Truck Accident Injury Lawyers in Monmouth County, NJ
New Jersey is a trucking state. Big rigs move millions of dollars of merchandise across New Jersey highways each year. Given the high number of trucks on New Jersey roads, there are also a comparatively high number of truck accidents in the state. Like motor vehicle accidents, a truck accident can cause serious personal injury or even death. However, because a truck is a larger and heavier vehicle than a passenger car, a truck accident may cause a greater amount of property damage and a greater degree of injury when compared to an ordinary motor vehicle accident.
There are dozens of truck-related fatalities in New Jersey annually, with thousands more truck-related accidents and injuries each year. If you are among the many who suffer injuries in truck accidents, it is critical to know that you have rights. You may be entitled to compensation for the harm you were caused physically, financially, mentally, and emotionally. It is with this in mind that you should speak with an experienced New Jersey personal injury lawyer about your potential truck accident claim. If you or someone you love has been involved in a truck accident or a commercial vehicle accident, call the accident New Jersey truck accident attorneys at our firm. Our attorneys represent individuals who have been hurt in a truck accidents in Monmouth County, Middlesex County, Ocean County, Mercer County, and throughout New Jersey. You can reach us anytime by calling our local Monmouth County office at (732) 303-7857, starting a chat, or submitting an online form.
How Truck Accidents Happen in New Jersey
It goes without saying that long-haul truck drivers often work long hours. Truck drivers sometimes find themselves exhausted, no matter how many energy drinks and caffeine-boosted coffees they stop to drink at gas stations along their route. Pressure from their delivery schedules can incentivize drivers to drive too quickly during dangerous road conditions. Some truckers drive impaired by alcohol and/or drugs. Some trucking companies do not provide sufficient training or oversight for their drivers. Poorly maintained trucks can suffer mechanical failures that may lead to accidents, and improperly loaded cargo can cause accidents as well.
What to do After a Truck Accident
If you are involved in an accident involving a truck in New Jersey, you should first seek any required medical attention for you and anyone else injured in the crash. You may then want to take photographs of the scene. Preserving any available evidence may help you in a later lawsuit. You should also consult an experienced New Jersey personal injury lawyer as soon as possible. Truck accident injury lawsuits must be brought within a limited amount of time after an accident under the statute of limitations, so it is to your advantage to develop any legal claims you may have without delay.
Filing an NJ Truck Accident Claim
Truck accidents in New Jersey may give rise to different types of claims compared to ordinary motor vehicle accidents. You may be able to recover damages from a negligent truck driver if you are injured in a trucking accident. Commercial truck drivers are generally covered by a commercial auto insurance policy, which often provides for higher coverage limits. Moreover, a truck that is being used by an employee of a company may give rise to a suit, not only against the employee operating the truck, but also against the company that was employing the driver of the truck. This is a specific type of legal action or legal doctrine known as respondent superior. The doctrine holds that companies will be responsible for the accidents caused by their employees. You may also be able to recover damages from the truck driver’s company if that company negligently trained the driver, negligently maintained the involved truck, or otherwise failed to act as a similar company would reasonably be expected to act under the circumstances.
Truck accidents can also occur in the context of road construction accidents. Additionally, the way in which a trucking negligence accident case is handled may be slightly different than that of an ordinary motor vehicle accident. Truck drivers are required by New Jersey negligence law to drive using reasonable care under the circumstances. If they fail to drive with ordinary caution and care, and that failure causes an injury, they may be held liable through a negligence lawsuit. Truck drivers may also be required to have special licenses and comply with certain department of transportation regulations. If the driver failed to have a proper license or failed to observe all department of transportation regulations, and the driver’s failure lead to an accident, the injured party may have a claim for the injuries they suffered.
Compensation Available in a Truck Accident Lawsuit
Truck accidents also differ from motor vehicle accidents in the way in which a plaintiff has the ability to recover money for personal injuries. When a motor vehicle accident occurs in the state of New Jersey, the injured party is often subject to a statute which is known as the verbal threshold or limitation on lawsuit statute. This statute says that an individual who has an automobile insurance policy which falls under this statute, will not be able to recover for personal injury unless the person suffered from the loss of a limb, a compound fracture, loss a fetus or suffered a permanent injury. However, in many truck accident cases, this limitation does not exist and therefore the plaintiff may be able to recover for any personal injury regardless of their severity. An experienced New Jersey personal injury lawyer will be able to advise you on what types of damages you can recover based on your particular insurance situation and the facts of your truck accident case.
Injured in a Truck Accident in NJ, Now What?
If you have suffered injuries in an accident with a truck, it is vital to seek knowledgeable legal counsel as soon as possible. Recovering compensation for your injuries requires an effective strategy for negotiation and litigation, which is best handled by an experienced injury attorney. You are also limited in the amount of time you have to file a claim against the trucking company and/or the driver. Getting the information you need to begin the process of suing for your truck accident injuries is the first step toward covering the costs of your medical bills and lost wages, as well additional damages for pain and suffering. The attorneys at our New Jersey Truck Accident Law Firm represent individuals who have been involved in truck accidents throughout New Jersey. If you would like to speak with one of our New Jersey truck accident attorneys, call our office in Monmouth County, NJ at (732) 303-7857. We provide free consultations are available immediately to assist you.
