentage — but not if you were more at fault than the other side.

What to do after a truck crash

• Get medical care and follow through on treatment.
• Photograph the trucks, the scene, and the company markings on the trailer.
• Get the police report and the truck’s DOT number if you can.
• Do not sign anything from the trucking company’s insurer.
• Call a lawyer quickly so the truck’s data can be preserved before it disappears.

Our firm handles auto cases of every kind, including car accidents, motorcycle accidents, and pedestrian accidents. You can see examples of past outcomes on our case results page, and reach any of our eight New York offices when you’re ready. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.