Manhattan Truck Accident Lawyers

Are You in Need of a Manhattan Truck Accident Lawyer?

Truck accidents cause devastating injuries due to the sheer size and weight of commercial vehicles. If you’ve been involved in a collision with a semi-truck, delivery truck, or other large commercial vehicle, you may be entitled to significant compensation.

At Wingate, Russotti, Shapiro, Moses & Halperin, LLP, we have decades of experience representing victims of truck crashes throughout Manhattan and New York City. Our attorneys prepare every case for trial from day one, so the other side knows we mean business.

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Why Choose Us Over Other Manhattan Truck Accident Attorneys

When you’ve been seriously injured in a truck accident, you need a law firm with a proven track record, trial-ready experience, and a commitment to fighting for maximum compensation. Here’s what sets WRSMH apart:

• Over 50 Years of Experience in personal injury and truck accident litigation in New York City – trusted advocates for seriously injured New Yorkers.
• More than $2 Billion Recovered for injured clients across New York – results that reflect our commitment to justice.
• Recognized by Super Lawyers – based on peer reviews and independent research.
• Named One of the Best Law Firms by U.S. News & World Report – a distinction based on professional achievement and client satisfaction.
• AV Preeminent® Rating from Martindale-Hubbell for ethics and legal skill – the highest possible rating in both categories.
• Top 10 Law Firms in NYC for Client Satisfaction by the American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys™ – reflecting our dedication to client care.
• Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum members – a recognition reserved for attorneys who have won high-value verdicts and settlements.
• Free Consultations and No Legal Fees Unless We Win – you pay nothing unless we recover compensation for you.

Notable Truck Accident Cases

6.5 Million: Man Hit by Waste Removal Truck

$6.2 Million: Vehicle Struck by Truck at Intersection

$4.7 Million: Driver Struck by Box Truck at Intersection

Injured in a Truck Accident?

Call Wingate, Russotti, Shapiro, Moses & Halperin, LLP at (212) 986-7353 for a free consultation with a trusted Manhattan personal injury lawyer.

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Do You Have a Legitimate Case?

Our attorneys can assess your case during a free consultation. Several factors help determine the legitimacy of a truck accident claim, including:

• Was another party at fault or negligent?
• Did the accident cause physical injury or financial loss?
• Is there evidence linking the other party's actions to the accident?
• Are you within New York's statute of limitations?

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Reasons to See a Lawyer Right Away

After a truck accident, the steps you take immediately can make or break your case. Here are key reasons to speak with a lawyer as soon as possible:

• Preserve Evidence – Traffic camera footage, witness statements, and vehicle data can disappear quickly. The sooner we start your case, the more evidence we can secure.
• Avoid Insurance Traps – Insurance companies may contact you quickly and push for a fast, lowball settlement. We'll protect your rights and handle all communication.
• Ensure Medical Records Are Complete – We work with your doctors to fully document your injuries and treatment.
• Meet Strict Deadlines – There are critical time limits for filing a claim or lawsuit in New York. Missing them can cost you your case.
• Maximize Your Recovery – We’ll calculate not just your current losses, but your future needs, pain and suffering, and other damages to pursue full compensation.

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What's the Legal Process for a Truck Accident Case?

If you’ve been hurt in a truck accident, understanding the legal process can help you feel more in control. Here’s a step-by-step overview of what to expect:

1. Initial Consultation – You meet with a lawyer to discuss your accident and legal options.
2. Investigation – Your legal team gathers police reports, medical records, witness statements, surveillance footage, and black box data.
3. Claim Filing – A personal injury claim is filed against the responsible parties.
4. Discovery Phase – Both sides exchange information and evidence.
5. Negotiations – Your attorney works to secure a settlement that covers your full damages.
6. Trial (if necessary) – If a fair settlement isn’t reached, we take the case to court and fight for you before a jury.

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How Driver Negligence Causes Truck Accidents

Negligence refers to a truck driver, trucking company, or another party failing to act with reasonable care, and that failure causing a crash that results in injury or damage. Most truck accidents are the result of negligence.

Speeding

Exceeding speed limits or driving too fast for conditions makes it harder to stop or control a truck. Speeding increases both the likelihood and severity of a collision.

DUI

Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs impairs reaction time, judgment, and motor skills. A truck driver operating under the influence is a danger to everyone on the road.

