A fully loaded tractor-trailer can weigh 20 to 30 times more than a passenger car. When one collides with a smaller vehicle, or when a city bus strikes a pedestrian, the injuries are rarely minor. Truck and bus cases are also legally more complex than ordinary car accidents, because more parties, more insurance, and more regulations are involved.
Behind a commercial crash there may be a driver, a trucking company, a vehicle owner, a maintenance contractor, a cargo loader, and one or more insurers — each with its own lawyers and each pointing at the others. Trucking companies often send investigators to the scene within hours. The evidence that proves your case, from the electronic logging device to driver hours-of-service records, can be overwritten or lost if it is not demanded quickly.
For more than 30 years, Adam L. Shapiro & Associates has taken on commercial carriers, the City of New York, and the MTA on behalf of injured New Yorkers. Having defended institutional clients earlier in his career, our founding attorney knows how these organizations build a defense — and how to get ahead of it.
Tractor-trailers & 18-wheelers
Interstate and long-haul truck collisions.
Box trucks & delivery vans
Amazon, USPS, and local delivery-fleet crashes.
MTA & city buses
Public-transit collisions and passenger injuries.
Coach & charter buses
Private bus, tour, and shuttle accidents.
Pedestrians struck
People hit by trucks or buses while walking or crossing.
Override & underride
Catastrophic crashes involving trailer height mismatch.
Commercial vehicles are governed by federal and state safety rules — Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration regulations on driver hours, vehicle inspection, and cargo securement. A violation of those rules can be powerful evidence of negligence, but only if the records are preserved before they are destroyed.
Claims against a public bus operator like the MTA or NYCTA carry special hurdles. You generally must serve a Notice of Claim within 90 days of the incident, and there is often a statutory hearing before you can sue. These deadlines are far shorter than the standard three-year window, which is why calling quickly matters so much in bus cases.
90-day Notice of Claim
Injuries involving the MTA, NYCTA, or a city bus usually require a formal Notice of Claim within 90 days — a hard deadline with limited exceptions.
Preserve the evidence
We move fast to demand black-box data, driver logs, and dashcam footage before a carrier's routine retention policy erases them.
Multiple defendants
Driver, company, owner, and insurer may all share liability. Identifying every responsible party can significantly increase available coverage.
Catastrophic-injury care
Spinal-cord, traumatic brain injury, and multi-surgery treatment plans, including lifetime care needs.
Lost income & earning capacity
Wages lost during recovery and diminished ability to work long-term.
Pain and suffering
Physical and emotional harm from serious, often permanent injuries.
Home & vehicle modifications
Wheelchair ramps, accessible vehicles, and assistive equipment.
Wrongful death damages
When a truck or bus crash is fatal, compensation for surviving family members.
Get emergency care
Truck and bus injuries can be internal and delayed. Get evaluated immediately and follow every treatment instruction.
Do not sign anything
Carriers and their insurers may push quick releases. Do not sign or give a recorded statement before speaking with us.
Call us urgently
Evidence in commercial cases disappears fast, and MTA/bus claims can require notice within 90 days. Early action protects your claim.
Free case review
Tell us what happened. We assess liability, insurance, and deadlines at no cost.
Rapid evidence preservation
We send spoliation demands for black-box data, driver logs, and footage before they are lost.
Building the demand
We identify every liable party and insurer, then build a documented demand for full compensation.
Litigation if needed
We file the Notice of Claim, complete required hearings, and try the case if the offer is not fair.
A city bus hit me. Is that different from a car accident?
Yes. Claims against the MTA or a city bus operator usually require a Notice of Claim within 90 days and may involve a pre-suit hearing. The deadlines are much shorter, so call promptly.
Who can be held responsible in a truck accident?
Often more than one party — the driver, the trucking company, the vehicle owner, a maintenance provider, or a cargo loader. We work to identify every responsible party and every available insurance policy.
The trucking company's investigator already contacted me. What do I do?
Politely decline to give a statement and call us first. Their investigator works for the company, not for you, and early statements are used to reduce claims.
What does it cost to hire the firm?
Nothing up front. We work on contingency — no fee unless we win your case.