Your Neighbors. Your Lawyers. Over $1 Billion Recovered in Verdicts & Settlements

New Jersey Truck Accident Lawyer

Millions Recovered for Truck Accident Victims

If you were injured or lost a loved one in a truck accident, turn to the NJ truck accident attorneys at Levinson Axelrod for help. We are one of New Jersey’s oldest personal injury law firms. Our attorneys, many of whom are NJ Supreme Court Certified Civil Trial Specialists (a certification held by 3% of lawyers statewide), help victims explore their options after life-changing accidents and injuries.

Reasons to call us after a crash:

  • Over $1 billion in compensation recovered on behalf of our clients.
  • More than $350 million recovered in the past five years alone.
  • Award-winning trial lawyers with over a century of combined experience.
  • FREE consultations, and no fee unless we win.

We Handle All Types of Truck Accident Cases

Semi-trucks and 18-wheelers can weigh up to 80,000 pounds, take much longer to stop than standard cars, and are slow to maneuver – all factors that increase risks for accidents and catastrophic damage. Trucking companies and operators know the risks their rigs pose to public safety, as well as the need to uphold their duty of care to keep motorists free from preventable harm.

If they fail to meet their obligations and cause harm, then they need to be held accountable for damages victims suffer. Our New Jersey truck accident lawyers take a team approach and have the resources to help victims harmed in a variety of truck and commercial vehicle accidents.

This includes cases that involve:

  • Catastrophic injuries or wrongful death
  • Negligent truck drivers / negligent hiring or training
  • Distracted or impaired driving
  • Violations of federal trucking regulations
  • Truck tire blowouts and auto defects
  • Cargo loading and securement violations
  • Truck driver fatigue (Hours-of-Service violations)
  • Inadequately maintained vehicles
  • Construction site / worksite truck accidents
  • Delivery truck, garbage truck, and service vehicle accidents
  • Multi-vehicle accidents

If you or someone you love was hurt in a big rig, 18-wheeler, or semi-truck accident, call our truck accident attorneys in New Jersey at (732) 440-3089 for a free consultation.

Trucking Regulation

Because large trucks can cause such catastrophic damage to other motorists in the event of an accident, truck drivers are required to follow more laws both on and off the road than other motor vehicles are required to follow. One of the most notable laws for truckers is called the hours of service regulations. The main purpose of this rule is to prevent fatigued driving, a major cause of truck accidents on the road today. Thus, the laws are aimed at ensuring that truck drivers are not overworked and are rested enough to be on the road. According to this law:

  • Truck drivers can work a maximum of 14 hours in a single workday. Of these 14 hours, however, truckers can only drive for 11 hours, with the remaining time spent on meal or rest breaks
  • Truck drivers must rest for at least 10 consecutive hours before beginning a new workday
  • Truck drivers are required to take days off work at regular intervals

Unfortunately, whether due to negligence or pressure from trucking companies these rules are not always followed which can lead to accidents on the road. If you have been injured, contact our firm for help today and discuss the details of your case during a free consultation.

What to Do If You’re Involved in a Tractor Trailer Accident

Truck accidents are notoriously severe. After a truck accident it can be difficult to know what to do. In general the best steps to take after an accident are:

  • Call the police
  • Get medical treatment and document all injuries
  • Report the accident
  • Keep a record of all accident related documents
  • Get advice from a lawyer

Even if your accident happened a few days ago it's not too late to begin on some of these steps! An attorney from our firm can walk you through the best course of action to take.

Common Causes of Truck Accidents

  • Speeding
  • Distracted driving
  • Driving aggressively
  • Driving while tired
  • Inclement weather
  • Road conditions
  • Driving under the influence

What Forms of Compensation May Be Available?

While the specific amount of compensation you can recover after an accident is widely dependent on the specifics of you case, the types of damages an injury victim can pursue in a personal injury claim remain consistent. There are three categories of damages, economic, non-economic, and punitive. Economic damages deals with the financial losses associated with your injuries. These could include medical expenses or the wages you would have earned from missed work days, if you injuries preclude you from being able to work. Other forms of compensation besides medical expenses that are compensated through non-economic damages may include:

  • Vehicle damage
  • Lost wages
  • Loss of earning capacity
  • Cost of hiring a caregiver if you have a severe disability
  • Lost enjoyment of life
  • Loss of companionship
  • Physical pain
  • Emotional suffering

New Jersey is one of about a dozen states in the U.S. that uses a no-fault liability system when it comes to auto accidents. This means that most compensation is awarded to individuals by going through their own insurance coverage, regardless of who is at fault for causing an accident. This insurance is called personal injury protection or PIP for short.

Injury victims do have an option to step outside the PIP system and file a truck accident claim against a negligent driver if their case meets certain prerequisites. These requirements generally all revolve around the severity of an injury, and since truck accidents usually result in catastrophic injuries, chances are you will most likely have the option to file a claim. A New Jersey truck accident lawyer form our firm will be able to inform you or your rights and options!

Truck Accident FAQ: Answers to Common Questions

Who is Responsible for My Trucking Accident?

Determining what caused a truck accident and who is liable for your damages can be a challenging task. Determining fault requires attorneys to review police reports, witness testimony, and other available evidence. It may require independent investigation and accident reconstruction, or the insight of experts.

It also demands legal insight to identify appropriate defendants, available insurance, and cause for action. Examples of parties that may be held at fault in truck accident lawsuits:

  • Negligent truckers and the companies that employs them.
  • Trucking operators that violate federal regulations.
  • Negligent third-party services contracted by trucking companies to perform vehicle maintenance or handle distribution and cargo-loading.
  • Automakers or vehicle part manufactures responsible for product defects.
  • Negligent subcontractors who cause trucking accidents on multi-employer worksites.
  • Premises owners responsible for hazards that cause truck accidents on private property.

