A Truck That Size
Doesn't Get A Pass.
A crash with a tractor-trailer, box truck, or delivery van in the NYC area usually isn't a fender-bender — it's a collision with a company, its insurer, and federal safety rules the driver may have broken. Connect with a New York truck accident attorney who can pull the black box data, the driver's logs, and the maintenance records before they disappear.
New York Law
Proving Negligence.
Not Just A Bad Day.
Truck crash claims move differently than ordinary car accident cases — multiple insurance layers, federal trucking regulations, and evidence that can be erased or overwritten within days. Here's how New York law generally applies.
Most New York personal injury claims, including truck and commercial vehicle crashes, must generally be filed within three years of the collision. Claims against a city-owned or municipal truck — sanitation, transit, or a school bus — carry a much shorter 90-day notice-of-claim deadline.
Under CPLR §1411, New York doesn't bar recovery just because you share some fault for a crash — your damages are instead reduced by your percentage of responsibility, whatever that percentage turns out to be.
A connected New York truck accident attorney can walk through how the crash happened, who was involved, and what evidence still needs to be preserved — confidential, and at no cost to you.
"A truck accident claim isn't just about who hit whom — it's about a trucking company's hiring file, a driver's log book, and a black box that only stays intact for so long."
Where Truck Wrecks Happen
The Merge.
The Blind Spot.
The Claim.
Truck accidents in the New York area come from a handful of recurring patterns — on the expressways, at loading docks, and everywhere trucks share the road with cars and pedestrians.
Highway & Expressway Collisions
Crashes on routes like the Cross Bronx, the LIE, the BQE, and I-95 often involve a truck that couldn't stop in time, or one that drifted out of its lane at speed.
Rear-End & Underride Crashes
A tractor-trailer's stopping distance is far longer than a car's — rear-end and underride collisions, where a smaller vehicle slides beneath a trailer, are among the most severe truck crash injuries.
Blind Spot & Turning Accidents
Large trucks have significant blind spots along both sides and behind the cab — wide right turns and lane changes are a common source of collisions with cars, cyclists, and pedestrians in city traffic.
Jackknife & Rollover Wrecks
Sudden braking, an overloaded trailer, or an icy on-ramp can cause a tractor-trailer to jackknife or roll, often striking multiple vehicles in the process.
Cargo & Load Failures
Improperly secured or overloaded cargo can shift in transit or fall onto the roadway, creating hazards for everyone driving nearby.
Delivery, Construction & Automated Trucking
Local delivery and box trucks, construction vehicles, and increasingly, trucks equipped with automated driving systems, all bring their own liability questions when something goes wrong.
Is This You?
A Claim Might
Make Sense If You...
There's no single type of truck crash that qualifies for a claim — these are some of the situations New York attorneys hear about most often in a first conversation.
You were hit by a truck changing lanes or turning
The driver may not have checked a blind spot, or misjudged how wide a turn a loaded trailer needs to make.
You were rear-ended by a truck that couldn't stop
Following too closely, distracted driving, or worn brakes can turn a routine stop into a serious rear-end or underride collision.
You were hurt by shifting or falling cargo
Improperly loaded or secured freight can become a hazard the moment a truck brakes hard or takes a turn.
You were involved in a jackknife or rollover
A trailer that swings out of control or a truck that rolls can strike several vehicles before it stops.
An insurance adjuster from the trucking company has called
Commercial trucking insurers move fast to get a recorded statement or an early settlement before you've spoken with an attorney.
You already have a police report or dashcam footage
Whether it's your own dashcam, a witness's phone video, or the responding officer's report, that evidence can be a starting point for a claim.
How It Works
From the Crash
to a Resolved Claim.
A New York truck accident claim takes time to build correctly — but the process itself follows a clear sequence.
Free Case Review
A connected New York attorney discusses how the crash happened, who was involved — a driver, a trucking company, a broker — and what evidence already exists.
Investigation & Evidence Preservation
Electronic logging device data, dashcam footage, maintenance records, and driver qualification files are gathered quickly, before they can be overwritten or discarded.
Demand & Negotiation
A demand is sent to the trucking company's insurer, backed by medical records and evidence, and negotiations begin toward a fair settlement.
Filing Suit, If Necessary
If a fair settlement isn't reached, your attorney can file within New York's statute of limitations to keep the claim moving forward.
From People We've Worked With
What They Say
"I didn't realize how many parties could be involved after a delivery truck hit my car — the driver, the company, even the leasing company. Having it explained clearly helped."
"The trucking company's insurer called me within a day. Once I had an attorney, I stopped hearing from them directly."
"Straightforward process from the first call. I knew what evidence mattered and what to expect at each step."
Common Questions
What You Need to Know
Not usually. New York applies pure comparative negligence under CPLR §1411, so a claimant found partly at fault isn't barred from recovering — their damages are instead reduced by their percentage of responsibility. Fault allocation in truck cases is often contested, since a trucking company's insurer will look for any share of blame it can assign to the other driver. A connected attorney can push back on those numbers.
Depending on the facts, a claim may extend beyond the driver to the trucking company, a leasing or brokerage company, a cargo loader, or a maintenance contractor — for example, if the company was negligent in hiring, training, or maintaining the vehicle, or if it pressured a driver to exceed federal hours-of-service limits. A connected attorney can map out who may be liable.
Under CPLR §214(5), most personal injury claims in New York, including truck accidents, must generally be filed within three years of the crash. If the truck was owned by a city or state agency — a sanitation truck or a transit vehicle, for example — a notice of claim is typically required within 90 days, well before that three-year window closes. Start the conversation now so your claim has time to be built properly.
In many New York motor vehicle cases, no-fault insurance covers initial medical bills and some lost wages regardless of fault, but pursuing a lawsuit for pain and suffering generally requires meeting the serious injury threshold defined in New York Insurance Law §5102(d). A connected attorney can review your medical records and explain whether your injuries likely meet that standard.
Most truck accident attorneys handle these cases on contingency, meaning there's no upfront cost and the attorney is paid a percentage of any settlement or verdict recovered. If there's no recovery, there's typically no attorney's fee. A connected attorney can walk through fee arrangements during your free case review.
When it's safe to do so, call 911, get medical attention, and get the truck's license plate, DOT number, and the driver's information if possible. Photograph the scene, vehicles, and any visible cargo. Electronic logging device data and dashcam footage can be overwritten within days or weeks. Talk through your specific situation with a connected attorney as early as possible.
You Were Hit.
Find Out What's Next.
A confidential case review about your truck accident — no pressure, no obligation.