Truck Accident Lawyer in New Brunswick

Truck accidents are a serious matter, but a New Brunswick truck accident lawyer from Brach Eichler Injury Lawyers can help file a claim to recover your losses. We have decades of experience in personal injury law and a strong record of successful case results for injured clients. Brach Eichler Injury Lawyers’s law office in New Brunswick is dedicated to helping clients with truck accident claims. Truck accident claims face a number of difficulties due to their complexity and scope. To get the most out of a settlement, you need an accomplished New Brunswick truck accident attorney on your side to protect your interests. Negligent drivers and trucking companies should not get away with harming others, and we can work to hold them to account.

Contact us or call (973) 364-8300 today for a free, no-obligation truck accident case consultation with a personal injury attorney in New Brunswick.​

Introduction to Truck Accidents

Truck accidents are a significant concern in New Jersey, especially in bustling areas like New Brunswick where heavy traffic and commercial vehicles are a daily reality. These accidents often lead to devastating consequences, including serious injuries, loss of life, and overwhelming financial burdens for accident victims and their families. If you or a loved one has been involved in a truck accident, it’s essential to understand your rights and the steps you can take to pursue compensation. Working with a skilled New Jersey truck accident lawyer means you have an advocate who understands the demands of truck accident claims and is dedicated to pursuing the maximum compensation the law allows in your situation. Whether you are dealing with medical bills, lost income, or the emotional toll of a serious accident, having an experienced lawyer by your side can significantly affect how you move forward with your recovery and your future.​

Types of Truck Accidents in New Brunswick

An accident involving a commercial truck can have serious and far-reaching consequences. According to New Jersey DLPS crash data, commercial trucks make up about 11 percent of traffic fatalities in Middlesex County. Most collisions occur at the front of the cabin or rear of the trailer. Specific types of truck accidents common in New Brunswick include:​

• Undercarriage Accidents – Undercarriage or underride accidents occur when a passenger vehicle becomes wedged between the truck’s undercarriage and the road, and the car’s windshield absorbs much of the impact.​
• Turn-Overs – The momentum of truck trailers, including big rigs and tractor trailers, can cause them to flip over and roll along the road, striking or crushing other vehicles.​
• Blind Spot Collisions – Truck drivers have a limited range of visibility on all four sides of their vehicles. Vehicles in these blind spots are at a higher risk of accidents because the driver cannot see them.​
• Jackknife Accidents – Jackknife accidents occur when the trailer pivots forward, folding the tractor and cabin into a V-shape, and the folding trailer can strike and drag cars along the road.​
• Unsecured Cargo – Unsecured cargo can come loose and cause the driver to lose control. It may also fall from the rear of the truck, striking vehicles or causing them to swerve to avoid collision.​

Types of Truck Accident Injuries in New Brunswick

The sheer size of big rigs and tractor trailers means that truck collisions can result in severe injuries and significant consequences for everyone involved. Those injured in truck accidents may require extensive and ongoing medical treatment, including surgeries, physical and cognitive therapies, and home healthcare assistance. Given commercial vehicles’ large size and weight, truck collisions can be particularly destructive and dangerous. Passenger vehicles contain safety systems like seatbelts or airbags to mitigate injuries, but these might be inadequate for bus accidents or truck collisions. Common injuries can include:​

• Broken bones
• Soft tissue injury
• Head injuries and traumatic brain injuries
• Facial and neck injuries
• Spinal cord compression
• Internal injuries and organ damage
• Abrasions and burns
• Hearing and vision loss
• Crushing injuries and amputations

Severe injuries from truck accidents often require ongoing, costly medical treatment and can lead to significant financial hardship. The inability to return to work, whether temporarily or permanently, can create serious financial strain for an injured person’s family. Pedestrians are also at significant risk of harm in truck accidents, often suffering severe injuries due to the size and force of these vehicles. Long-term medical needs and financial challenges can impact both the injured and their families, making it important to seek legal support to pursue compensation and financial stability.​

Causes of Truck Accidents in New Brunswick

One of the most common causes of trucking accidents in the US is fatigued driving. According to the US DOT, fatigued driving is a factor in nearly 13 percent of commercial vehicle crashes. To combat this, the government heavily regulates truck driver hours. Federal law sets limits on hours and safety standards for commercial drivers to help reduce fatigue-related accidents. However, strict delivery schedules and payment incentives can influence drivers to drive longer than federal limits allow.​

Other common causes of truck driving accidents can include situations where multiple vehicles, including trucks and passenger vehicles, are involved:​

• Distracted driving
• Impaired driving
• Speeding
• Aggressive driving
• Wide-right turns
• Poor road conditions
• Faulty truck parts
• Inexperienced operators
• Unsafe road design

Vicarious Liability in New Jersey Truck Accidents

Most truck accidents involve commercial entities, which raises questions about employer-employee liability. As a general rule, commercial entities can be vicariously liable for negligent acts their employees commit within the scope of their employment. This means you may be able to hold trucking companies responsible if one of their negligent drivers hurts you while on the job. Trucking companies can also be negligent themselves if some business practice or decision contributed to the accident, such as employing a driver without a commercial license or with a history of DUI offenses.

