Long Island Truck Accident Lawyer

Truck Accident Lawyer Long Island, NY

A crash with a commercial truck is nothing like a regular car accident. The vehicles are heavier. The damage is worse. The injuries are more severe, and more often fatal. And the companies behind those trucks, the carriers, the brokers, the insurers, have legal teams on speed dial. Before you’ve even left the hospital, they’re already working to limit what they’ll have to pay you.

That’s why you need a law firm that understands how these cases actually work. At Isaacson, Schiowitz & Korson, LLP, we have represented accident victims across Nassau County, Suffolk County, and the broader New York area since 1978. We know the federal regulations. We know the insurance structures. And we know the tactics trucking companies use to dodge liability. Every truck accident case we take is on contingency. If you need a truck accident lawyer Long Island, NY residents can rely on, call us for a free consultation.

Why Truck Accidents on Long Island Require a Specialized Approach

An 80,000-pound tractor-trailer hitting a 3,500-pound passenger car produces catastrophic force. The physics alone explain why truck accidents kill and maim at rates far higher than other motor vehicle collisions. But the legal complexity runs even deeper.

Truck accident cases involve federal regulations that don’t exist in regular car crashes. The FMCSA sets rules governing everything from how long a driver can stay behind the wheel to how often brakes must be inspected. Violations of those rules don’t just indicate negligence. Under the doctrine of negligence per se, they can establish it. That’s a meaningful legal advantage, but only if your attorney knows where to look.

Multiple defendants are common. The driver, the trucking company, the vehicle owner, the cargo loader, the maintenance contractor, and sometimes the truck or parts manufacturer. Each one carries separate insurance. Each one points the finger at someone else. Sorting through the liability chain requires investigators, accident reconstructionists, and attorneys who have done this before. Our Long Island injury lawyers have the resources and the experience to handle that complexity.

Why Choose Isaacson, Schiowitz & Korson for Truck Accident Cases?

Trial Experience That Matters

Jeremy Schiowitz worked defense before becoming a plaintiffs’ attorney. He knows how trucking company insurers evaluate claims, how they build defenses, and how they pressure victims into accepting lowball offers. Over 16 years of litigation experience. J.D. from Brooklyn Law School. Licensed in New York and New Jersey. Super Lawyer from 2014 through 2025. Top One Percent, NADC. Named among the 10 Best Attorneys in New York by the American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys. Jeremy won a landmark appellate case that changed train platform liability law in New York, which speaks to his willingness to push boundaries when the law requires it.

Martin Schiowitz co-founded the firm in 1978. He has tried cases across Long Island for over five decades. J.D. from New York Law School, 1972. Admitted to the Bar in 1973. Peer-selected Super Lawyer. Member of the NYSTLA and the New York State Academy of Trial Lawyers. Martin’s multimillion-dollar verdicts across practice areas reflect the depth of his courtroom skill.

More Than $200 Million Recovered

Our firm’s total recoveries exceed $200 million across all practice areas. Truck accident cases often involve policy limits of $750,000, $1 million, or more. When the carrier hauls hazardous materials, federal law may require up to $5 million in coverage. We pursue every available dollar from every responsible party.

No Fee Unless We Win

Contingency fee. That’s our model. No retainer. No hourly charges. No bill while your case is pending. If we don’t recover compensation for you, you owe us nothing.

What Our Clients Say

★★★★★

“In the beginning I dealt with a firm in Queens. It was a nightmare. In the end, when I saw that I was going nowhere with them I wanted to take my case somewhere else. And I was lucky. Although the previous lawyer provided very negative information about me and my case, Jeremy Schiowitz took his time to know me, to understand the details of my case and eventually he decided to take me as a client. And it was a blessing. He handled all the details of my case very diligently and professionally and we got to the best resolution I could hope for.” — Norbert K

Read more reviews on our Google Business Profile.

