New Haven Truck Accident Lawyer

Top-Rated Truck Accident Attorney in New Haven

New Haven is a beautiful city with several hidden gems to explore, but Connecticut is ranked among the worst states when it comes to road rage. Vehicle accidents can be scary and stressful, and their complexity only rises when the accident involves an 18-wheeler or dump truck. Even if the accident details are clear, you may not know who to hold liable. A New Haven truck accident lawyer can help.

Choose Balzano & Tropiano for Your Truck Accident

On the surface, a truck accident might seem like a larger-scale car accident with a simple call to your insurance company. Maybe you get the police to make a report, get your car repaired, or buy a new one, and the ordeal is over. With a truck accident, the logistics are much more complicated, but a New Haven personal injury lawyer can help you through the process.

At Balzano & Tropiano, we have 50 years of combined experience helping New Haven residents through difficult personal injury cases. When you hire a New Haven truck accident lawyer, you want someone familiar with the applicable local, state, and federal laws that could affect your claim.

The Truck Accident Process

There are usually multiple parties that share fault in a truck accident, which can include the driver, the trucking company, the maintenance firm, or the cargo loader, for example.

The details of the accident are scrutinized under the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSR), a set of rules that outline regulations designed to reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities involving buses and large trucks. The FMCSR holds drivers, fleet operators, and trucking companies to strict safety standards, enforced by the Department of Transportation.

Truck accident injuries are often more severe than those from passenger vehicle accidents. In 2023, the National Security Council recorded 5,472 fatalities from crashes involving large trucks, an 8% decrease from 2022. Roughly 70% of the injuries sustained in these accidents were sustained by the occupants of the other vehicles. This data point alone highlights the importance of working with an experienced attorney to file a claim if you are injured in a truck accident.

If you have been involved in a truck accident in New Haven, you should notify your insurance company soon after the accident occurs. You can negotiate with the truck driver’s insurance to reach a settlement agreement, but if an agreement cannot be reached, you may have to file a claim in court. Claims are handled by the New Haven Judicial District Superior Court, located at 235 Church Street.

Understanding How Insurance Works in a Truck Accident

Insurance claims are complicated on their own, but navigating insurance claims when involved in a truck accident is especially challenging. Most large trucks operate as part of a fleet, and while a fleet may be owned by one entity, the trucks may be leased to another entity for operation, and the drivers are treated as independent contractors.

Each of these moving parts makes it difficult to determine the true defendant in an accident case, as each entity could insist that fault lies with the others.

Under Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations, commercial trucking companies are required to carry a minimum of $750,000 in coverage, and this minimum increases based on the vehicle’s gross weight and the commodity transported. Coverage limits can reach as much as $5 million.

Most companies layer their insurance policies, meaning they have a primary policy, an excess or “umbrella” policy, and some may also have self-insured retentions. The primary policy often covers the first tier of damages, and the umbrella policy covers any additional losses that go beyond the primary policy’s limits. As a crash victim, it can be very hard to determine who should be paying for what as you put your life back together in the wake of your accident.

Sometimes, after catastrophic accidents, the carrier may decide to dissolve and reopen under a new name, limiting payouts to crash victims. Having a skilled attorney on your side who is highly familiar with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Act can help you hold all parties responsible for your damages.

What To Look for When You Hire a Truck Accident Lawyer

New Haven residents who are injured in a truck accident should seek medical attention immediately and document their injuries and any diagnoses. Document all details of the crash, including contact and insurance information from the other driver, to be used as evidence for your claim.

Under Connecticut General Statutes section 52-584, you have up to two years to report the accident in Connecticut, but reporting as soon as possible means you don’t lose details to time as your memory, or the memory of your witnesses, fades.

Other items to consider when you hire a truck accident lawyer include:

• Working with someone familiar with New Haven. The most helpful attorney will be the one familiar with the road system in New Haven and Connecticut as a whole, as well as the New Haven Judicial District courthouse.
• Access to expert witnesses. A truck accident case may require the input of specialists who can reconstruct the scene and speak to the feasibility of injuries or fault. Analysts for log records and maintenance records may also need to be called. Your attorney should have access to these resources.
• Transparency. Because truck accident claims are larger, your attorney’s payout will also be larger. Work with an attorney who explains clearly and thoroughly how they will be compensated and what you can expect as your case proceeds.
• A willingness to play the long game. Some accident cases have to go to trial, and you don’t want to work with an attorney who pushes you to settle early, causing you to miss out on compensation for your damages.

Common Causes of Truck Accidents

There are many reasons why a truck accident may occur. Determining the exact cause of the accident helps to determine who should be held liable, making the personal injury claim process easier. Some common causes of truck accidents include:

• Driver error. If the driver becomes distracted while driving or violates traffic laws, it could cause them to make a mistake that then leads to an accident. When the driver makes a mistake, they are almost always found to be liable for a truck accident.
• Driving under the influence. Driving while intoxicated can cause devastating accidents, which are only compounded when the driver is behind the wheel of a semi-truck or other large vehicle.
• Driving while tired. Truck drivers often have busy schedules with tight deadlines, but there are laws in place that regulate how many hours a driver can be on the road each day. If these laws are violated, the driver may be held liable if an accident occurs.
• Improperly loaded cargo. Commercial vehicles often carry large amounts of cargo. If the cargo is not loaded properly, it could become unbalanced or suddenly shift, resulting in an accident. The company responsible for loading the cargo may be liable in this instance.
• Equipment malfunctions. If there is a malfunction of the equipment in the cab of the truck, that malfunction could lead to an accident. In these cases, liability may lie with the company that sold the equipment or with the trucking company if the equipment was improperly maintained.
• Roadway hazards. If there are defects in the road or unsafe driving conditions that have not been properly marked, they could cause a truck driver to lose control and crash. In these instances, the government agency responsible for maintaining the road may be held liable.