The technical legal term for this vicarious liability is respondeat superior, Latin for “let the master answer.” When you sustain injuries in a truck accident, you usually start by filing a claim through the company’s liability coverage, which is why trucking companies carry large liability policies to cover their employees.​

Note that trucking companies might label drivers as independent contractors to try to avoid vicarious liability. However, New Jersey has strict rules about who counts as an employee. If a trucking company exerts a specific level of control over drivers, they may be considered employees for liability purposes, regardless of what the company says. Many truck owner-operators count as employees for liability purposes under these rules. An attorney can challenge employee misclassification if a company tries to absolve itself of blame by defining its drivers as contractors. It can be especially important to hire a truck accident attorney in New Brunswick for these complex cases, as they understand these legal issues and can help protect your rights.

Other Potentially Liable Parties in Truck Accidents

Trucking companies and drivers are not the only parties that can be responsible for accidents:​

• Vehicle Manufacturers – You can file a product liability claim against vehicle manufacturers for accidents due to defective truck parts. Common defective parts include tires, axles, headlights, steering columns, tractor hitches, and cargo securement systems.​
• Maintenance Crews – Vehicle maintenance crews must keep records of making repairs and addressing issues. If they neglect repairs or do not keep appropriate travel logs, the maintenance company can bear liability if a maintenance failure causes injuries.​
• Cargo Loading Crews – A separate company might handle cargo loading and securing. Loading crews can bear responsibility if they don’t pack and tie down cargo correctly.​
• Third Parties – Any third party that negligently creates hazardous road conditions can share liability for collisions. For instance, construction companies can be liable if truck accidents happen due to inadequate traffic diversions around building sites.​

Accident reconstructionists often help analyze crash scenes, reconstruct the events leading up to the accident, and provide testimony to help establish liability. Additionally, medical professionals are important in documenting injuries, providing medical evaluations, and supporting injury claims with professional opinions. In many truck accidents, multiple parties can share liability for the same accident, and a traffic collision lawyer can identify all potentially liable parties to pursue for compensation.​

Compensation in New Brunswick Truck Accidents

New Jersey is a no-fault state for auto collisions, meaning drivers first file a claim with their personal injury protection coverage (PIP), regardless of who is at fault. PIP coverage offers a basic level of compensation and can cover the following economic losses:​

• Necessary injury-related medical expenses
• Lost income from missing work
• Replacement service costs
• Funeral and death expenses, which can result from fatal crashes involving large trucks

Many accident victims may be entitled to compensation not only for hospital bills and future medical expenses, but also for lost income and pain and suffering. At Brach Eichler Injury Lawyers, we are dedicated to helping accident victims pursue fair compensation for their injuries and losses. Victims of truck accidents may face long-term financial hardships due to ongoing medical expenses and lost income.​

New Jersey’s no-fault system normally restricts motorists from suing after an accident unless they have suffered a serious injury, but different rules apply in commercial vehicle cases. In many truck accident cases, you may be able to file a liability claim against the trucking company or another at-fault party in addition to your PIP claim. PIP coverage alone often won’t cover the catastrophic injuries a truck accident can cause. Brach Eichler Injury Lawyers can help you pursue a liability claim against negligent actors to seek a wider range of losses, including noneconomic damages like:​

• Pain and suffering
• Scarring and disfigurement
• Loss of life enjoyment
• Emotional distress
• Other quality-of-life reductions

Victims have a right to seek compensation for all of their legally recognized damages, including medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering. If a loved one died in a truck accident, you may pursue compensation for your loss by filing a wrongful death lawsuit.​

Filing a claim after a truck accident can involve gathering evidence, filing necessary paperwork, dealing with insurers, and potentially going to trial. For victims who have suffered injuries or losses, obtaining financial compensation can be an important part of rebuilding their lives after a truck accident.​

Most New Brunswick truck accident lawyers operate on a contingency fee basis, so clients do not have to pay attorney’s fees unless they recover compensation. Many law firms offer a free consultation for truck accident victims to discuss their cases, and insurers may approach settlements differently if they know your lawyer is prepared to go to trial.​

We aim to be as thorough as possible in evaluating compensation and will examine every reasonable avenue for seeking recovery. Injuries have far-reaching consequences, and we will do our best to account for typical and less common injury-related costs.​

Frequently Asked Questions

These questions are some of the most common ones our clients ask about truck accident injury claims and settlements.

Contact an Experienced New Brunswick Truck Accident Lawyer Today

Trucking accidents pose unique challenges and complications that can get in the way of recovering your losses. Brach Eichler Injury Lawyers has decades of experience guiding New Jersey residents through complex personal injury claims. We have multiple New Jersey offices, including convenient locations for clients in Newark and throughout the state, making in-person consultations at our offices accessible. Our attorneys have successfully recovered over $500 million for injury clients, and many of our significant cases involve truck accidents.

Several personal injury law firms in New Brunswick, NJ handle truck accident cases, and Brach Eichler Injury Lawyers is among the firms that regularly represent truck crash victims. We have the experience, resources, and determination to pursue your claim as far as necessary. Notably, William O. Crutchlow, Victor A. Rotolo, and James Curran are New Jersey attorneys with substantial experience handling serious injury and trucking-related cases in this region. When it’s your money and well-being on the line, our law firm will work hard to explore every appropriate legal avenue for recovery.

Contact Brach Eichler Injury Lawyers online or call (973) 364-8300 to speak to a personal injury lawyer in New Brunswick about your truck accident claim. We are available 24/7 and can schedule a consultation whenever is convenient for you, either at one of our New Jersey offices or another location that works for you.

We are trial attorneys with the experience and knowledge to pursue the results you deserve under the law. At Brach Eichler Injury Lawyers, we take time to get to know you, as well as your case. We are committed to providing a high level of client service. It is important for our team to understand your fears, concerns, and expectations. We are available to answer questions and are willing to come to you if you are unable to come to us.​