A crash with a tractor-trailer, box truck or garbage truck can change a family's life in seconds. In the days that follow, insurance adjusters call, medical bills arrive, and lawyers' ads seem to be everywhere.
The trucking company is already a step ahead. Its insurer has lawyers and investigators who handle these crashes all the time, while you have probably never hired a lawyer for anything like this. This guide explains what separates a capable truck crash lawyer from the rest, then compares six Brooklyn firms that handle these cases.
Key Takeaways
- The trucking company's defense team handles truck claims routinely, so your lawyer's depth of truck experience matters more than any ad.
- Spending a few days choosing the right lawyer is time well spent, but driver logs, vehicle data and video can disappear on their own schedule.
- Compare firms on trial record, which side they represent, their experts, how fast they act on evidence and who will handle your case.
- A Brooklyn lawsuit needs a lawyer admitted in New York, or an out-of-state lawyer working alongside one.
- New York generally allows three years to sue for personal injury and two years for wrongful death, with a 90-day notice of claim when a city vehicle is involved.
Why the Right Lawyer Matters So Much in a Truck Case
The Truck Safety Coalition, a partnership of the CRASH Foundation and Parents Against Tired Truckers that supports crash survivors and families, puts the problem plainly. Defense insurers keep "approved" lists of experienced lawyers who focus on defending truck crash claims, while injured people and grieving families rarely have any experience hiring lawyers at all.
A truck case is not simply a larger car case. Responsibility can reach the driver, the motor carrier, a separate truck or trailer owner, a cargo loader, a maintenance shop or a parts manufacturer, each with its own insurer. The Coalition also warns that many lawyers' websites claim truck crash experience, and that handling one or several truck cases does not mean a lawyer is ready to take on the trucking company's lawyers.
What to Look For Before You Call
- Trial record: Has the firm taken truck or commercial vehicle cases to verdict, rather than only settling them?
- Which side it represents: A firm that represents injured people full time approaches a case differently from one that also defends carriers.
- Expert roster: Truck cases often call for crash reconstructionists, safety experts, medical experts, economists, human factors and fatigue experts, and engineers.
- Speed on evidence: Ask when preservation letters go out and who handles retrieval of vehicle data.
- Access: Language support and home or hospital visits matter when you cannot travel.
6 Brooklyn Truck Crash Law Firms to Compare
The firms below each keep a Brooklyn office and handle truck accident claims. Details come from each firm's own website. They are listed for comparison, not ranked by outcome, and past results never guarantee future ones.
1. Frekhtman & Associates
Frekhtman & Associates has a founding attorney who has tried cases to verdict since 1999, and it lists a USD 69.25 million motor vehicle result. Its truck team moves quickly to preserve black box data, driver logs and maintenance records.
- Brooklyn office: 60 Bay 26th Street, Bath Beach
- Worth noting: Contingency fee and English, Spanish and Russian spoken
- Good fit for: Injured people who need a home or hospital visit
2. Jacoby & Meyers, LLP
Jacoby & Meyers, LLP runs two Brooklyn offices, which makes in-person meetings easier across the borough. The firm says its Brooklyn truck accident attorneys are recognized by the National Trial Lawyers Top 100 and the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum.
- Brooklyn offices: 8701 3rd Avenue and 1711 Kings Highway
- Worth noting: Handles truck, car, pedestrian and wrongful death claims
- Good fit for: Families in southern and southwestern Brooklyn
3. Shulman & Hill Injury Lawyers
Shulman & Hill Injury Lawyers says its team has more than 200 years of combined legal experience and more than USD 1 billion in verdicts and settlements. Its Brooklyn practice pursues claims against negligent drivers and trucking companies.
- Brooklyn office: 26 Court Street, Suite 2216
- Worth noting: Also keeps a Manhattan office and offers 24/7 contact
- Good fit for: People who want a larger team near the Brooklyn courts
4. The Edelsteins, Faegenburg & Blyakher LLP
The Edelsteins, Faegenburg & Blyakher LLP has served injured New Yorkers since 1937, according to the firm. Its Brooklyn truck page says the team reviews the crash report and explains how no-fault and the serious injury threshold apply.
- Brooklyn office: 219 36th Street, Suite B434
- Worth noting: Free consultations
- Good fit for: Families who want a long-established neighborhood firm
5. Rosenberg & Rodriguez Personal Injury Lawyers
At Rosenberg & Rodriguez Personal Injury Lawyers, attorney Ivan Rodriguez has practiced New York personal injury law for 25 years. The firm reports a USD 750,000 truck accident settlement in a case where liability was contested.
