Rochester, New York, Semi-Truck Underride Accident Injury Lawyers

Jed Dietrich, Esq. is Committed to Defending the Rights of Semi-Truck Accident Victims Across Rochester and Monroe County. If You, or a Loved One, Have Been Injured in a Serious Commercial Vehicle Crash, You Deserve Aggressive Representation and an Attorney Willing to Fight for Your Rights to Compensation in Insurance Negotiations and in Court.

Semi-truck accidents are often catastrophic. While the federal government has passed reforms to prevent these collisions, statistics suggest that commercial vehicle crashes are rising. Over the past decade, semi-trucks have been involved in an increasing share of fatal and non-fatal accidents. According to the nonprofit National Safety Council, over 100,000 Americans were injured by large trucks in a single recent year.

All semi-truck crashes have the potential to cause life-long, disabling injuries. However, some types of collisions are more likely to have devastating effects. Underride accidents, which occur when a passenger car collides with a commercial vehicle and passes beneath its trailer, are responsible for a disproportionate number of fatal and serious non-fatal injuries. While underride accident victims often feel fortunate to have simply survived the crash, the high costs of recovering from a serious collision could jeopardize their physical health, financial stability, and mental well-being.

The Dietrich Law Firm P.C.’s experienced team of attorneys understands that accident victims often face an uphill road to recovery, which is why we are committed to providing the highest level of personal injury service. When we accept a new case, we consider our clients’ immediate and long-term care needs, aggressively advocating for their rights to a fair legal recovery. Since founding the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. in 2005, Jed Dietrich, Esq., has helped his clients obtain over $175 million in damages from reckless truck drivers, negligent transportation companies, and their insurance carriers. Please send the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. a message online or call us at 585-939-3939 to schedule your free, no-obligation consultation.

An underride crash occurs when a passenger vehicle passes partially or completely beneath a semi-truck or trailer, increasing the probability of death, disfigurement, and serious injury. Underride accidents are typically either:

1. Rear Underride Collisions: A rear underride collision could occur when a car collides with the rear end of a tractor-trailer. Rear underride accidents frequently occur when semi-trucks are parked on the side of the New York State Thruway, slowing down at an urban Inner Loop intersection, or exiting Interstate 490 into the city. Since semi-truck trailers usually have several feet of clearance between the surface of the road and the bottom of the trailer deck, passenger vehicles that rear-end a commercial automobile could be propelled underneath the trailer, collapsing or shearing away the passenger vehicle’s protective frame.
2. Side Underride Collisions: Side underride collisions typically occur when semi-trucks traverse intersections or when the driver is attempting to make a U-turn. A side underride collision could occur when a car strikes the side of a semi-truck, passing partially or completely beneath the trailer. These particularly devastating accidents could happen wherever traffic is moving at a moderate pace, whether in an urban setting like the Excel Industrial Park or on rural Monroe County roadways.

Although semi-truck accidents have different characteristics, underride crashes are disproportionately likely to culminate in serious injury or death. Underride crashes are so concerning that Congress and the New York State Assembly have repeatedly introduced legislation requiring side underride guards on all tractor-trailers. Despite some lawmakers’ best efforts, the Department of Transportation only requires that semi-trucks affix a single underride bar to the back of elevated trailers; many logistics companies refuse to heed safety regulators’ calls to outfit their vehicles with side underride guards, citing costs and inconvenience.

While experts disagree on the efficacy of underride reform, semi-truck collisions are—without any doubt—traumatic events with the potential to take lives and decimate families’ finances. In the aftermath of a serious underride accident, victims often struggle to secure the resources they need to move past their injuries and reclaim their independence. Under New York law, accident victims have a legal right to recompense. If you, or a loved one, have been injured in a commercial vehicle crash that was not your fault, you could be entitled to significant compensation through a personal injury lawsuit. Please call the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. at 585-939-3939 to schedule your free, no-obligation consultation as soon as possible.

Since a fully loaded semi-truck can weigh up to 80,000 pounds—14 times the weight of a Cadillac Escalade and 27 times the weight of a Honda Civic—the consequences of a crash, even at low speeds, can be devastating. Common underride accident injuries include:

1. Cuts and lacerations;
2. Broken or fractured bones;
3. Traumatic head injuries;
4. Burns;
5. Loss of limb;
6. Disfiguring injuries;
7. Decapitation; and
8. Death

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, which regulates the interstate transportation industry, estimates that the average semi-truck collision resulting in non-fatal injuries could cost victims hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages. Unfortunately, even individuals with robust health insurance policies may struggle to remain financially solvent when they face a seemingly never-ending series of expensive medical procedures, surgeries, and specialist appointments.

Semi-truck companies are required by law to carry comprehensive liability insurance policies that far exceed the average expenses of medical treatment. However, insurance adjusters routinely seize every excuse to drive down accident victims’ settlement offers, even when it deprives them of a fair recovery. The adjuster could try to limit your compensation by:

1. Offering a Fast Settlement: If the semi-truck driver or semi-truck company was clearly at fault, the adjuster might offer a fast settlement. Frequently, this initial offer will include sufficient compensation to cover the costs of your existing medical care. However, the adjuster may not account for your longer-term care needs, including physical rehabilitation, lost income, and diminished earning potential.
2. Delaying Negotiations: When insurance adjusters know that a claimant has a strong case, they could try to delay negotiations by stonewalling the victim. The adjuster could issue repeated denials or refuse to pick up their phone or respond to emails. They might even try to dissuade you by asking for a seemingly never-ending list of additional documentation, hoping that you will eventually give up and accede to a low-value settlement.
3. Asking You to Consent to Medical Records Releases: Insurance adjusters need to review your accident-related medical records to evaluate your claim and assess your damages. However, adjusters regularly ask victims for access to their entire health history, hoping they can find a pre-existing condition that could be used to explain a current injury.
4. Telling You That You Do Not Need an Attorney: Negotiating a fair settlement can be difficult, especially if you are not intimately familiar with insurance standards and the laws regulating the commercial transportation industry. Adjusters know that most victims do not understand how legal damages are determined and try to use that to their advantage. In many cases, adjusters will actively advise victims not to consult an attorney, saying that a lawyer’s involvement will only delay an adjudication. However, studies have shown that accident victims with competent legal counsel are more likely to receive settlements than accident victims without advocates. Furthermore, victims with lawyers are more likely to receive larger settlements than their unrepresented peers.

If you have been injured in a serious semi-truck underride accident, you deserve more than an insurance adjuster’s excuses: you deserve justice. The Dietrich Law Firm P.C. could help you stand up to the adjuster by assessing the true extent of your legal damages and constructing a compelling, evidence-based case for compensation. If the insurance company refuses to negotiate in good faith, we could take them to court, fighting for your rights while you focus on your physical health. Please send us a message online or call us at 585-939-3939 to speak to an attorney and discuss your options for legal relief.

Call the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. immediately at 585-939-3939 so that our aggressive, tenacious, and hardworking personal injury lawyers can fight to obtain the best result for your personal injury claim in Rochester, New York. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and there is never a fee until we WIN for you!