The New York trucking accident attorneys at Queller, Fisher, Washor, Fuchs & Kool handle trucking accidents involving semis, dump trucks and other large commercial vehicles.

In 2008, 4,229 people were killed in crashes involving large trucks, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Adminstration.

Trucks traveling New York roads can weigh over 70,000 pounds – 20 times the weight of a 3,500 pound passenger car. New York trucking accidents often involve catastrophic or fatal injuries and require an experienced New York personal injury or wrongful death attorney and a team familiar with the complicated nature of litigating serious trucking accidents, which can include out-of-state truck drivers and corporations as well as multiple insurance policies.

The NHTSA estimates driver fatigue is responsible for up to 40 percent of all trucking crashes and limits truck drivers to 10 consecutive hours on the road, followed by a minimum of 8 hours of rest. Truckers are not permitted to drive more than 16 hours in any 24 hour period.

A report by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration found about 1 in 20 professional truck drivers will be involved in an accident. More than half of the 141,000 trucking accidents each year were the fault of the truck driver.

Truck drivers are regulated precisely because of the dangers semis pose to other motorists on the road. Yet nearly half of all trucking accidents are the result of drug use and 1 in 4 trucking accidents is caused by speed, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

In New York, there were 13,793 large truck accidents in 2007 that claimed 146 lives, according to the New York Department of Motor Vehicles. More than 2,500 serious large truck accidents were reported in New York City. Among those killed were 31 passengers, 19 pedestrians and 4 bicyclists.

Almost 7,000 people were seriously injured.

Of the nearly 10,000 injured that year in New York truck accidents blamed on operator error, 678 were the result of unsafe backing, 2,305 by driver distraction, 1,341 by failure to yield the right of way, 1,581 by following too closely, 1,159 by unsafe speed and more than 2,000 by unsafe or improper lane changes.

Top 10 causes of trucking accidents:

• Prescription drug use (26 percent)
• Speed (23 percent)
• Driver unfamiliar with road (22 percent)
• Over-the-counter medication (18 percent)
• Inadequate surveillance (14 percent)
• Fatigue (13 percent)
• Illegal maneuvers (9 percent)
• Distraction (8 percent)
• Inadequate evasive action (7 percent)
• Aggressive behavior (7 percent)

Truck drivers who violate the law or are negligent in driving aggressively, carelessly or who are operating their truck under the influence can be held accountable for the injuries they cause in an accident.

Trucking companies also have a duty to put safe trucks on the road and to obey weight limits and other regulations designed for road safety. Yet safety advocates continue to sound the alarm over companies cutting corners on tires, safety inspections and weight limits – putting profits before public safety.

Trucks are 50 percent more likely to be involved in a fatal crash per mile traveled than a passenger car, according to Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, an advocacy group that reports passenger vehicle occupants account for 98 percent of fatalities involving large trucks.

And the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration puts the cost of trucking accidents at more than $19 billion per year.

The New York trucking accident lawyers at Queller, Fisher, Washor, Fuchs & Kool will work to help determine the causes of the accident and the extent of your injuries.

If you or someone you love has been seriously injured or killed in an accident with a dump truck, semi tractor trailer, or other commercial vehicle, the New York trucking accident attorneys and personal injury and wrongful death lawyers at Queller, Fisher, Washor, Fuchs & Kool offer free appointments to discuss your rights.

Call the New York law office of Queller, Fisher, Washor, Fuchs & Kool at 212-406-1700.