New York Garbage Truck Accidents

While garbage trucks have a positive impact on the community, they can also be very dangerous. All too often garbage trucks are involved in serious accidents with other drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians. Because garbage trucks are so much larger and heavier than a passenger vehicle, then a garbage truck is involved in an accident, the consequences are often more devastating than with a car accident. Victims of such accidents often suffer serious injuries such as a brain injury, contusions, broken bones, internal injuries, amputations, paralysis, or spinal cord injury. Sadly, many victims of truck accidents do not survive. If you were injured in a truck accident caused by a brake failure, it is important that you immediately contact a New York Garbage Truck Accidents Lawyer as you may be entitled to compensation for your medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering through a personal injury claim. In addition, if while treating you for your injuries your doctor is negligent resulting in a medical malpractice claim, the truck driver may be legally required to compensate you for that as well.

Garbage trucks, also referred to as waste collection vehicles, pose a higher risk of causing an accident because of the manner in which they must operate. Garbage trucks often travel in residential neighborhoods where there are many children playing, cyclists, and pedestrians. In addition, garbage trucks travel in an erratic manner, frequently starting and stopping, and navigating round parked cars in order to get as close to the curb as possible. Furthermore, many garbage trucks have atypical features, such as arms that extend from the truck to pick up garbage bins that can easily damage property or injure cyclists, motorists or pedestrians. In order to avoid accidents, garbage truck drivers must be vigilant and must properly operate the vehicle. Failing to operate a garbage truck in a safe manner may result in an accident.

• Distracted driver: If the driver of a garbage truck is texting or is in some other way distracted, the driver may cause an accident.
• Defective equipment: If a garbage truck malfunctions because it is defective and causes an accident, the manufacturer of the garbage truck may be legally responsible.
• Poor maintenance: Garbage truck companies are required to regularly inspect their trucks and maintain them. For example, the garbage truck company must regularly inspect the brakes of their trucks to make sure they are in good working order.
• Falling debris: Collected trash and other objects, if not properly secured in or on the truck, can call onto a another vehicle, or fall on the road and create a road hazard for other drivers.
• Pedestrian accident: Because garbage trucks stop and start frequently, it is important for drivers to watch for pedestrian walking in front of, beside, and behind them.

Truck accidents can be devastating to a victim as well as to the victim’s family. Because of the size and weight of garbage trucks, an accident can cause devastating injuries such as a spinal cord injury, broken bones, brain injury, amputation, paralysis, and all too often, death. Through a personal injury lawsuit, New York law allows you to hold the negligent party responsible for the losses you suffered. Victims who suffer serious injuries in truck accidents have significant medical bills. In addition, because victims of serious injuries often have to miss a great deal of work or are unable to return to work at all, victims have the right to sue for lost wages and loss of earning capacity.

If a family member died in a garbage truck accident, you may be able to collect damages in a wrongful death lawsuit.

Beware that New York law has a specific time limit for filing a personal injury or wrongful death claim. If you do not file your claim within the time period, you will be forever barred from collecting damages even if your case has merit.

If you were injured in an accident caused by a garbage truck, it is important that you have experienced representation. Truck accidents are complicated and must be treated differently from car accidents and other types of vehicle accidents. Contact Stephen Bilkis & Associates, PLLC to discuss the details of your case. Our staff is experienced in handling claims resulting from garbage truck accidents, truck accidents, as well as SUV accidents, car accidents, and motorcycle accidents. We will conduct an in-depth investigation into the cause of your accident and aggressively seek to hold all negligent parties accountable for your losses. Contact us at 800.696.9529 to schedule a free, no obligation consultation regarding your case.