Unsafe Turns

Trucks require wide turning radiuses. When drivers misjudge a turn or fail to check blind spots, they can collide with pedestrians, cyclists, or smaller vehicles.

Distracted Driving

Using a cell phone, GPS, or other devices while driving diverts attention from the road. Even a moment of distraction can lead to a deadly accident.

Fatigued Driving

Truck drivers are often under pressure to meet deadlines. When they skip rest breaks or drive long hours, they risk falling asleep at the wheel. Federal Hours of Service (HOS) rules set limits on how long commercial drivers can operate without rest. Violating these rules increases fatigue-related crashes.

Running Stop Signs and Red Lights

Intersections are common sites of truck accidents. Running a red light or ignoring a stop sign can cause high-speed, side-impact collisions.

Disobeying Traffic Laws

Violating speed limits, failing to yield, or improper lane usage are forms of negligence. Given the destructive force of a truck, these errors can be fatal.

Illegal Lane Changes

Trucks have large blind spots. When a driver fails to signal or check before switching lanes, they can sideswipe or crush other vehicles.

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How an Attorney Can Help

Truck accident cases are not like standard car crash claims. They involve multiple parties, federal regulations, and commercial insurance policies. A skilled attorney can:

• Conduct a full investigation into the cause of the crash
• Identify and preserve key evidence, including black box data
• Work with accident reconstruction specialists
• Calculate all current and future damages
• Handle negotiations with insurance carriers
• Take the case to trial if necessary

At WRSMH, we treat every case as if it’s going to court. This approach helps us build strong cases that often lead to favorable settlements—and prepares us to win in front of a jury when needed.

No Legal Fees Unless We Win Your Case

Call (212) 986-7353 to learn more today.

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Who Is Liable for Truck Accident Injuries?

Truck accidents often involve complex liability, and one or more parties could be responsible.

Truck Drivers

Negligent actions like speeding, fatigue, or distracted driving make the truck operator personally liable in many cases.

Trucking Companies

Carriers may be held liable for unsafe policies, unrealistic delivery schedules, failure to maintain vehicles, or failure to train and supervise drivers. Trucking companies that hire drivers with a history of violations, DUI convictions, or health conditions that impair driving ability can be found liable for negligent hiring.

Truck Loading Companies

Improperly loaded or unbalanced cargo can cause a truck to tip over or lose control. In such cases, the loading company may be partially responsible.

Drivers in Other Vehicles

Sometimes, the crash may be caused or worsened by another motorist who cut off the truck or created unsafe conditions.

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Types of Truck Accidents

Truck crashes can occur in a variety of ways, each with different causes and consequences:

• Rear-End Collisions – Often caused by distracted or drowsy driving
• Jackknife Accidents – Occur when a trailer swings out to form a 90-degree angle
• Rollover Crashes – Caused by sharp turns, speeding, or improper loading
• Underride Collisions – Smaller vehicles slide underneath a truck's trailer
• Wide-Turn Accidents – Trucks strike vehicles or pedestrians while turning
• Blind Spot Accidents – Trucks collide with vehicles traveling in their "no-zones"
• Lost Load Accidents – Debris from unsecured cargo causes roadway hazards

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Injuries Caused by Truck Accidents

When a large commercial truck collides with another vehicle, a pedestrian, cyclist, or motorcyclist, the consequences are often devastating. Some of the most common types of serious injuries sustained in truck accidents in the area include:

• Traumatic brain injuries
• Spinal cord injuries
• Internal injuries
• Multiple fractures
• Crush injuries
• Head injuries
• Back injuries
• Amputations
• Disfigurement
• Severe, life-threatening lacerations
• Burns, exposure to toxic chemicals

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Compensation in Truck Accident Cases

The types of compensation that must be pursued in an injury claim include but are not limited to:

• Current and future medical costs
• Lost wages, current and future
• Reduced earning capacity
• Home and vehicle modifications to accommodate the injured party
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional anguish
• Reduced quality of life

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Case Results

$1.8 Million Settlement - Two Clients Struck by Garbage Truck

Attorneys Cliff Shapiro and Noah Katz from Wingate, Russotti, Shapiro, Moses & Halperin, LLP, secured a $1,800,000 settlement a year before trial in a New York County case. Their successful argument for summary judgment refuted the defendant's claim that the plaintiff negligently pulled out of a parking spot. Evidence, including photographs, demonstrated the client had not started moving, and the injuries from the garbage truck accident—neck surgery for one client and shoulder surgery for the other—were proven to be directly caused by the incident. Despite claims of minimal vehicle damage and pre-existing conditions, medical records and physician opinions verified the injuries were solely due to the accident's impact, with the clients enduring pain even as they resumed work to support their families.

