Truck Accidents In Westchester Involving Overpass And Bridge Collissions
Ironically, this blog was started, a year ago, but the problem of trucks hitting bridges and overpasses in Westchester County continues to be a recurring topic. In November, 2014 a tractor trailer hit a bridge in Rye Brook on the Hutchinson Parkway for the third time this year. This has become a repeated problem in Westchester, with many trucks hitting bridges and overpasses, especially on the Hutchinson parkway. This truck accident occurred after the municipality installed a flashing light and painted on the ground a low bridge warning. This was another truck accident that should have been avoided, because trucks like big rigs, semis and tractor trailers are prohibited from traveling on parkways such as the Hutchinson parkway. With the more common use of GPS, more trucks are finding their ways, onto Parkways, which is ironic since in Westchester Interstate 95 for the most part runs parallel to the Hutchinson Parkway.
Also this week a Hartsdale a woman was seriously injured and remains in critical condition after she and her dog were hit by a car. According to the police reports, the pedestrian was not in the cross walk, but the motorists still have a duty to avoid hitting with pedestrians even if the pedestrian is not in the cross walk. Under New York law, all drivers of cars have a duty to keep a proper look out and see what there is to see and to be diligent to avoid hitting a pedestrian. Although it is unknown at this point whether the driver was speeding, residents in the area of East Hartsdale Road, have complained that excessive speed is a problem in this stretch of the roadway.
A recent investigation by Senator Schumer of New York revealed an alarming rate of truck accidents occurring in Westchester County, New York where semi trucks, tractor trailers, buses and other commercial vehicles are hitting bridges and overpasses in Westchester New York. For example, a single bridge where Mamaroneck Road crosses over Hutchinson River Parkway, in the White Plains, Mamanoreck vicinity has been hit by trucks over 90 times in the last twenty years.
Our experienced Westchester truck accident lawyers have handed numerous truck accidents, involving serious personal injury and wrongful death, all over New York State, including in the Bronx, Queens, Westchester, Long Island, upstate New York and Rockland.
An increasingly in serious and fatal truck accidents has occurred all over New York State because of trucks, tractor trailers, semis and other commercial rigs traveling onto parkways. Commercial trucks are not allowed on New York State Parkways in large part because of the low overpasses and bridges, which creates an inevitable accident where the trucks will hit the bridge or overpass. Also New York State Parkways are not designed for large commercial trucks because their lanes are often narrower and they tend to have more and sharper curves, which dramatically increases the risk of a side impact accident caused by the sway of the trailer. The primary cause of this increase in truck overpass accidents in Westchester County New York is caused by truck drivers using personal GPS devices that take them onto parkways. There is currently no regulation about truck drivers using personal GPS devices, which don’t always have settings that keep trucks off of parkways. According to Senator Schumer, 80 percent of bridge strikes are caused by GPS devices being improperly used by truck drivers. According to the New York State Department of Transportation, there were over 200 accidents where trucks struck a bridge or over pass in the last eight years. Between 1993 and 2011, there were almost seven hundred bridge or overpass collisions in Westchester New York. In light of these alarming statistics, Senator Schumer called for uniform standards in an effort to reduce bridge collision accidents by regulating use of GPS by truck drivers.
Our White Plains attorneys have extensive experience in truck accident litigation all over New York state. In particular Westchester truck accident attorney, Michael Joseph handled a major truck accident wrongful death litigation involving a double decker bus striking an overpass at approximately 40 miles per hour, which resulted in several fatalities. These trucks, which are extremely heavy to begin with are often carrying tons of cargo, which increases their momentum. When this momentum is added to the already high speed that trucks travel on parkways.
These fatal truck accidents continue to occur, even though municipalities continue to take preventive measures including low bridge warnings, flashing lights and even painting the overpasses bright colors such as orange or yellow.
From our White Plains office, our experienced personal injury and wrongful death lawyers are able to handle truck accidents on any Westchester parkway including the Saw Mill, the Hutchinson, the Henry Hudson, the Cross County Parkway, the Taconic Parkway and the Sprain Parkway.
Our Consultations are always free.