Truck Accident Lawyers in New York
Independently reviewed truck accident attorneys across New York City, Long Island, Queens, Brooklyn, Bronx, Buffalo, White Plains, Staten Island, Rochester and Manhattan. 44 firms reviewed, with verified data from the State Bar of New York, Google Maps, and our editorial methodology.
New York is one of the most heavily trafficked truck corridors in the United States, with I-95 carrying the Northeast Corridor, the Tappan Zee / Cuomo Bridge handling daily commercial volume, and the Port of New York and New Jersey ranking as the third-busiest US port. New York courts produce some of the largest commercial vehicle verdicts in the country, and Empire State juries are historically plaintiff-favorable in catastrophic injury cases.
New York truck accident law — key points
Three legal questions affect almost every truck accident case in New York. Each is governed by a public statute we link below — you can verify everything.
Statute of limitations
3 years for personal injury
2 years for wrongful death
Three years for personal injury (one of the longest PI SOLs in the country). Two years for wrongful death from the date of death. Note: claims against the State of New York and municipalities have a 90-day notice-of-claim deadline before the SOL even applies.
Comparative negligence rule
Pure comparative negligence
New York follows pure comparative negligence (CPLR § 1411). You can recover damages even if you are 99% at fault, with your award reduced by your fault percentage. One of the most plaintiff-favorable rules in the country, alongside California and Arizona.
Damages caps
No cap on compensatory damages
No cap on compensatory damages in ordinary personal injury or truck accident cases. New York is one of the few large states with no statutory damages caps for plaintiffs. Punitive damages are available but require a high evidentiary showing (Walker v. Sheldon-style willful misconduct).
Top 5 truck accident law firms in New York
Sorted by our editorial score. Each firm has been reviewed with our public methodology and verified across multiple data sources. Click any firm to see the full side-by-side comparison.
- 1
Beck Workers Comp & Accident Lawyer of Queens, P.C.
Google ★ 5 · 283 reviews State Bar Amanda Zafur · Bar #5119615 Editorial 10/10 · Local Queens (NYC) personal-injury practiceSee full profile and sources → - 2
Cantor, Wolff, Nicastro and Hall
Google ★ 5 · 452 reviews State Bar Mark Henry Cantor · Bar #1815919 Editorial 10/10 · Local Buffalo personal-injury practiceSee full profile and sources → - 3
CARRION ACCIDENT & INJURY ATTORNEYS
Google ★ 5 · 471 reviews State Bar MOHAMMAD RASHAD NASEREDDIN-GUERRA · Bar #5631098 Editorial 10/10 · NY personal-injury practiceSee full profile and sources → - 4
DeFrancisco & Falgiatano Personal Injury Lawyers
Google ★ 5 · 119 reviews State Bar James Lewis Donigan · Bar #2975647 Editorial 10/10 · Local Rochester personal-injury practiceSee full profile and sources → - 5
Gelbstein & Associates, PLLC
Google ★ 5 · 385 reviews State Bar Yehoshua Gelbstein · Bar #4553004 Editorial 10/10 · Local Brooklyn (NYC) personal-injury practiceSee full profile and sources →
Looking for firms in a specific city? New York City, Long Island, Queens, Brooklyn, Bronx, Buffalo, White Plains, Staten Island, Rochester and Manhattan.
Frequently asked questions about New York truck accident cases
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does New York give 3 years for personal injury (most states give 2)?
The New York legislature kept the older 3-year window when many states cut their SOL down to 2 (CPLR § 214). It's a meaningful advantage for victims, but don't wait — evidence in commercial trucking cases (ELD logs, dashcam footage, the truck itself) is destroyed or written over within weeks. Most NY truck attorneys recommend starting within 30 days of the crash regardless of the legal deadline.
What if I was partly at fault for the NY truck accident?
You can still recover under New York's pure comparative negligence rule. Even if a jury finds you 90% at fault, you can still collect 10% of your damages. Unlike Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and most surrounding states (which have a 51% bar), New York has no fault percentage that bars recovery entirely.
How do I file a claim against the City of New York or the State?
You must file a notice of claim within 90 days of the accident (General Municipal Law § 50-e for city claims, Court of Claims Act § 10 for state). Failing to file the notice on time bars the claim entirely, even within the 3-year SOL. This is a frequent trap for self-represented plaintiffs.
New York truck accident guides
Deadline
Statute of limitations
3-year deadline, tolling exceptions, government claim deadlines.
Action guide
What to do after a truck accident in New York
24-hour, 7-day, 30-day checklists. What to never do. State-specific warnings.
Settlement data
Average settlement amounts in New York
Typical ranges by injury severity, calibrated to New York jury tradition and damages caps.
Fault rules
New York comparative negligence explained
How New York divides fault, with recovery examples at every fault percentage.
Browse New York cities
All US states we cover (legal framework + firms where reviewed): Texas, California, Illinois, Florida, Georgia, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Ohio, New Jersey, North Carolina, Tennessee, Michigan, Massachusetts, Maryland, Virginia, Indiana, Wisconsin, Missouri, Minnesota, Washington, Colorado, Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, Wyoming.
States with similar laws to New York
Same comparative-fault rule (pure): California, Arizona, Missouri, Washington.