Types of Truck Accident Cases We Handle on Long Island

Long Island’s highway network carries enormous volumes of commercial truck traffic daily. The Long Island Expressway, Southern State Parkway, Sunrise Highway, and Routes 25 and 110 all see heavy truck use. Here are the types of truck accident cases we handle in Nassau and Suffolk Counties:

• Tractor-trailer collisions. The classic big rig crash. An 18-wheeler rear-ends a line of stopped traffic, jackknifes on a wet highway, or drifts across the center line. These crashes produce the most catastrophic injuries: crushed vehicles, traumatic amputations, severe brain injuries, spinal cord damage. The trucking company’s federal insurance policy, at minimum $750,000 and often $1 million or more, is the primary target.
• Delivery truck accidents. Not every truck accident involves an 18-wheeler. Box trucks, panel vans, and delivery vehicles from companies like FedEx, UPS, and Amazon cause serious accidents on Long Island every day. These vehicles are lighter than tractor-trailers but still far heavier than passenger cars. The drivers are often under extreme time pressure, rushing between stops, double-parking, and cutting through residential streets.
• Underride collisions. A passenger car slides under the side or rear of a trailer. The top of the car shears off. These crashes have some of the highest fatality rates in all of trucking. Federal law requires rear underride guards, but side underride guards are not yet mandated. When an underride crash occurs because the carrier failed to maintain its rear guard or because the trailer lacked adequate side protection, liability is strong.
• Wide turn crashes. Trucks making right turns swing wide into adjacent lanes. Cyclists and pedestrians are especially vulnerable. So are drivers in the next lane who get squeezed between the turning truck and the curb or a parked vehicle.
• Cargo spills and unsecured loads. Improperly loaded or secured freight shifts during transport. Lumber falls off a flatbed. Gravel spills across the highway. A container door swings open on the LIE. These accidents are the cargo loader’s fault, the trucking company’s fault, or both, and FMCSA cargo securement rules establish the standard of care.
• Tire blowout and brake failure crashes. An unmaintained truck loses a tire at 55 mph and the debris strikes your windshield. Or the brakes fail on a downhill grade and the truck plows into traffic. Proving liability requires the truck’s maintenance records, inspection reports, and electronic data. We subpoena those before the carrier can alter or destroy them.
• Fatigued driver crashes. FMCSA hours-of-service rules exist because drowsy truck drivers kill people. An 11-hour daily driving limit. A mandatory 30-minute break after 8 hours. A 60/70-hour weekly cap. Carriers that push drivers beyond these limits, and drivers who falsify their electronic logging devices, bear direct responsibility for the crashes that follow.
• Truck accident wrongful death. When a truck crash kills a passenger, pedestrian, or occupant of another vehicle, the surviving family can bring a wrongful death claim. The two-year filing deadline applies. Damages include lost financial support, funeral costs, and the loss of the relationship.

Federal and State Laws That Govern Truck Accident Cases

Truck accident claims on Long Island are governed by a combination of federal regulations and New York state law. Understanding both is critical to building a strong case.

FMCSA regulations (49 CFR Parts 300–399) apply to every commercial motor vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating over 10,000 pounds. The FMCSA crash data confirms that violations of these rules are a recurring factor in fatal truck crashes. Key regulations include hours-of-service limits, mandatory drug and alcohol testing, CDL qualification standards, vehicle maintenance and inspection requirements, and cargo securement rules. A violation of any FMCSA regulation can support a negligence per se claim, which shifts the burden of proof and strengthens your case considerably.

Federal insurance minimums require interstate trucking companies to carry at least $750,000 in liability insurance for general freight carriers. Carriers of hazardous materials must carry between $1 million and $5 million depending on the cargo. Many large carriers maintain policies well above these minimums. That insurance is the primary source of compensation in most truck accident cases.

New York’s no-fault system applies to truck accidents the same way it applies to car crashes. PIP benefits cover initial medical expenses and lost wages regardless of fault. To pursue a full lawsuit including pain and suffering, your injuries must meet the serious injury threshold under Insurance Law § 5102(d). Given the severity of most truck accident injuries, this threshold is almost always met.

