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Tag Archives: truck accident

November 17, 2015 Case Success Stories
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$250,000 Payment to Passenger Injured in Truck Accident

Ruth Pianka, a 57-year-old bookkeeper, was a passenger in a truck when it was rear ended in a motor vehicle crash in the Washington Heights section of New York City. She sustained multiple injuries during the truck accident and was treated in the emergency room and then by several specialist doctors. The doctors diagnosed injuries of her shoulder, hip and knee. The crash victim also had neck and back injuries with significant pain. She underwent a shoulder surgery and endured therapy as well. The pain and injuries persisted and she developed emotional injuries in addition to the physical injuries.

Soon after the accident, Ms. Pianka spoke to friends in the neighborhood who recommended she contact the experienced car accident lawyers at Morrison & Wagner, LLP. They assisted the truck accident victim and filed a personal injury lawsuit in Kings County Supreme Court. The case named both the owner of the truck and the driver of the car that hit them as defendants. After negotiation, the defendants agreed to settle the case, paying Ms. Pianka $250,000 for her injuries, pain and suffering from the rear-end accident.

Photo by Werner Vermaak (originally posted to Flickr as Immobilized Patient) [CC-BY-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

November 13, 2015 Case Success Stories
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$200,000 Award to Family of Pedestrian Killed by a Snow Plow

Ms. McCullough was 70 years old when she was struck and killed by a snow plow truck in February. She was crossing the street when the truck accident occurred, leaving her with fatal injuries. The woman’s two daughters were left heartbroken without their mother. They turned to the well-known accident law firm of Morrison & Wagner, LLP for advice. After full consultation on the case, they sued for wrongful death, contending that the truck driver was negligent and caused the crash. The demand for financial restitution explained that the pedestrian accident could have been avoided if the negligent driver was more careful and in better control of his vehicle. The skilled accident attorney successfully negotiated a settlement and the defendants conceded to compensate the accident victim’s family $200,000.

If you or someone you know was injured due to someone else’s negligence, you have the right to contact an experienced injury lawyer.

Photo by Michael Rieger (from the FEMA Photo Library.) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

October 16, 2015 News
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Police officer arrested for hit-and-run accident in Long Island

New York – The driver of a pickup truck that hit a motorcyclist in Suffolk County, NY was arrested for fleeing the scene of an accident with injuries. Reports show that the arrested driver was, in fact, a police officer who was off-duty at the time of the motorcycle accident. He apparently fled the scene and left the injured motorcycle driver in critical condition. The cop turned himself in to police the next day and charges are being assessed by prosecutors. The police investigation includes looking into whether or not the officer was drunk driving or possibly driving under the influence of drugs, leading to the vehicle crash.

Doctors explain that the nature of the collision was quite severe, with a large pickup truck striking the much smaller motorcycle. The truck accident investigation will also likely focus on the evidence found on the truck. The driver of the hit-and-run vehicle faces criminal charges as well as a civil personal injury lawsuit. The fact that he left the accident scene with a person who had suffered bodily injuries opens him up to several charges. In the meantime, he has been suspended from his job as a police officer. Check out more about this police officer involved in the accident here.

Illustrative Photo Credit: Chris Yarzab [License]

February 28, 2015 News
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Long Island car crash involves fire department truck and a car

New York – Two vehicles were involved in a collision on Thursday, injuring three accident victims. Stony Brook fire department officials confirmed that the car accident involved the department chief’s SUV truck. The truck accident was still under investigation to determine the cause but there is no indication at this time that the fire chief was driving with emergency lights and sirens. Reports also indicate that the fire department vehicle was not on its way to an emergency call at the time of the SUV accident. A New York lawyer who specializes in accidents notes that emergency vehicles, such as police cars, fire trucks and ambulances, have the responsibility to drive with due caution for others on the road even when driving with lights and sirens to an emergency. Reckless driving, even when responding to an emergency call, may be considered negligent and the driver and department can be held liable.
All three people who were involved in the motor vehicle collision were transported to a Long Island, New York hospital for treatment of their wounds. The front seat passenger of the car was listed with serious injuries and was admitted to the hospital. The drivers of the two vehicles were also taken to an area trauma center but later released. The injured people may also require continued follow up and therapy for their wounds. See this article for more about this accident with injuries.

Illustrative photo credit: Jenny Starley [License]

August 12, 2014 News
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Fatal accident on New York Thruway involved wrong-way driver

New York – Earlier this morning a car crash occurred on a major highway, killing the drivers of both involved vehicles. According to officials, the driver of a pickup truck was driving the wrong way on the New York State Thruway in Rockland County, when his truck hit an oncoming SUV car. The car collision caused fatal injuries and sent emergency crews racing to the scene of the wrong-way accident. Reports show that the driver of the vehicle that had been driving on the wrong side of the highway was actually a New York City police officer, although he was off-duty at the time of the early morning truck accident. Video footage of the accident scene shows that the 2 vehicles apparently were involved in a head-on collision, causing severe damage to the front seat compartments, mostly on the driver’s side. Trauma specialists note that this type of car crash can be the most serious, involving 2 heavy vehicles that were both travelling at high speeds and hitting each other head-on. They explain that the velocities of the truck and the SUV add together to create a deadly motor vehicle accident. The types and severity of accident injuries are often also much more serious when this type of accident occurs.

Investigators are continuing their evaluation of the crash to determine what caused it. Possibilities include speeding, reckless driving, drug use and drunk driving, especially when the collision includes a wrong-way accident. An accident lawyer says that the at-fault driver, or in this case, the driver’s estate and car insurance company, faces a strong possibility of a wrongful death lawsuit. It is unclear if there were any other victims of the crash or the nature of any injuries. You can see more about the wrong-way collision here.

