$800,000 Truck Accident Settlement in Manhattan

Near the Lincoln Tunnel entrance on Manhattan's West Side, a tractor-trailer ran a red light and slammed into a car making a legal right turn — the kind of collision that commercial vehicle operators are trained to prevent.

Tractor-Trailer Runs Red Light Near the Lincoln Tunnel

Our client was driving westbound on West 39th Street, turning right onto 11th Avenue to access the Lincoln Tunnel, when a tractor-trailer traveling on 11th Avenue ran the red light and struck the passenger side of her vehicle. The force of the impact from a fully loaded commercial truck pushed her car across the intersection and into a parked vehicle on the far side.

The collision caused injuries across multiple body sites: lumbar disc herniations, cervical disc bulges, bilateral shoulder injuries requiring arthroscopic intervention, a right knee meniscus tear, and a right hip labral tear. Our client required surgery on the right shoulder and right knee, with ongoing treatment for the spinal injuries and hip damage.

Commercial Trucking Liability in Manhattan

Tractor-trailer operators are held to federal safety standards that exceed those for passenger vehicles. Our attorneys obtained the traffic signal timing records for the 11th Avenue and 39th Street intersection, confirming that the light had been red for the truck's direction for over four seconds before the collision — not a late yellow, but a clear red-light violation.

We also subpoenaed the trucking company's electronic logging device data, which revealed the driver had been on the road for nearly ten hours and was approaching the end of a federally regulated driving shift. While technically within hours-of-service limits, the extended shift and the high-stress tunnel approach corridor contributed to the driver's failure to stop.

"A tractor-trailer running a red light in Midtown Manhattan is not a minor traffic violation — it's a potentially fatal event. The signal had been red for over four seconds, and the driver was nearing the end of a ten-hour shift. This collision was caused by fatigue and negligence, and the trucking company bears responsibility for both." — Joseph Taylor, Managing Attorney

$800,000 Settlement for a Manhattan Truck Accident

This $800,000 settlement covers shoulder and knee surgeries, spinal treatment, hip rehabilitation, lost wages during extended recovery, and the ongoing pain management our client requires. It holds both the driver and the trucking company accountable for a red-light violation that should never have happened.

If you were hit by a truck or tractor-trailer in Manhattan, our vehicle accident attorneys have experience with federal trucking regulations and commercial vehicle claims, and are ready to review your case.