Police responded to the scene of a deadly truck accident in New York City earlier this month to find an elderly woman already deceased at the accident site. The woman was struck by a tow truck near Union Square on July 14th around two in the afternoon as she was crossing East 17th Street. The woman was with another individual at the time of the accident and thankfully was unharmed. The truck driver stayed at the scene of the fatal accident and is reportedly cooperating with NYPD investigators.
The truck in question was a large 4-axle commercial tow truck—the type designed to tow large trucks, not simply automobiles. As such, it was a much bigger vehicle than you might expect to see. That size could have played a contributing factor in the crash as larger vehicles not only create visibility problems for drivers but they’re also significantly more difficult to control safely on tight city streets. Not only is their turn radius much larger than an average automobile, they take significantly longer to stop when the braking system is applied.
Even if no charges are filed against the driver, that does not mean the victim’s surviving relatives forfeit their rights to bring a claim. If they can prove that the driver acted negligently in any way, the tow truck can be held at least partially responsible for the accident and thus financially liable for pain and suffering for the time the woman survived after the accident and any unpaid medical and funeral expenses. Bear in mind, only a competent personal injury attorney has the skill and expertise to successfully prosecute a case such as this. A thorough investigation and scene reconstruction will be absolutely necessary in order to demonstrate fault on the part of the truck driver.
If you or a loved one have been injured by a commercial truck driver, contact an experienced truck accident attorney in New York City today. Call the Law Offices of Nussin S. Fogel at 800-734-9338 or 212-385-1122 for your free consultation.