Truck Accident Lawyer in Jersey City

The truck accident attorneys at Davis, Saperstein & Salomon, P.C. fight for people injured in truck accidents in Jersey City and surrounding communities. An accident involving a car and a semi or other large truck is more likely to cause catastrophic injuries to the automobile passengers. After a truck accident, you or your loved one may have a long recovery, have extensive medical bills and be unable to work, creating financial stress.

You do not have to face the future alone, however. A compassionate Jersey City truck accident attorney at Davis, Saperstein & Salomon, P.C. is ready to review the details of your accident and offer trusted legal guidance. Our New Jersey attorneys have extensive experience handling commercial truck accident claims. We have a record of positive results, indicating the efforts we make to help clients recover financially and move forward with their lives. We represent only accident victims and never represent trucking companies.

If you have been injured in a truck accident, it is a mistake to try to deal with the trucking company’s insurance company on your own. Having an experienced Jersey City injury attorney advocating on your behalf will prevent the insurance company from taking advantage of you.

We represent people injured in truck accidents in Jersey City, Union City, Bayonne, North Bergen, and surrounding areas of Hudson County. Call to find out how we can help you.

If you cannot visit our office because of your injuries, an attorney can meet with you at your house, hospital, rehab center or another location in Jersey City convenient to you.

Contact a Jersey City truck crash lawyer at 1-800-LAW-2000 or fill out our online contact form to request a claim review.

Causes of Truck Accidents in Jersey City, N.J.

Interstate 78 carries a large amount of commercial truck traffic through Jersey City. Route 440 from Bayonne City into Jersey City is a major truck route for tractor trailers to access Routes 1&9 Truck. Driver errors account for a large share of truck accidents. Any driving error, improper lane change, sudden traffic slowdown or lapse in attention by a commercial truck driver can lead to a serious accident. Among the frequently cited factors in Jersey City tractor trailer and semi accidents are:

• brake problems
• speeding
• driving too fast for conditions
• aggressive driving
• driver fatigue
• tailgating
• faulty maintenance
• trucking company negligence.

Facing unreasonable delivery deadlines, truck drivers may speed, follow other vehicles too closely or drive at speeds that are unsafe for the traffic or weather conditions. Tractor trailers take more distance to stop safely. When a truck driver is speeding or tailgating, the commercial driver creates a scenario in which a truck crash is unavoidable if traffic comes to a sudden stop. Truck drivers often crash into the vehicle stopped in front of them because the driver was driving too fast or not paying adequate attention to the road.

Serious truck accidents require a Jersey City attorney who understands the kinds of employment, maintenance and repair records that trucking companies are required to keep. These documents can offer evidence of driver negligence or corporate negligence after a trucking accident. Only an experienced Jersey City truck accident injury lawyer who has handled truck cases will be familiar with the kinds of documents to seek.

How Are Truck Accidents Different?

Trucking companies and commercial truck drivers are required by the state of New Jersey to carry much higher amounts of liability insurance than automobile owners because of the greater harm a loaded tractor trailer or tanker truck can cause.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, which regulates the trucking industry, sets the minimum amounts of insurance that large trucks such as 18 wheelers and tanker trucks must have. The insurance limits range from a minimum of $300,000 of liability insurance for fleet vehicles under 10,001 pounds to requirements of $5 million in insurance coverage for tanker trucks and tractor-trailers that haul hazardous materials. Tractor trailers besides those with specialized cargo are required to have a minimum of $750,000 in liability coverage or higher amounts, depending on the cargo transported.

This means any insurance settlement of an accident caused by a truck may be larger than a typical car accident.

A Jersey City motorist injured by a large truck may have a claim against the truck driver, the owner of the truck, the cargo shipper and any manufacturer of defective truck equipment. That makes determining liability in truck accidents more complex.

Each party will have separate insurance and their insurance providers may try to deny responsibility or may try to shift the blame. Because of the amount of money at stake, insurance companies will have lawyers protecting their interests. You need a tough, experienced Jersey City truck accident lawyer standing up for your interests, too.

What Types of Compensation Are Available After a Truck Accident?

After a truck accident, you may have several ways to recover compensation for your losses in the accident.

Drivers in New Jersey are required to have Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurance. PIP covers the doctor and hospital bills for you and others on your policy up to your PIP coverage limits, regardless of who was at fault. It is also called no-fault insurance.

If a truck driver was at fault in the accident and you were injured, you may file an injury claim against the truck driver and trucking company for your economic losses, such as lost wages if you are unable to work.

You also may have a right to sue the at-fault truck driver and trucking company for your pain and suffering, depending on the choices you made when you purchased auto insurance.

If you agreed to the limitation or threshold on the right to sue to get cheaper auto insurance premiums, then you cannot sue for pain and suffering, unless you suffered one of the following injuries:

• loss of a body part
• significant disfigurement or scarring
• a displaced fracture
• a permanent injury that will prevent the body part or organ from functioning normally
• loss of a fetus
• death.

On the other hand, if you did not accept the limitation on the right to sue, then you can bring a lawsuit for pain and suffering after a truck accident. Our Jersey City tractor trailer accident lawyers at Davis, Saperstein & Salomon, P.C. can help you evaluate your options at no charge.

Talk to a Jersey City, NJ Truck Accident Attorney

If your injuries were caused by a truck driver’s carelessness or a trucking company’s corporate negligence, our Jersey City tractor trailer accident attorneys are ready to help you seek justice and maximize your recovery. Let our knowledgeable Jersey City lawyers help you determine whether you have a valid truck accident injury claim. An initial consultation is confidential and has no obligation.

Call our Jersey City, NJ truck accident lawyers at 1-800-LAW-2000 or contact us online. Davis, Saperstein & Salomon, P.C. has more than 25 skilled attorneys serving clients. Call to learn how we may help you.