$1.5 Million Settlement for Motor Vehicle Accident

A 43-year-old woman was rear-ended by a New York City Department of Sanitation truck, resulting in severe injuries, including disc herniations, chronic pain syndrome, and a traumatic brain injury. Our client required significant medical treatment and experienced considerable physical and psychiatric impairments, necessitating vocational rehabilitation. With the support of specialists, she was shown to have past and future lost earnings. The case, handled by WRSMH attorneys Michael Fitzpatrick and Clifford Shapiro, concluded in a $1.5 million settlement before trial, following a summary judgment on liability.

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What Clients Are Saying About Us

Thanks to all of you at WRSMH- Thiago Benacio (5-Star Google Review)

Carmine took really good care of my case and got my case settled quick. Definitely recommend him to all my friends, and if i ever need a lawyer again, I will definitely call him. Thanks to all of you at WRSMH.

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Other Locations We Serve in New York

• Bronx
• Brooklyn
• New York City
• Queens
• Staten Island

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Speak With a Trusted Manhattan Truck Accident Lawyer

If you or a loved one has been injured in a truck accident in Manhattan, do not wait to get help. Contact Wingate, Russotti, Shapiro, Moses & Halperin, LLP and let us fight for the justice you deserve.

Call (212) 986-7353 to find out what we can do for you.

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Truck Accident FAQs

How is a truck accident different from a regular car accident?

Truck accidents typically involve more serious injuries, more complex liability issues, and are governed by both state and federal regulations. Multiple parties may be responsible, including the driver, trucking company, and cargo handlers.

Who can be held liable in a truck accident?

Liability may fall on the truck driver, the trucking company, the vehicle owner, a maintenance provider, or even the company responsible for loading the cargo. Each case requires a detailed investigation to determine fault.

What if I was partially at fault for the accident?

New York follows a comparative negligence rule, meaning you can still recover compensation even if you were partially at fault. However, your financial recovery may be reduced by your percentage of fault.

What compensation can I receive after a truck accident?

You may be entitled to compensation for medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, future medical care, rehabilitation costs, and in some cases, punitive damages. Our attorneys will work to identify the full extent of your losses.

How do you prove negligence in a truck accident?

We gather evidence such as crash reports, black box data, surveillance footage, driver logs, witness statements, and expert analysis to show how the accident occurred and who failed to follow safety rules.

Will I need to go to court?

Most truck accident cases settle before trial. However, if the insurance company refuses to offer a fair settlement, we prepare to take your case to court. At WRSMH, we approach every case as if it’s going to trial.

How much does it cost to hire a truck accident attorney?

There are no upfront legal fees. We work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you don’t pay us unless we win compensation for you.

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Meet Our Attorneys

Philip Russotti

Philip Russotti is a highly respected and accomplished personal injury trial attorneys, known for his meticulous preparation, courtroom skill, and unwavering dedication to justice. Throughout his career, Mr. Russotti has secured numerous multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements, including some of the largest awards in the firm’s history. His ability to distill complex medical and technical issues into clear, persuasive arguments makes him a formidable advocate in the courtroom and a trusted advisor to clients.

Kenneth J. Halperin

Kenneth J. Halperin is a veteran trial attorney who has built his career representing victims of serious injury in New York City. His trial experience and negotiation skills have led to numerous multi-million dollar recoveries for clients injured due to unsafe work conditions, negligent drivers, and other forms of misconduct. His thorough preparation and commanding presence in court make him a formidable opponent and a trusted advocate.

Bryce Moses

Bryce Moses is a tenacious trial attorney with decades of experience fighting for the rights of injury victims across New York. With a track record of securing substantial verdicts and settlements, Mr. Moses is frequently called upon to handle high-stakes cases involving catastrophic injury and wrongful death.

Clifford H. Shapiro

Clifford H. Shapiro is a founding partner and veteran trial attorney at Wingate, Russotti, Shapiro, Moses & Halperin, LLP. Mr. Shapiro has built a career rooted in meticulous preparation, strategic litigation, and an unwavering dedication to justice. He’s achieved notable distinction in high-value personal injury cases, including construction accidents, serious motor vehicle collisions, and catastrophic injury claims.

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