Garbage Truck Accidents Lawyer

Garbage trucks are dangerous motor vehicles. Every year hundreds of drivers, pedestrians, and waste management employees are hurt in garbage truck accidents. These trucks are particularly dangerous because they are heavy trucks which run in all types of bad weather, frequently stop, and operate at night to complete their rounds on schedule. OSHA reports that in a given year over twenty (20) garbage truck employees have died from garbage truck injuries on the job.

Understanding The Severity Of Garbage Truck Accidents

Recently, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) published the National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries for the year 2017, identifying 30 fatalities among refuse and recyclable material collectors, making it the job with the fifth highest fatality rate in the U.S. The Solid Waste Association of America (SWANA) noticed a spike in waste management fatalities in 2019 and created a program to educate workers and other motor vehicle drivers on ways to be safe around garbage trucks.

Why Are There So Many Garbage Truck Accidents In New York City?

New York City is especially susceptible to garbage truck accidents because of its dense population, narrow streets, ongoing construction, and frequent inclement weather. In addition, the roads are crowded with cars, bicycles and pedestrians.

Therefore, SWANA has combined a list of safety measures and initiatives on their website. It is an excellent resource for sanitation workers and others to keep New York City safe from garbage truck accidents.

Who Gets Hurt in Garbage Truck Accidents?

• Waste Management Employees
• Drivers of Other Motor Vehicles
• Pedestrians
• Bicyclists

Collecting garbage is one of the most dangerous jobs in the U.S. Waste manage employees, garbage collectors, trash collectors and garbage truck drivers are frequently injured or killed in garbage truck accidents.

Car drivers, Bus Drivers and other motor vehicle drivers are involved in accidents where they often collide with garbage trucks.

Walking or running by a garbage truck can be dangerous because it is often hard for drivers to see pedestrians who are lower to the ground. New York is a city filled with pedestrians and we have all walked by garbage trucks. Everyone should take extra precautions near such heavy equipment.

Just like walking pedestrians, riding a bike in New York City can be a dangerous proposition from motor vehicles of all types. Bicyclists are frequently hurt in garbage truck in our city.

Common Causes Of Garbage Truck Accidents

• Driving in Bad Weather
• Negligence of the Driver
• Failure to Inspect or Maintain Trucks/Equipment
• Frequency of Stopping/Starting
• Locations of Garbage Routes

Garbage trucks operate in bad weather, including snow, rain, sleet and fog. Operating in inclement weather increases the chance of an accident with a pedestrian or another motor vehicle.

Driver negligence is the leading cause of accidents. Failure to obey traffic laws, speeding, or distraction can lead to serious injury or death.

Garbage Trucks drive thousands of miles during their routes and failing to maintain or inspect the truck to ensure their safety and durability for these routes is a common cause of accidents.

Stopping and starting frequently is a leading cause of garbage truck accidents in New York.

Garbage truck run throughout our streets, neighborhoods, and communities and we interact with these large trucks daily.

Contact Our New York City Garbage Accident Lawyers

Garbage truck accidents can cause serious injury or death. If you are a garbage collector, sanitation worker or garbage truck driver hurt in a garbage truck accident you may be entitled to Worker’s Compensation and/or a personal injury claim against a negligent third party causing your injury. It is imperative you contact a lawyer experienced in the law to evaluate your claim. Likewise, if you are a driver of another car or a pedestrian injured by a garbage truck you may file a claim for damages resulting from your injury.

Establishing liability, fighting the defending insurance company lawyers, or seeking damages from an employer, can be very complex and requires professionals to recover just compensation. If you or someone you love has been injured in an accident involving a garbage truck, you should seek consultation with an experienced and dedicated motor vehicle attorney immediately. The personal injury attorneys at Pazer, Epstein, Jaffe & Fein, P.C. are devoted to seeking justice and fighting for the maximum recovery you are entitled to.

Contact us for a free consultation, and visit our website to see testimonials from past clients. Our motor vehicle accident attorneys have recovered millions of dollars in settlements and jury verdicts, and we represent those injured in car accident lawsuits throughout New York City and Long Island. We may be reached at (212) 847-5007 in the five boroughs or (718) 954-9986 on Long Island.