Tractor-trailer, box truck and delivery truck crashes
New York Truck Accident Lawyer for Nassau, Long Island and NYC
A truck case is built from the carrier's own records: driver logs, maintenance files and qualification files. Federal rules require those records to be kept only for set periods, so they should be preserved early.
Our Uniondale office serves Carle Place and central Nassau, and we handle truck claims across Long Island, NYC and New Jersey.
Start here
Truck records have retention clocks
Federal motor carrier rules tell trucking companies how long to keep key records. Those minimums are not permission to destroy evidence: other recordkeeping and litigation-preservation duties may apply. Hours-of-service logs matter because drivers may drive no more than 11 hours within a 14-hour window after 10 hours off duty (49 CFR 395.3).
- Driver logs (records of duty status) and supporting documents
- At least 6 months
- 49 CFR 395.8(k)
- Inspection, repair and maintenance records
- 1 year, and 6 months after the truck leaves the carrier
- 49 CFR 396.3(c)
- Driver qualification file
- Employment plus 3 years
- 49 CFR 391.51
- Dashcam video, telematics, dispatch messages
- Policy and applicable preservation duties
- Preservation letter
Liability
Who may be responsible
Truck crashes often involve several companies. New York generally makes a vehicle's owner liable for a permissive driver's negligence, subject to exceptions (VTL 388). Federal law protects qualifying rental or leasing businesses from liability based only on ownership (49 USC 30106). For-hire interstate carriers of non-hazardous property in vehicles of 10,001 pounds or more must carry at least $750,000 in financial responsibility (49 CFR 387.9), a federal floor, not the actual policy.
- Driver
- Speed, distraction, fatigue, unsafe turns and lane changes.
- Motor carrier
- Hiring, training, dispatch pressure, hours-of-service compliance.
- Owner
- May be liable under VTL 388, subject to rental/leasing and other exceptions.
- Shipper or loader
- Overweight, unbalanced or unsecured cargo.
- Maintenance contractor
- Brakes, tires and lights it was paid to service.
- Manufacturer
- A defective part or design.
If you were in a car
No-fault still comes first
Car occupants and pedestrians hit by a truck generally start with no-fault (PIP) benefits, and a pain-and-suffering claim requires a "serious injury" under Insurance Law 5102(d). For actions commenced on or after May 26, 2026, CPLR 1411(b) also bars recovery when the claimant is more at fault than the defendants (DFS Circular Letter No. 3 (2026)). Read our no-fault guide; riders should see our motorcycle accident page, because motorcycles are treated differently.
- Lawsuit: generally three years (CPLR 214).
- Municipal truck: notice of claim generally within 90 days (GML 50-e).
- Fatal crash: wrongful death generally within two years (EPTL 5-4.1).
Carle Place, Uniondale and central Nassau
Truck claims near our Uniondale office
Delivery trucks, box trucks and tractor-trailers use Old Country Road, Glen Cove Road, Hempstead Turnpike, Jericho Turnpike and the Long Island Expressway every day. We represent people hurt in truck crashes in Carle Place, Westbury, Garden City, Mineola, Hempstead and East Meadow, and see our Uniondale personal injury page for the office.
Truck accident pages by area
Not sure which office is closest? See our truck accident lawyer near me page.
Truck results
Results in truck collision cases
These six published results each describe a collision involving a truck. Locations are given only where the record states them (Brooklyn, New Jersey, federal court).
Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Every case depends on its own facts.
See the full verdicts and settlements archive$300,000
$300,000 Recovery — Brooklyn 18-Wheeler Rear-End Collision
Our client, a NYC probation officer, was stopped at a red light in Brooklyn when an 18-wheeler rear-ended his vehicle. He suffered multiple injuries. We fought to get him the compensation he deserved. We are proud to secure a $300,000 recovery for our client.