Should I Accept the Insurance Company’s Settlement?

Trucking operators responsible for accidents are represented by their insurance companies. These insurers owe their policyholders a duty of good faith, but they owe no such duty to you.

Because they are corporations that put profits over people, insurance companies will go to great lengths to pay victims as little as possible. If you are contacted by an insurance company, remember:

  • You are not required to speak with a defendant’s insurer.
  • Your attorney can handle communications with insurers on your behalf.
  • You do not have to accept a settlement offer, especially before you know the full extent of your damages.

Insurance companies want to settle truck accident claims as quickly and as cheaply as they can. This is because they know truck accident victims can suffer serious if not catastrophic injuries, and that trucking lawsuits pose the threat of big payouts. If you have been made an offer, our attorneys can help you determine if it is fair, or discuss how you may be entitled to more.

How Much is a Truck Accident Lawsuit Worth?

The value of a truck accident lawsuit depends on a variety of factors specific to your case. In general, victims of personal injury are entitled to compensation for damages such as:

  • Past and future medical bills
  • Past and future lost wages
  • Pain and suffering
  • Lost quality of life arising from disability or disfigurement
  • Other financial and emotional losses arising from the accident

How Can an Attorney Help My Truck Accident Case?

Trucking companies and commercial insurance carriers are in a business of risk. They know accidents pose threats to their bottom line, and will deny, dispute, and underpay claims any way they can. Without an attorney, you not only risk being taken advantage of by insurance carriers, you also lack leverage to compel them into paying what you deserve.

Levinson Axelrod, P.A. has been serving New Jersey since 1939. We have cultivated a network of experts, investigators, and medical specialists who help us build the strongest possible claims. With our experience negotiating settlements and litigating trucking cases at trial, our opponents know they’re in for a fight, and are much more willing to treat our clients fairly than if they did not have representation.

Level the Playing Field: Call for a Free Consultation

Levinson Axelrod, P.A. proudly serves all 21 New Jersey counties, including Monmouth, Middlesex, and Somerset counties. Our truck accident lawyers are experienced, driven, and backed by the resources to help victims level the playing field with powerful insurance companies.

If you have suffered losses in a commercial vehicle accident, let our team help you fight back. Call (732) 440-3089 or contact us online to request a FREE case evaluation.

Only the Best Possible Result

Helping Clients Get the Compensation They Need
  • Tractor-Trailer Jury Verdict $8,000,000

    A 35-year-old laborer who resides in Kearny was seriously injured while working on the median of a highway when a passing tractor-trailer lost a wheel that struck him. Evidence at trial established that after a recent tire change, the lug nuts were not properly secured by both the owner and the independent contractor who had installed the tire. Our client suffered severe head and orthopedic injuries and is now totally disabled as a result of the accident.

  • Personal Injury Settlement $7,000,000

    A Middlesex County man was severely injured and burned as a result of a collision with a truck. The truck driver had lost control of his vehicle and had come through a median barrier which had failed to redirect the truck away from oncoming traffic. Expert testimony established that the median barrier was defective and therefore failed to protect motorist from this type of accident.

  • Personal Injury Jury Verdict $6,000,000

    A female drunk driver crashed into plaintiff’s vehicle causing multiple fractures to the right ankle and foot. Plaintiff’s doctor testified that plaintiff would be under pain management protocol for the rest of his life due to this condition.

  • Tractor-Trailer Settlement $3,700,000

    A Morristown woman was injured when her vehicle was struck by a tractor-trailer that lost control on black ice on Interstate 287. The defendant's truck had jack-knifed as it was changing lanes in order to avoid an earlier accident. The accident resulted in our client suffering severe head injuries.

  • Motorcycle Collision Settlement $2,500,000

    A young man was seriously injured while riding his motorcycle to work when another driver made a left hand turn in front of him, leaving our client had no memory of the accident. He suffered a number of serious fractures and underwent multiple surgeries, leaving him with disabilities. The case settled on the second day of trial.

  • Auto Accident Settlement $2,500,000

    Levinson Axelrod Partner, Mark V. Kuminski represented a local Franklin Township woman who was involved in a three-car motor vehicle accident. The incident occurred when one of the drivers, later named as the defendant in the personal injury lawsuit filed by Mark and our firm, rear-ended a vehicle that had been stopped. Mark’s ability to express the full scope of damages incurred by our client, proved successful in compelling the jury to rule in our client’s favor.

  • Tractor-Trailer Judgment $2,000,000

    A truck driver was injured in a chain reaction collision accident on the New Jersey Turnpike. The defendant had been operating a tractor-trailer in front of our client's vehicle and had jackknifed in an attempt to bring its vehicle to an abrupt stop. Our client's vehicle then struck the defendant's trailer from behind, causing our client serious leg injuries, resulting in amputation.

  • Auto Accident Settlement $1,750,000

    A father and daughter were killed in motor vehicle accident when the vehicle they were passengers in was struck by the defendant's delivery truck. Evidence established during discovery revealed that the delivery truck driver had run a red light and was also speeding at the time of the accident.

  • Personal Injury Settlement $1,500,000

    A father and son were loading baggage into their car in front of one of the terminals at Newark Airport when a limousine driver, in an argument with a police officer, suddenly gunned his engine striking the two men and their car. Our clients both suffered severe injuries to their knees and legs.

  • Auto Accident Settlement $1,500,000

    Our client was a passenger in a vehicle involved in a single car accident, which occurred when the driver of the vehicle she was in lost control while passing another car. There was an allegation that the driver was racing another car when the accident occurred. Our client sustained cervical and lumbar injuries and was ultimately required to undergo surgery on her neck.

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