From Jackknives to Rollovers: Common Truck Accidents in New York
These road giants are so massive and heavy that they are capable of causing severe injuries—or even death.
Not all truck accidents are the same.
A collision with a commercial truck is not just another car accident. It is often a catastrophic event that leaves victims facing permanent injuries, overwhelming medical bills, and insurance companies that move quickly to protect themselves.
Get acquainted with the most common truck accidents in New York. Because knowing how the accident took place may not spare you from the damage, but it will help understand whose failure it was and determine liability beyond the driver and secure fair compensation. 💰💰💰
In This Article:
➤ Learning how a truck collision happened is critical. These incidents often involve complex layers of responsibility and severe long-term consequences.
These impacts are so violent, victims almost always meet the ‘serious injury’ threshold defined by NY Insurance Law § 5102(d). Meeting this standard is vital because it allows you to step outside the no-fault system and sue directly for pain and suffering.
In most truck crashes, the force of impact is so severe that victims meet this threshold. But insurance companies rarely volunteer this information. Identifying that you qualify is one of the first critical steps in protecting your right to full compensation.
Understanding the “how” ensures the right people are held accountable, and helps prevent similar future tragedies.
If you’ve been injured, suffered serious harm, or lost a loved one in a truck accident in New York, please reach out to an experienced truck accident attorney. One that will hold their insurance companies accountable and fight for the compensation you deserve.
➤ If this sounds like what happened to you, call us now.
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We proudly stand apart from large, cookie-cutter firms. Every client receives the dedicated expertise of our partners, ensuring seasoned legal minds are managing your claim from day one.
Common Truck Accidents in New York
Due to their size and limited maneuverability compared to cars or motorcycles, many incidents involving trucks are unique to these vehicles. If you’ve been in an accident with a semi or a trailer in New York, our top-rated truck attorneys can help.
Here are the most common types of truck accidents that our personal injury lawyers regularly see happen in NYC, the Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn, and Long Island. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) reports accident patterns for 18-wheelers, trailers, semis, and buses that closely match our experience.
1. Wide Turn Accidents
To make a right turn, truck drivers often swing slightly left to create space. Other drivers may misinterpret this, wrongly assume the truck is changing lanes to the left, and try to pass on the right, placing themselves between the big-rig and the curb—often resulting in a collision.
The “squeeze play” collision can happen when a truck makes a wide turn onto narrow streets in New York.
2. The Jackknife Effect
These accidents occur when a trailer skids and folds at a 90-degree angle with the cab, usually due to sudden braking or brake failure. The driver loses control of the truck, which can lead to fatal crashes.
3. Rollover & Trailer Detachment Accidents
If an 18-wheeler or a trailer rolls over, the driver will lose control, with potentially deadly consequences for all the vehicles involved in the accident. Truck rollover causes include:
- Speeding
- Jackknife accidents
- Tire blowouts
- Transiting on steep roads or sharp curves
- Hitting a curb
➤ If this is how your accident happened, speak with a New York or Long Island truck accident attorney immediately. The details of how the crash occurred often determine who can be held financially responsible.
4. Side-Impact Truck Collisions
T-bone or broadside accidents, happen when the front of the truck or delivery van hits the side of a vehicle or vice versa.
They generally occur at intersections, when one vehicle fails to stop at a traffic signal, runs a red light, fails to yield the right of way, or when the trucker misjudges traffic gaps.
And the absence or failure of underride guards (the metal bars on the sides/rear of trailers) can be a key factor in proving negligence against the carrier.
5. Blind Spot Accidents
Large commercial trucks and vans have large blind spots on all four sides that can hide nearby cars, motorcycles, bicycles, or pedestrians. Lane changes without proper visibility can cause a sideswipe or force other drivers off the road.
Avoid the “no-zones”, know the truck’s blind spots. Common truck accidents in New York and Long Island.
6. Head-On Collisions with Commercial Trucks and Vans
Front-end collisions are always severe, but when trucks are involved, injuries are often catastrophic. The victims may be left disabled or lose their lives. This is particularly true for bicycles, motorcycles, and pedestrians who have little to no protection and are especially vulnerable.
7. Rear-End Truck Accidents
Due to their size and weight, trucks require more time and distance to come to a full stop. When the truck driver misjudges the distance, is distracted, or fatigued and fails to apply the brakes in time, it can rear-end other cars and cause severe damage and serious injuries. This could point to an Hours of Service (HOS) Violation. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) rules dictate exactly how long a driver can be on the road before they are legally “fatigued”. An experienced team of New York truck lawyers can find this out. In many cases, liability extends beyond the driver to the trucking company, dispatcher, or maintenance contractor responsible for putting an unsafe vehicle on the road.
8. Load-Related Accidents
Not all truck accidents involve a direct collision. Improperly secured cargo can spill onto the road, striking nearby drivers or causing indirect crashes. How often do we see goods or spilled liquids on highways or on roads?
Were You Involved in a Truck Accident in New York? 🚚
Don’t delay. In NY, you generally have three years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury lawsuit. If a government vehicle is involved, this window is significantly shorter. In NY, a Notice of Claim usually must be filed within 90 days.
Waiting can seriously damage your case. Critical evidence such as black box data, driver logs, and maintenance records can disappear quickly unless legal action is taken to preserve them.
Truck accidents are often caused by the negligence of the driver, the trucking company, maintenance contractors, trailer cargo loaders, or even vehicle manufacturers.
Independently of fault, these accidents result in catastrophic injuries, including death of drivers, passengers, cyclists, and pedestrians on the roads nearby.
When someone dies or is injured in a truck accident they did not cause, they have a right to file a claim against the at-fault party’s insurance. Commercial trucking policies often carry insurance coverage in the millions of dollars for their fleets. However, these insurance carriers respond immediately with investigators and defense teams focused on limiting payouts. They will not give it away that easily.
🚛 Injured in a Truck Accident? We Can Help You Get Compensation
Our top-rated truck accident lawyers can help. We have over 37 years of experience representing victims of truck, semis, and commercial vans accidents with proven results.
We understand the complexities of New York’s transportation law and how it affects our clients. And we’ll investigate the accident and even demand the release of the Black Box Data in the Event Data Recorders (EDR). These electronic systems record speed, braking force, steering input, and other critical data in the seconds before impact — evidence that can decisively establish fault.
If you’ve been involved in a truck accident in Nassau, Suffolk, Queens, Brooklyn, the Bronx, NYC, or anywhere in the state of New York, seek medical attention immediately, and do not speak to insurance adjusters until you have spoken to Liga De Justicia’s truck accident lawyers. We can meet you at our offices in Manhattan, Brentwood, Hauppauge, Hampton Bays, or Riverhead—or visit you at home, your workplace, or the hospital.
We act quickly to send spoliation letters to trucking companies, legally forcing them to preserve logbooks and maintenance records that might otherwise be ‘lost’ or destroyed.
Our goal is to secure full compensation for you and your family. There are no upfront fees. You pay nothing unless we win.
Speak directly with one of our partners about your case today. Call for a FREE consultation — available 24/7. The sooner we act, the stronger your case will be.
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⚖️ We are here to hold insurance companies accountable when people get hurt.
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The content of this article should not be interpreted as legal advice.