The CPLR § 214. New York’s pure comparative negligence rule under CPLR § 1411 allows recovery even if you share some fault. And vicarious liability under New York law means the trucking company is typically liable for the negligent acts of its driver, even without separate proof of the company’s own negligence.

What Damages Can You Recover After a Truck Accident on Long Island?

Truck accident injuries tend to be severe, which means the damages tend to be large. The higher insurance limits on commercial vehicles make full recovery more achievable than in a typical car crash case.

Economic damages: hospital bills, emergency surgery, ICU stays, rehabilitation, physical therapy that stretches across months or years, prescription costs, lost wages during recovery, diminished future earning capacity if the injury is permanent, home care, medical equipment, vehicle replacement. Every dollar is documented and demanded.

Non-economic damages: the pain that doesn’t go away. The fear of driving. The disability that changes how you live your daily life. The relationships strained by chronic injury. A fractured rib that took months to heal. A spinal fusion that left you with permanent limitations. A traumatic brain injury that altered your cognition and personality. New York does not cap non-economic damages in personal injury cases, and in severe truck crash claims, these damages can exceed the economic losses.

Punitive damages are available when the conduct was egregious. A trucking company that knowingly put a fatigued driver on the road. A carrier that falsified maintenance records. A driver who was intoxicated. These cases go beyond ordinary negligence and into territory where courts allow punishment as a deterrent.

Steps to Take After a Truck Accident on Long Island

Evidence in truck accident cases disappears fast. Electronic logging device data can be overwritten within days. Dashcam footage gets recycled. Maintenance records go missing. The trucking company’s insurer may have an investigator at the scene before you’ve been discharged from the hospital. You need to move quickly.

1. Call 911. A police report is essential. It documents the vehicles involved, the scene, and often a preliminary determination of fault. For truck accidents, the report may also note vehicle weight, carrier name, USDOT number, and cargo type.
2. Get medical treatment immediately. Truck crash injuries are often internal and not immediately apparent. Get to an ER. Follow up with specialists. The medical record tying your injuries to this crash starts at the first appointment.
3. Document everything. Photographs of the vehicles, damage, skid marks, road conditions, debris, traffic signals, and your injuries. The truck’s USDOT number and company name, usually displayed on the cab door. The driver’s CDL information if available.
4. Collect witness information. Names and phone numbers. Other drivers. Bystanders. Anyone who saw what happened.
5. Don’t speak to the trucking company’s insurer. They will call. They will sound friendly. They are building a case against you. Everything you say will be used to reduce or deny your claim. Let your attorney handle all communications.
6. Contact a truck accident lawyer immediately. A Long Island truck accident attorney can send a spoliation letter to the carrier, which legally compels them to preserve electronic logs, GPS data, dashcam footage, driver qualification files, and maintenance records. This step is time-sensitive. If the evidence is destroyed before the letter is sent, it may be gone permanently.

Truck Accident Statistics

The FMCSA crash data documented 6,050 large trucks and buses involved in fatal crashes in 2022, a 2% increase from 2021. In 2023, fatalities in crashes involving large trucks decreased by 8% nationally, but the numbers remain staggering: an estimated 4,807 people died in truck-related crashes that year. Eighty percent of large trucks involved in fatal crashes were in multi-vehicle collisions.

The NHTSA data confirms that occupants of other vehicles, not the truck drivers themselves, account for the vast majority of deaths in these crashes. Long Island’s major corridors, including the LIE, the Northern and Southern State Parkways, and Route 495, carry heavy commercial traffic daily. The NYS Comptroller’s office reported that motor vehicle fatalities rose 25.8% statewide between 2019 and 2022. Suffolk County recorded 164 traffic deaths in 2022 alone.

According to the CDC, motor vehicle crashes remain a leading cause of injury-related death nationally. The weight disparity between a commercial truck and a passenger vehicle makes these collisions disproportionately deadly for the smaller vehicle’s occupants.

Truck Accident Lawyer Long Island FAQs

Who can I sue after a truck accident?

Potentially the driver, the trucking company, the vehicle owner (if different from the carrier), the cargo loader, and the maintenance provider. In some cases, the truck or parts manufacturer may also be liable for a defective product. New York’s vicarious liability doctrine means the carrier is typically responsible for its driver’s negligence.

