New Jersey Truck Accident Attorney
New Jersey Truck Accident Attorney
Truck Accidents in New Jersey
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) reports 4,102 people died in crashes involving large trucks in 2017, and 82 percent were either occupants of cars or passenger vehicles, pedestrians, motorcyclists, or bicyclists. Eleven percent of motor vehicle deaths that year involved trucks, and almost 75 percent of those trucks were tractor-trailers.
The legal ramifications of a truck accident differ from other motor vehicle accidents such as ones involving only passenger vehicles or motorcycles. If you’ve been injured in a truck accident, you need representation by an experienced NJ truck accident lawyer with a strong team to navigate the complexities the case will involve.
Causes of Truck Accidents & Determining Responsibility
Because large trucks are often driven as a part of business operations, there are a number of parties that could share responsibility for an accident. This contrasts with crashes involving only passenger vehicles, where your legal team is dealing primarily with the defendant, their insurance company, and the legal system.
If you are injured by a truck, your legal team should be prepared to examine all the potential individuals involved. For example, if the crash was caused because the driver was intoxicated, the primary focus would likely fall on the driver, which informs the legal proceedings moving forward. However, the IIHS reports only a small percentage of truck crashes are a result of the driver having a blood alcohol concentration of greater than 0.08 percent.
Your legal team may also seek answers from the trucking company, the owner of the truck, the loading company, the truck manufacturer, and the mechanic. If it is determined the loading company improperly loaded the truck, resulting in an accident, or if the mechanic failed to properly inspect the truck, this would impact how the case is handled, as well as potential compensation.
In addition to negligence by those involved in the transportation process, other causes of truck accidents include:
- Driver fatigue
- Dangerous weather
- Distracted or aggressive driving
- Poor conditions on the road
The cause of the accident plays an important role in the legal process, and an expert legal team must examine each aspect of the case to ensure fair compensation.
Compensation
Some of the most common injuries in truck accidents are head injuries, traumatic brain injuries, and injuries to the neck, back, and spinal cord. These types of injuries require substantial compensation to secure your financial well-being during recovery.
Compensation for a truck accident in New Jersey can be broken into three categories: economic, non-economic, and punitive.
- Economic damages include calculable financial losses such as hospital bills and lost wages. Lost wages could include both missed work during the recovery and lost potential income in the future because of injuries.
- Non-economic damages are not as tangible, and your legal team will also seek to get you compensation for losses, such as pain and suffering.
- Punitive damages focus on punishing the defendant in an effort to discourage any future wrongdoing.
Contributory negligence laws in New Jersey determine the level of responsibility each party played in the accident to determine compensation. If the plaintiff is found to be at least 51 percent to blame, he or she cannot receive compensation. If the plaintiff is found 40 percent responsible, he or she would only receive 60 percent of the compensation awarded.
Hire a NJ Truck Accident Attorney
There are often several parties involved in a truck accident lawsuit, and if you or a family member has been injured, you need a strong legal team at your defense that understands the complexities of a New Jersey truck accident claim and can maximize your compensation.
The team at Dansky | Katz | Ringold will explain your rights, fully investigate the accident, and help you obtain the compensation you deserve. We’ll guide your decision as we seek a settlement or decide to take the case to court.
Contact DKR for a free consultation through our website, or call 856-489-1515, where we’ll learn about your case and share ways our team of truck accident lawyers can serve you during your recovery.