$380,000
$380,000 Recovery — Brooklyn Truck Rear-End Collision
Our client, a NYC probation officer, was a passenger in a work vehicle rear-ended by a truck at a red light in Brooklyn. She suffered multiple injuries including surgery. We're proud to have secured a $380,000 recovery for her.
$750,000
$750,000 New Jersey Truck Accident Settlement
Michael Licatesi and our New Jersey trial team secured a $750,000 settlement for our client who was seriously injured in a truck accident.
$499,000
$499,000 Federal Truck Accident Settlement
Our client was involved in a truck accident that resulted in federal litigation. Despite the complexity of the case, we secured a $499,000 settlement for injuries sustained to multiple parts of the body.
Related
Related injuries
- Car accidents and the serious-injury rules for drivers and passengers.
- Catastrophic injuries such as brain and spinal cord injury.
- Wrongful death for families after a fatal truck crash.
- Work accidents if you were on the job when the truck hit you.
Questions
Truck accident questions
Get medical care and the police report number. Photograph the truck, including the company name and USDOT number on the cab, the trailer, the scene and your injuries. Get witnesses' names. Do not sign anything from the trucking company or its insurer, and contact a lawyer quickly so a preservation letter can go out before routine retention periods run.
Federal rules set minimums, not maximums. A motor carrier must keep drivers' records of duty status and supporting documents for at least 6 months (49 CFR 395.8(k)); inspection, repair and maintenance records for 1 year where the vehicle is housed or maintained and for 6 months after it leaves the carrier's control (49 CFR 396.3(c)); and each driver qualification file for as long as the driver is employed and 3 years after (49 CFR 391.51). Dashcam and telematics retention varies, and litigation-preservation duties may apply, which is why a preservation demand should go out early.
Depending on the facts: the driver; the motor carrier that employed or dispatched the driver; the vehicle's owner, who may be liable under Vehicle and Traffic Law 388 for a permissive driver's negligence, subject to exceptions such as federal protection for qualifying rental or leasing businesses; the shipper or loader for cargo problems; a maintenance contractor; or a manufacturer for a defective part. Identifying the carrier and owner is one of the first steps.
For property-carrying drivers, 49 CFR 395.3 allows up to 11 hours of driving within a 14-hour period that starts after 10 consecutive hours off duty, with additional weekly limits and break rules. Logs that do not match fuel receipts, GPS data or delivery times can show a driver was over those limits.
Yes. If you were in a car, your no-fault (PIP) coverage generally pays first, and a claim for pain and suffering against the truck driver and company requires a "serious injury" as defined in Insurance Law 5102(d). The 2026 amendments removed the old 90/180-day category and added CPLR 1411(b), which bars recovery when the claimant is more at fault than the defendants, for actions commenced on or after May 26, 2026.
Federal minimum financial responsibility for a for-hire interstate carrier hauling non-hazardous property in vehicles of 10,001 pounds or more is $750,000 (49 CFR 387.9), with higher minimums for certain hazardous loads. Those are floors; the actual policies, and any excess coverage, have to be identified in each case.
Most personal injury lawsuits must be started within three years (CPLR 214). If a municipal truck or other public vehicle was involved, a notice of claim is generally due within 90 days (General Municipal Law 50-e). A wrongful death action must generally be commenced within two years of death (EPTL 5-4.1).
Yes. Our Uniondale office handles truck accident claims across central Nassau County, including Carle Place, Westbury, Garden City, Mineola, Hempstead and East Meadow, as well as the rest of Long Island, the five boroughs and New Jersey.
Talk to a Long Island truck accident lawyer
Tell us where the crash happened and what you know about the truck. We will identify the carrier and owner, send preservation demands, and explain the deadline that applies. The consultation is free.
What to bring
- Police report number
- Photos showing the truck, company name and USDOT number
- Your auto insurance card
- Medical records so far
Photo credits: Nassau Expressway tractor-trailer by Tdorante10, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped and resized; Truck stop by Thomas Schilling, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped and resized.