Valley Stream Truck Accident Lawyer

What Causes Truck Crashes in Valley Stream?

Common causes of truck accidents in Valley Stream include:

Driver fatigue

Truck drivers drive long hours to meet delivery deadlines in Valley Stream and throughout Long Island and New York State. While the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has regulations to limit the number of hours a commercial truck driver can operate a vehicle without rest breaks, truck drivers and trucking companies often ignore these hours of service limits. Some truck companies will push their drivers to be behind the wheel for more than the maximum hours permitted, creating dangerously fatigued drivers. Driver fatigue can cause slower reaction times, distracted driving, and poor decision-making, leading to truck collisions.

Distracted driving

Truck drivers often try to multitask while operating their vehicles. Truck drivers may eat, talk on the phone, send text messages, fiddle with the navigation system, or engage in other activities that take the driver’s attention off the road and the task of driving. Distracted driving is extremely dangerous and is the cause of many truck accidents.

Trucking company negligence

Federal regulations require trucking companies to inspect and maintain vehicles regularly. Trucking companies may be held liable for an accident if they:

• Fail to properly train their truck drivers
• Fail to inspect and maintain their vehicles
• Fail to screen new hires and employ a driver who has a checkered driving record
• Impose unrealistic time constraints on drivers
• Allow drivers to exceed the limit of hours they can drive

An overloaded trailer

An overloaded tractor-trailer can be a serious danger. The increase in weight reduces the amount of control the truck driver has. It also increases the pressure on the tires and brakes, making the truck take even longer to stop.

Mechanical failures

Faulty vehicle components can prevent a truck driver from safely controlling a tractor-trailer, which can lead to an accident. Mechanical failures may include anything from brake failures, to faulty tires to broken hitches.

Inadequate maintenance

Trucking companies have a legal obligation to maintain their trucks in safe operating condition. But trucking companies sometimes fail to do routine maintenance. That puts everyone sharing the road with the truck in danger. Many truck crashes have been caused due to bad tires or faulty brakes that resulted from a lack of maintenance.

Road conditions

Slick roads, roads with potholes, debris in the road, missing signage, and broken traffic signals are among the common road conditions that can result in an accident. A government agency responsible for maintaining the road may have liability for an accident. But claims against government agencies have special notification requirements, making it important to contact an attorney promptly.

Investigating a Truck Crash in Valley Stream

You can count on the Valley Stream truck accident attorneys to thoroughly investigate the circumstances of your accident.

Our Skilled Truck Accident Lawyers in Valley Stream can Help You With the Following

• Interview witnesses, police officers, emergency medical personnel, doctors and nurses
• Examine police reports, toxicology reports, doctor’s reports, and medical documentation
• Preserve the evidence by ensuring the vehicles and physical evidence are inspected and photographed as soon after the truck accident as possible. Document the scene of the crash, the time and day of the week it took place, as well as any special conditions that may have existed, such as construction and inadequate roadway signs.
• Gather black box or ECM (engine control module) information from the truck to assess what happened in the minutes and seconds before and after the accident.
• Review the records of the truck driver and trucking company. We will analyze the truck driver’s logbooks, personnel file, and driving record for any potential safety violations. This also includes reviewing maintenance records, inspection reports, safety records, and equipment checks.
• Obtain any logbooks or GPS data to find out where the driver was before the accident. This may reveal that the driver spent too many hours on the road and was fatigued, which may have caused the accident.
• Consult with experts when necessary. Accident reconstruction experts, forensic toxicologists, health care providers, and black box specialists are some of the experts we can call upon to help strengthen your claim and provide testimony.

How a Valley Stream Truck Crash Attorney Can Help

Here are some of the ways a Valley Stream truck accident attorneys at the Law Office of Cohen & Jaffe, LLP can help

Communicate with the insurance company

When you have an experienced truck accident lawyer on your side, you won’t have to worry about corresponding with the at-fault party’s insurer. It is best to let an attorney handle the communications with the insurer. You won’t have to worry about saying something that could be used against you to deny your claim. Attorneys know how to deal with insurance companies because they do it on a daily basis. Having a lawyer negotiate with the insurance company allows you to focus on your health and recovery. When the truck accident attorneys of the Law Office of Cohen & Jaffe, LLP are handling your case, you will have experienced negotiators representing you and advocating for your interests.

Identify all liable parties

In any truck accident, it may be complicated to identify all the parties who are potentially liable to the person who has been injured. Liable parties can include the truck driver, the trucking company, the cargo shipper, and the truck manufacturer, among others. An attorney will help you to determine all the liable parties and make sure that you get compensated for damages such as medical bills, rehabilitation expenses, and lost wages.

Negotiate a full and fair settlement

After you file an injury claim, the insurance company may make a settlement offer that is far less than the fair value of your claim. Because this offer likely won’t come close to covering your losses, your attorney will negotiate with the insurer for the maximum settlement possible. When the insurance company sees that you are working with an experienced truck collision attorney, they are far more likely to offer a reasonable settlement to avoid litigation.

Gather evidence

Our attorneys at the Law Office of Cohen & Jaffe, LLP will conduct an investigation of your truck accident, compiling the important evidence to build a strong claim. This will increase your chances of receiving a fair settlement from the insurance company.

Talk to your insurer

You will likely need to report the truck accident to your own insurance company. Even though it is your insurer, you will still want to be careful about what you say. Instead of worrying about what to say, you can have a truck accident lawyer handle all communication.

How a Lawyer Can Help After a Truck Accident

Truck accidents have a high risk of injury to anyone on the road. They are frequently very complex when it comes to figuring who is financially liable for the injuries and damages that a truck accident causes. This is a major reason why it’s so critical that you seek the advice of an experienced Valley Stream truck accident lawyer after a truck accident. Don’t try to handle the claim without legal representation. The legal process in the aftermath of a truck accident is complicated and stressful. The insurance company will have legal guidance, and you should too. A Valley Stream injury lawyer can deal with the trucking company and its insurance company and guide you throughout the process.

Contact a Valley Stream Truck Accident Attorney

After a serious truck accident, you need the help of highly skilled attorneys to guide you through the injury claims process. At the Law Office of Cohen & Jaffe, LLP our Valley Stream truck accident lawyers investigate each claim thoroughly so that we may aggressively represent our clients and seek the best results possible for them.

When you need a Valley Stream personal injury lawyer to represent you, a family member, or friend who has suffered an injury in a truck accident, call the Law Office of Cohen & Jaffe, LLP at (866) 878-6774 or contact us online. We offer free and confidential consultations. Our attorneys work on a contingency-fee-basis, which means you won’t owe us a cent until you get a financial award.