The antiquated roadways on Long Island were not created to appreciate large trucks and high traffic volume. Major Long Island roadways, such as the Southern State Parkway, restrict commercial truck’s usage. This causes an increase of large trucks on local roadways, which are shared with smaller vehicles.
Trucks accidents can have devastating consequences. Due to the massive size of large trucks in comparison to other types of motor vehicles, truck accidents can cause significant damages. In 2014, New York saw 11,858 crashes involving large trucks according to the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. The most severe truck accidents may result in a wrongful death lawsuit. In that same year, 79 people were killed in truck-related accidents.
If you or a loved one has been involved in a truck accident, consider contacting the Law Office of Stephanie G. Ovadia today. With more than thirty years of personal injury practice experience, Stephanie has represented numerous clients that have suffered injuries due to truck-related accidents.
Truck Accidents
Truck accidents may be handled differently depending upon the type of truck involved. Certain state and federal regulation may apply depending on the type of truck involved, particularly if an 18-wheeler is involved. Many truck accidents are handled in a manner similar to car accidents.
One major distinction, however, occurs when a person is a passenger of a bus or school bus that is involved in the accident. Under the no-fault insurance law, a person injured on a bus or a school bus in New York State must seek benefits from his or her auto insurer. If he or she does not have auto insurance, then no-fault benefits may be sought from the auto insurer of a relative residing with the person. Only if no such auto insurance policy exists in the household may a no-fault insurance claim be filed with the bus or school buses insurer.
Common Factors in Truck Accidents
According to the New York Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), truck accidents are caused by a variety of reasons. The following are some of the most common factors involved in car accidents in New York, based on DMV statistics for the year 2014.
Driver Inattention/Distraction. As with car accidents, this is the single greatest human factor for a truck accident in New York state. Inattentiveness or distraction was a factor in approximately 18% of all New York truck accidents. About one-third of these truck accidents resulted in personal injury.
Following too Closely. The second most common factor in truck accidents in New York is following too closely (i.e. tailgating), which may result in rear-end collisions. Although less common of a factor than driver inattention/distraction, tailgating resulted in more overall personal injuries than driver inattention/distraction.
Failure to Yield R.O.W. The third most common factor in New York truck accidents, which is also the third most common factor in car accidents.
Unsafe Lane Change. Unsafe lane changes contributed to more than 1,100 truck accidents in New York. It was a factor in more than 10% of truck-related accidents in 2014.
Improper Passing or Lane Usage. Another significant factor in truck accidents, resulting in more than 1,000 truck accidents in 2014. An example of improper passing or lane usage would be “weaving” within a lane or between lanes or attempting to pass a vehicle against a double yellow line. Due to the large size of trucks, such conduct may be extremely dangerous.
Unsafe Speed. Speeding is a contributing factor in many New York truck accidents. In 2014, there were 990 truck accidents were “unsafe speed” was noted by police as an apparent contributing factor. About half of these accidents resulted in personal injury.