- Brooklyn office: 1411 President Street, 3rd Floor
- Worth noting: Handles tractor-trailer, delivery fleet and commercial carrier claims
- Good fit for: Crashes where the trucking company disputes fault
6. Stephen Bilkis & Associates, PLLC
Stephen Bilkis & Associates, PLLC keeps offices in Brooklyn, Manhattan, the Bronx, Staten Island, Queens, and Nassau and Suffolk counties. Its Brooklyn truck page covers tractor-trailer accident injuries and offers free consultations.
- Brooklyn office: 300 Cadman Plaza West, 12th Floor
- Worth noting: Offices in all five boroughs plus Long Island
- Good fit for: Families spread across the city or Long Island
Protect the Evidence While You Decide
Choosing a lawyer deserves care, so ask a family member or trusted friend to help with research while you focus on recovery. Some evidence, however, will not wait:
- Driver logs: Federal rules require covered motor carriers to keep records of duty status and supporting documents for six months, plus a six-month backup of electronic logging device (ELD) records on a separate device.
- What ELDs leave out: FMCSA explains that ELDs are not required to record speed, braking or steering. That data may sit in the truck's engine or event data modules, which need qualified, authorized retrieval.
- Video: Dashcam, traffic camera and storefront footage follow whatever retention settings their owners choose.
A preservation letter from your lawyer asks the trucking company and other record holders to keep this material, which is why a strong truck crash lawyer acts within days. For a closer look at how lawyers compare these files, see this guide to truck crash evidence.
Does Your Lawyer Need to Be From New York?
The Truck Safety Coalition notes that the right lawyer does not have to be from your state. That holds when you are searching for experience, but a Brooklyn lawsuit has a practical limit. An attorney not admitted in New York generally needs court permission to appear in a specific case, known as admission pro hac vice, and must work with a New York attorney of record.
New York Rules That Shape a Brooklyn Truck Crash Claim
- Filing deadlines: A personal injury lawsuit generally must be started within three years under CPLR 214. Wrongful death claims generally have two years under EPTL 5-4.1.
- City vehicles: If a city vehicle such as a sanitation truck was involved, General Municipal Law 50-e generally requires a notice of claim within 90 days.
- Owner liability: Under Vehicle and Traffic Law 388, a vehicle's owner can be responsible for negligent driving by someone using it with permission.
- Shared fault: For motor vehicle injury lawsuits subject to Insurance Law Article 51 and started on or after May 26, 2026, CPLR 1411(b) bars recovery when the injured person's share of fault is greater than that of the parties being sued. When it is smaller, damages are reduced by that share.
These are general rules with exceptions, so ask your lawyer to calculate the deadlines for your case.
Questions to Ask at Your First Meeting
- How many truck crash cases have you handled, and how many went to trial?
- Do you represent only injured people, or also trucking companies and insurers?
- When will you send preservation letters, and to whom?
- Which experts would you expect to use, and who pays for them?
- What is your fee, and who pays case expenses if there is no recovery?
- Who will be my main contact, and how often will I hear from you?
Final Thoughts
After a truck crash, it is easy to sign with the first lawyer who calls. The trucking company has experienced defense lawyers from day one, and you deserve the same depth on your side. Use the firms above as a starting point, confirm each lawyer's registration through the New York State Unified Court System's free attorney search, check references, and ask direct questions. Meanwhile, make sure someone acts quickly to protect the logs, data and video your case may depend on.
FAQ
How do I know if a lawyer really handles truck cases?
Ask for specific truck cases, trial experience and the experts the firm uses. A general injury practice may handle car crashes well but lack the resources a truck case needs.
Should I talk to the trucking company's insurer?
Be careful. The insurer works for the trucking company, so speak with your own lawyer before giving a recorded statement.
How much does a truck crash lawyer cost?
Many injury lawyers work on a contingency fee, meaning the fee comes from any recovery. Ask for the fee terms in writing, including how case expenses are handled.
Is there a deadline for a Brooklyn truck crash claim?
Generally three years for personal injury and two years for wrongful death, but only 90 days to file a notice of claim if a city vehicle was involved.
Where can families find support after a truck crash?
The Truck Safety Coalition offers support to crash survivors and families of victims, including help with questions about the legal process and finding an attorney.
The opinions on this page are for general information purposes only and do not constitute legal advice on which you should rely.
