Westbury Truck Accident Lawyer

If you were in an accident with a commercial vehicle, you may be understandably frightened and confused. Trucks carry enough force to inflict severe injuries, so it is not uncommon for victims of crashes involving them to suffer serious physical injuries and economic losses, as well as emotional trauma. Additionally, insurance companies who oversee injury claims typically make it their goal to deny your claim for compensation, or at the very least limit their own liability.

Fortunately, a dedicated personal injury attorney could help you bring a claim against an at-fault commercial vehicle driver, their employer, and their insurance providers. A knowledgeable Westbury truck accident lawyer could work with you to strengthen your claim for damages and protect your rights during settlement talks and in court.

Seeking Compensation After a Truck Wreck

Obtaining a license to operate a commercial vehicle involves accepting a duty of care to take reasonable steps to protect other people—including other drivers, their passengers, bicyclists, motorcyclists, and pedestrians—from risks of unnecessary harm. As a result, any person who suffers an injury in an accident caused by a trucker’s carelessness or recklessness has the right to pursue payments for their losses.

Civil compensation may cover medical costs related to physical injuries such as separated joints, broken bones, cuts and scrapes, traumatic brain damage, and amputations. As severe as these injuries may be, however, they do not form the sole basis for damages.

Many claimants also suffer financial losses such as property damage to their vehicle and lost earnings from an inability to work. Depending on the circumstances, slip and fall victims may also be able to claim non-economic damages for pain and suffering and mental trauma. A Westbury truck accident attorney could help evaluate the value of an injured person’s losses and pursue an at-fault truck driver for maximum compensation.

Trucker Negligence

A plaintiff and their attorney must establish defendant negligence in order to collect a compensatory award, which means proving that said defendant violated their duty of care and subsequently caused an injury. If a commercial vehicle driver causes an accident by speeding, failing to yield, or being drunk, establishing proving their negligence could be fairly straightforward. However, many other cases are more complex.

Westbury courts adhere to New York’s comparative negligence law. According to New York Civil Practice Law & Rules § 1411, a judge must evaluate the actions of all parties to an accident and assign blame for a plaintiff’s losses.

It follows that a civil court may assign partial responsibility to a plaintiff for their own injuries and reduce their award in proportion to their assigned percentage of fault. A skilled lawyer in Westbury could help gather evidence of a truck crash to demonstrate defendant fault and press for full compensation.

Call a Westbury Truck Accident Attorney Today

The days and weeks following a tractor-trailer accident can be chaotic and stressful, to say the least. Fortunately, though, if you suffered serious injuries which require extensive medical care, you may be able to pursue compensation from at-fault parties such as the truck driver, their employer, and their insurance company.

A Westbury truck accident lawyer could help you protect your rights against aggressive insurance companies, ensure that you understand the law, fully investigate your incident, and work with you to establish defendant negligence. Call today to get started.