Realities of truck accidents in New York
New York County was the site of 11 of the state’s total 118 fatalities in accidents involving large trucks in 2013.
Residents in New York City know that many changes have been underway since the Mayor introduced his Vision Zero plan. Those changes have focused primarily on reducing pedestrian accidents in the city. In some cases, those accidents could involve large commercial trucks. However, truck accidents often happen on thruways, expressways and other routes that do not find pedestrians but other vehicles involved.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 1,199 people died in New York State in 2013 in motor vehicle accidents. Of those, 118 people died in accidents involving large trucks. Other data from the NHTSA shows the following:
- New York County was the site of the most truck-related fatalities with 11 out of the county’s 45 vehicular deaths resulting from these crashes.
- Suffolk County posted the state’s second highest number of vehicular fatalities involving large trucks with nine such deaths.
- In Kings County, seven people died in accidents with large trucks.
- In Nassau County, five fatalities occurred in large truck accidents.
- Four people each lost their lives in Queens and Bronx Counties.
These statistics make it clear to see that large trucks pose serious risks to motorists on New York roads.
Recent headlines confirm the risk to New Yorkers
Several recent truck accidents have been reported in local news stories. One person died in a crash that ignited a fire when a dump truck struck an overpass on a Tuesday morning according to the New York Times.
Another person died and two others were injured when a box truck collided with a car in Jersey City. The driver of the truck and the car passenger were both taken to Jersey City Medical Center while the car’s driver died. NBC New York indicates that an investigation was launched into the cause of the collision.
Overturned tractor-trailers were involved in two other accidents. A second trailer came loose from one tractor-trailer on Interstate 87, overturning and spilling milk. The Daily Freeman did not provide details of any injuries.
CBS New York detailed the overturning of another tractor-trailer on a Long Island Expressway early one weekday morning. It is not known if any people were hurt in the incident.
What should New Yorkers do?
Certainly the first and most critical thing to do in the wake of any motor accident is to address any personal injury needs. Also important is to collect important data from other involved drivers or witnesses. After that, contacting an attorney should always be done. Getting legal involvement is very helpful when seeking compensation for injuries and other losses.