How much insurance do trucking companies carry?

Federal law requires at least $750,000 for general freight carriers and up to $5 million for hazardous materials carriers. Many large carriers carry $1 million or more in primary coverage, plus excess or umbrella policies. The available insurance in a truck accident case is almost always higher than in a car crash.

What is negligence per se?

When a truck driver or trucking company violates a federal safety regulation, such as an FMCSA hours-of-service rule or a maintenance requirement, that violation can establish negligence as a matter of law. You don’t have to separately prove they were “unreasonable.” The violation itself is the proof. This is a powerful tool in truck accident litigation.

What is a spoliation letter?

It’s a legal demand sent to the trucking company requiring them to preserve all evidence related to the crash: electronic logs, GPS data, dashcam footage, driver qualification files, drug test results, maintenance records, and dispatch communications. Sending this letter early is critical because much of this data is routinely overwritten or deleted within days or weeks.

What are hours-of-service violations?

FMCSA rules limit truck drivers to 11 hours of driving within a 14-hour window, with a mandatory 30-minute break after 8 hours and a 60/70-hour weekly cap. Drivers who exceed these limits or falsify their electronic logging devices are in violation. If a fatigued driver causes a crash, both the driver and the carrier who allowed or encouraged the violation can be held liable.

Does New York’s no-fault law apply?

Yes. PIP benefits cover your initial medical expenses and lost wages regardless of fault. But given the severity of most truck crash injuries, you’ll almost certainly meet the serious injury threshold and qualify to bring a full lawsuit for all damages including pain and suffering.

What if the truck driver was an independent contractor?

Trucking companies sometimes classify drivers as independent contractors to avoid liability. But New York courts look at the actual working relationship, not just the label. If the carrier controlled the driver’s schedule, route, and methods, vicarious liability may still apply regardless of the contractor designation.

Can I recover if I was partly at fault?

Yes. New York’s pure comparative negligence rule reduces your recovery by your share of fault but doesn’t eliminate it. Even at 40% fault, you can still recover 60% of your damages.

What injuries are most common in truck accidents?

Spinal cord injuries. Traumatic brain injuries. Multiple fractures. Internal organ damage. Crush injuries. Burns from fuel fires. Traumatic amputations. The force involved in a collision with a commercial truck is exponentially greater than a car-on-car crash, and the injuries reflect that.

How long do I have to file?

Three years from the accident date for a personal injury claim. Two years for wrongful death. But the practical deadline for preserving truck company evidence is measured in days. Waiting costs you evidence you can’t get back.

What if the truck was carrying hazardous materials?

Federal insurance requirements increase to between $1 million and $5 million for hazmat carriers. If the hazardous cargo contributed to the severity of the crash or caused additional injuries like chemical burns or toxic exposure, the damages and the available insurance both increase substantially.

How much does a truck accident lawyer cost?

We charge nothing upfront and nothing during the case. Our fee is contingency-based. It comes from the recovery. If there’s no recovery, there’s no fee.

Local Resources for Long Island Truck Accident Victims

The following resources may be helpful after a truck accident on Long Island. Inclusion does not constitute an endorsement by Isaacson, Schiowitz & Korson, LLP.

• Nassau County Police — (516) 573-7000
• Suffolk County Police — (631) 852-6000
• NYS DOT Truck Safety — Commercial vehicle regulations and permits
• NYU Langone–Long Island (Level 1 Trauma, Mineola) — (516) 663-0333
• Stony Brook University Hospital (Level 1 Trauma, Stony Brook) — (631) 444-4000
• New York State Courts — Nassau and Suffolk County Supreme Courts

Contact Isaacson, Schiowitz & Korson

Trucking companies start building their defense within hours of a crash. Their insurers have adjusters, investigators, and attorneys working the case before you’ve seen a doctor. You can’t afford to wait. We offer free consultations. We work on contingency. And we move fast because truck accident evidence doesn’t last. Call us today.