Illustrative photo by U.S. Navy [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

June 10, 2014 News
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Walmart truck accident kills one and leaves three others injured

A tractor-trailer accident on the New Jersey Turnpike left one man dead and three passengers with serious injuries. The truck crash occurred when the truck driver failed to stop for slowing traffic. His truck slammed into a van-sized limousine bus, causing the limo to roll over. The crash victims were rushed to area hospitals for emergency treatment. The accident injuries included broken bones, nose and rib fractures and possible internal injuries. Records show that the truck was owned by the discount retail chain, Walmart, and that the driver was an employee. Recent discoveries indicate that the driver of the tractor had not slept in more than a day, contrary to safety guidelines for commercial drivers. Police believe that the tired driver may have caused the collision due to fatigue. This has led to criminal charges being filed against the truck driver who rear-ended the limo. The bus accident is still being investigated in hopes of fully determining the cause of the crash. Some have speculated that the tractor-trailer was speeding due to the fact that it caused a roll-over accident. Meanwhile, road safety experts warn that Walmart trucks have been involved in many accidents, causing hundreds of injuries and many wrongful deaths. Calls have been made to force the company to better train their drivers, enforce safety laws and improve their monitoring of dangerous driving. See further details about the truck versus bus rear-end collision here.

Illustrative photo by Amanda Bengtson (Flickr: International Wal-Mart Truck) [CC-BY-SA-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

January 27, 2014 News
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Van rear-ended in truck accident on George Washington Bridge

New York – The driver of a van was injured in a rear-end accident just as he was getting onto the George Washington Bridge (GWB). The crash victim was driving a work vehicle and was on his way into New York City when a tractor-trailer truck hit him from behind. Investigators were called to the scene to determine if the truck was speeding or driving dangerously at the time of the collision. Reports show that the truck and van had just exited the toll barrier and this may have contributed to the accident. Motor vehicle accident specialists say that sometimes a rear-end crash can actually be due to the driver negligence of the vehicle in front. This is often the case when a car or smaller vehicle tries to cut in front of a slower moving truck or other vehicle. Legal experts explain that both drivers have responsibility to drive with due regard for others on the road. This means that the truck driver would have the responsibility to maintain control of his vehicle in order to avoid hitting the car in front of him. However, the van would also have the responsibility to not cut off another vehicle or swerve dangerously.

This motor vehicle accident on the GWB brings up recent accusations against the governor of New Jersey’s office, which reportedly closed several lanes of the bridge. Those bridge lane closures have been implicated in the delayed emergency response of ambulances and paramedics to several car accidents and an elderly woman that was unconscious. The 91-year-old woman died later in the hospital according to officials. Further investigations into the effects of the closed lanes and subsequent gridlocked traffic are ongoing. Although no proof has yet to be presented, accusations continue to be heard regarding the governor himself ordering the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to close the roads onto the bridge. This has left the public wondering if the governor’s office and the Port Authority are legally and morally responsible for the delayed ambulance responses and their consequences. Still others have expressed concern that other life and death delays, such as organ transplant deliveries, could have occurred due to the closing of lanes and subsequent traffic. Find out more about these delays here.

Photo by Cumulus Clouds (Own work) [GFDL, CC-BY-SA-3.0 or CC-BY-SA-2.5-2.0-1.0], via Wikimedia Commons

September 11, 2013 News
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Pedestrian accident in Brooklyn causes multiple injuries

New York – A two-vehicle car accident caused injuries to at least seven victims, many of them pedestrian bystanders. Police report that the car crash began when one the of the vehicles hit an SUV truck in what appeared to be a routine accident in a busy Crown Heights intersection. One witness noted that the first car caused the accident when he ran through a red light at the dangerous intersection. However, the SUV then jumped the curb and was pushed into several pedestrians who were standing on the sidewalk. That vehicle then hit a large metal pole and came to rest after slamming into a light post. The initial pole collapsed and was run over by the SUV, possibly causing some of the injuries. Witnesses explained that accident victims were scattered everywhere and ambulances were immediately called. One of the injured pedestrians apparently suffered a partial foot or leg amputation during the accident. She was rushed by paramedics to a trauma center hospital for treatment and emergency surgery to try to repair the injury. One of the drivers in the accident suffered a head injury and also required emergency treatment. Further details regarding the injured victims and the nature of their injuries have not yet been made available. Investigators are also still looking into the cause of the accident and who was at fault for causing all of the injuries. Meanwhile, local activists complained about the lack of safety and careful driving in this dangerous area of Brooklyn, NY. Some have asked for increased police presence and stiffer punishments for reckless driving. Public safety proponents say that a reckless driver, especially one that causes a serious accident with injuries, must not be allowed to drive again. At the very least, serious consequences but be in place in order to protect the safety, health and property of innocent bystanders.

A similar truck accident in Brooklyn occurred only 2 weeks ago. In that motor vehicle crash, the driver of the truck hit a car and that car was then pushed up onto the sidewalk. It then slammed into a pole and then finally stopped. In the meantime, the truck then hit 3 additional cars. Several crash victims were injured in that accident according to reports. Safety advocates say that these accidents are proof that police, lawmakers and city engineers need to do more to prevent accidents and punish dangerous drivers. Check out further details about the recent Brooklyn car crash here.

Photo by Coolcaesar at the English language Wikipedia [GFDL or CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons