Garbage truck drivers provide New Yorkers with an essential service, often in the early hours of the morning with most of their time spent on residential roads along with other drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists. Just like any other motorist on the road, garbage truck drivers can get distracted and cause serious accidents. Unfortunately, commercial garbage trucks can be much more dangerous than your typical car accident – due to the vehicle’s size, contents, and machinery.
If you were injured or a family member suffered a fatal injury caused by a garbage truck accident, you can talk to us to find out what legal options are available to pursue. The lawyers at Cellino Law know how to handle personal injury litigation in the right way. We are available 24/7 to offer injury victims a free consultation. We want to help you get the information you need to make the right decision for your garbage truck accident case.
Call us at (888) 888-8888 today and schedule your free consultation.
Different Types of Garbage Trucks
Garbage trucks are not only large, heavy vehicles, but they also have many moving parts and often carry hazardous substances. Different types of garbage trucks can vary in size, weight capacity, equipment, and function. Even at low speeds a garbage truck could crush and fatally injure a person. In fact, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, garbage collection is rated as one of the most dangerous occupations in the nation.
There are four main types of garbage trucks that are used to collect trash across the United States:
- Front-loader trucks: This type of truck has a hydraulically controlled forklift on the front of the vehicle that lifts and dumps the contents of the dumpster into the hopper. It is then compacted into the rear of the body
- Rear-loader trucks: This type of truck has a large opening at the rear of the truck. The garbage collector can hang off the back of the truck to easily jump off to collect refuse and empty the contents of receptacles into the back
- Side-loader trucks: This type of truck can be loaded either manually or with the use of an automatic robotic arm. The robotic arm picks up trash from the side of the vehicle and empties the contents into the truck
- Roll-off garbage trucks: This type of truck carries a roll-off container, which can be dropped off, loaded, and then picked up to empty the contents at a landfill or recycling center. Roll-off garbage trucks are mostly used for large-scale commercial waste removals such as from construction and demolition sites.
Common Causes of Garbage Truck Accidents
Garbage truck drivers operate heavy machinery often within close proximity to other vehicles and pedestrians. Due to a garbage truck’s large size, it may have multiple blind spots that could hinder the driver’s view. This may result in colliding with another vehicle, cyclist, or pedestrian. This can be especially dangerous when maneuvering the truck on narrow and densely populated New York streets.
Although speed may not be involved, garbage trucks can still cause devastating injuries. Common causes of garbage truck accidents may include:
- Distracted driving
- Driving while fatigued
- Driving while speeding
- Dumping waste that hits another vehicle or person
- Falling objects from the truck
- Failure to check blind spots
- Driving in the wrong lane
- Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
- Failure to follow traffic rules or signals
- Failure to yield the right-of-way
- Inadequate vehicle maintenance
- Hazardous waste spill
- Rear-end collision
- Lack of training
Who is Liable for a Garbage Truck Accident?
Establishing fault in a truck accident can be complicated as there may be multiple parties involved. Garbage trucks may be owned and operated by either a private trucking company or a government entity, such as New York’s Department of Sanitation (DSNY).
Depending on the circumstances of the accident, you may be able to file a claim against one or more liable parties, including:
- Garbage truck driver or operator
- Waste removal company or employer
- Garbage truck owner
- Vehicle maintenance company
- Government entity
- Manufacturers of defective parts
- Other drivers involved in the accident
To determine who is responsible for a garbage truck crash, it is highly recommended to hire an experienced lawyer to investigate the incident. If negligence is found to have caused the accident, you can file a claim to pursue compensation for your damages.
When Cellino Law takes on a case, we make a thorough investigation into the details of the accident and gather all necessary evidence to build a strong case for you.
Types of Injuries Caused by Garbage Truck Accidents
When a garbage truck crashes into another vehicle or person, the injuries can be catastrophic and at times fatal. Some garbage truck accident victims suffer serious burns or permanent disability requiring long-term care.
Common types of injuries caused by garbage truck accidents may include:
- Amputations
- Brain trauma injuries
- Burn injuries
- Cuts, bruises, and lacerations
- Emotional trauma
- Fractures and broken bones
- Head injuries
- Internal injuries
- Nerve damage
- Spinal and neck injuries
What Compensation Can You Pursue for a New York Garbage Truck Accident?
Victims of garbage truck accidents often have a lot on their plate. Many have to juggle medical bills, loss of income, and the physical and emotional trauma from their accident – all at the same time.
Although we at Cellino Law cannot reverse the damage that has been done, of course, we fight hard to advocate for each client’s rights and hold responsible parties accountable for their actions. If you hire us, our legal team will dedicate its time, energy, and resources to seeking the maximum amount of compensation available for your suffering.
Our lawyers will seek compensation for damages including:
- Past, current, and future medical expenses
- Loss of income
- Loss of future earnings
- Disfigurement
- Funeral and burial expenses
- Property damage
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional trauma
- Diminished quality of life
- Wrongful death claim
How Much Does a Garbage Truck Accident Lawyer Cost?
The lawyers at Cellino Law firm offer quality legal representation to all New York residents without the worry of having to pay upfront costs or retainer fees. We work on a contingency basis, which means we only get paid when you get paid. In other words, you don’t pay a thing until we win your case for you.
This gives our clients the peace of mind that comes from knowing they can access highly experienced attorneys without further straining their financial situation. Talk to one of our lawyers to find out how we can help you with your garbage truck accident case.
How Our Award-Winning Lawyers Can Help You
Cellino Law firm has over 60 years of experience in helping New Yorkers with their legal matters. We know that it can be overwhelming to know what to do after an accident and that hiring a lawyer can be very stressful. The good news is that we make the process easy for you. We offer residents of New York a free no-obligation case evaluation to help them get the information they need to make an informed decision.
If you decide to hire us, we will thoroughly investigate your case details to determine which parties are at fault and hold them accountable for their negligence. We then gather the necessary evidence to build a solid case for you.
Duties our legal team carries out include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Visiting the accident scene
- Interviewing witnesses and obtaining affidavits
- Reviewing the police report
- Gathering photos and video footage of the accident
- Gaining access to surveillance or traffic video footage nearby
- Consulting with medical experts to gather supporting evidence
- Managing correspondence and negotiations with insurance companies
- Filing required legal documents with the courts if necessary
- Keeping our clients up to date with the progress of the case
We strive to make a difference in each of our clients’ lives. Let us put our knowledge and experience to work for you and help you get justice for your suffering.
Schedule your free consultation by calling Cellino Law at (888) 888-8888 today.