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The fully-loaded semi-trucks that crisscross the New York metro area weigh at least 80,000 pounds. Furthermore, bureaucrats routinely grant waivers which allow shipping companies to pile even more weight onto these trucks. There’s more: these vehicles normally carry hundreds of gallons of diesel fuel. This concoction burns at a different temperature from gasoline. So, many large truck crashes involve huge fireballs. Because of these hazards, New York truck drivers have a higher duty of care than non-commercial drivers. For example, non-commercial drivers must be more alert at night. But...

Many drivers in The Big Apple are just passing through, moving to town, or moving out of town. A number of these people rent moving trucks from U-Haul, Ryder, and other such places. Under traditional negligence law, the companies could be responsible for car crash damages in these cases. If an owner loans a vehicle to an incompetent driver, and that driver causes a collision, the owner is legally responsible for damages. But because of 49 U.S. Code § 30106, which was an obscure add-on to a huge 2005...

Most pedestrian accidents occur outside of marked crosswalks. This context is the background for both the serious injuries and insurance company defenses in these claims. When a 4,000-plus pound car strikes a 200-plus pound pedestrian, the results are often tragic, especially if the vehicle is traveling fast. So, the damages in these claims are often quite high. These damages include compensation for economic losses, such as medical bills, and noneconomic losses, such as pain and suffering. Additional punitive damages may be available as well, in some cases.   Injuries...

Every year, car crashes kill or seriously injure millions of Americans. A few of these incidents are one-off accidents, such as a dad who turns around to yell at his kids at exactly the wrong moment. But most of these injuries involve one of the five types of driving impairment, as defined by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. If the car crash victim sustained a serious injury, substantial compensation may be available. This compensation includes money for economic losses, such as medical bills, and noneconomic losses, such as...

Semi-trucks play an important role in our society and economy. They can be found on America’s roadways seven days a week, 365 days a year. Without them, we would not have access to the food and other goods we enjoy on a daily basis. However, traveling on the roadways with these large trucks can be dangerous. In 2016, 3,986 people in the United States were killed in accidents involving semi-trucks. This is the highest number since 2008 when the number of fatalities reached 4,017. New York has one of...

Far too many car accidents happen annually in Manhattan due to motorists not exercising the proper degree of due care when backing up. Although many car accidents that occur when motorists are backing-up involve only property damage to vehicles, other such accidents can result in devastating injuries. If a car that is backing up or moving in reverse, comes into contact with a bicyclist, motorcyclist or pedestrian, the impact may even result in a fatality. How Do Backing Up Accidents Happen? Many auto operators look behind them before backing...