Types of Injuries Commonly Sustained During Truck Accidents

Given their large size, heavy weight, and fast rate of speed, a vehicle crash involving a semi-truck or other type of commercial vehicle has the potential to cause devastating injuries to the truck driver and the drivers and passengers of any other vehicles involved in the crash. Some of the most common injuries seen in truck crashes include:

• Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) are a common form of head injury and can happen when you receive a sudden, heavy blow to your head, especially in a truck accident. Some TBIs are not automatically evident and could take several days before symptoms appear, but can cause permanent, life-changing injuries.
• Whiplash occurs when you experience soft tissue damage in your neck, which can occur when your head is snapped forward and then back suddenly. Symptoms can be mild or severe and include numbness or pain in the neck and a limited range of motion in the neck.
• Broken bones are common in truck accidents, especially when you attempt to shield yourself or brace during impact. Common bones broken include the arms, hands, wrists, legs, feet, pelvis, and ribs.
• Back injuries are also common and can cause life-altering impairments. The most common types of back injuries include spinal cord injuries, muscle and tendon strains, and herniated discs.
• Burns in truck accidents often happen due to the large size of the fuel tanks on commercial vehicles. Burns can cause significant pain and the need for extensive medical care and treatment. Fires after a truck accident can also lead to death.
• Safety equipment injuries can occur from the normal use of seat belts and airbags. Seat belt usage can lead to broken ribs, bruising, shoulder injuries, and various scrapes. The airbag can also lead to injuries such as blunt force trauma to the head, chest, or neck.
• Internal injuries can also be caused during a truck accident as you are thrown about within your vehicle or from the airbag deploying. You could suffer injuries to your lungs, heart, kidneys, bowels, or spleen that could result in the need for long-term care.

Steps to Take if You’ve Been Involved in a Truck Accident

If you are involved in a truck accident, you are likely overwhelmed and unsure of what your next move should be. If you are able, there are some steps you can take that could help you later if you need to file a personal injury claim. These steps include the following:

• Report the accident. When you call and report the accident, a police officer can respond to the scene and file a police report that could help your claim. An ambulance can also be dispatched to render aid.
• Seek medical attention. If an ambulance is at the scene, do not leave until you have been cleared. Follow any instructions you are given and see your own medical provider as soon as you can. Follow any treatment instructions you receive from your doctor.
• Gather evidence. If you can, take photos of every vehicle involved in the accident and the damage caused. Take note of any adverse weather or street conditions that may have contributed to the accident.
• Exchange contact information. Get contact information for the other driver involved, including their driver’s license and license plate information. If there are witnesses, collect their contact information so you can collect a statement later.
• Call your insurance company. Within a few days of the accident, but as soon as you can, call your insurance agent and give them the details of the accident. Answer questions honestly, but do not take responsibility for the accident or minimize your own damages.
• Hire a truck accident attorney. Truck accident claims can be challenging to navigate. An experienced personal injury attorney can guide you through the process and advocate for your rights and interests.

FAQs

How Much Does a Truck Accident Lawyer Cost in Connecticut?

Most truck accident lawyers in Connecticut work on a contingency basis, meaning they do not get paid unless you receive a settlement. Your attorney’s payment is likely to reflect a percentage of your settlement earnings. The size of your settlement comes down to several factors, but settlements for truck accidents tend to be larger than settlements in passenger vehicle cases. The overall settlement amount usually depends on the severity of injuries sustained.

How Much Are Most Truck Accident Settlements?

Truck accident settlement amounts can vary based on several factors. Determining who is at fault, processing the insurance claim, and whether or not your case may need to go to trial are all factors that impact your settlement amount. A skilled attorney can give you more specific details during your initial consultation.

How Do You Choose the Right Truck Accident Lawyer?

To choose the right truck accident lawyer, be sure the attorney you’re considering has extensive knowledge of Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations, as these regulations govern details like truck maintenance logs, truck black box logs, and driver rest requirements. They should also be familiar with local and federal courts so they can navigate both if necessary as they represent your case.

Work with an attorney you feel you can trust. A truck accident settlement should benefit you, not your lawyer’s pocket.

Why Do You Need a Truck Accident Lawyer?

Anyone injured in a truck accident should hire an attorney to represent them so they can concentrate on what matters most: their recovery. A skilled attorney can handle making all court filings on time and deal with correspondence from the trucking company to lighten your burden as you focus on healing from your injuries. Representing yourself in a truck accident case could prove very strenuous, so hiring an attorney is in your interests.

Contact Balzano & Tropiano for Your Truck Accident Claim

The attorneys of Balzano & Tropiano bring over 50 years of combined experience to personal injury law. We can examine all details of your case to determine the most effective approach to take, and we do not rush to settle prematurely.

We also pride ourselves on pursuing full compensation for our clients, who deserve care and attention as they recover from a serious accident. If you’ve been injured in a truck accident and don’t know where to start, we can help you take the first step.

A truck accident is the last thing anyone wants to go through, but if you are injured in an accident, you need the support of someone knowledgeable and trustworthy. The attorneys of Balzano & Tropiano are eager to represent your rights and interests on your behalf so that you get compensation for all your injuries and damages. Contact us today so we can help you take action on your case.