Jersey City Trucking Injury Lawyers

Unfortunately, people who keep New Jersey’s goods moving often get hurt on the job. If you work in long-haul or local delivery, operate a tractor-trailer, run a box truck, or support the industry in a warehouse, yard, or loading dock, you may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits, and our trucking injury lawyers are here to help you obtain them. Contact the Jersey City workers’ compensation lawyers at Lerner, Piermont, Riverol & Lawlor, P.A. for a free initial consultation today.

Common Causes of Trucking Injuries

Trucking injuries don’t come from a single source. Crashes are common, but many harms arise off the roadway during loading, securing, maintenance, and routine tasks. Some of the most frequent causes that we see lead to workers’ compensation claims for people in the trucking industry are as follows:

• Truck crashes caused by unsafe driving behaviors
• Fatigue and hours-of-service issues
• Poor weather conditions
• Cargo loading and securement errors
• Warehouse and dock hazards
• Vehicle maintenance failures
• Inadequate training or supervision
• Lift-gate, pallet jack, and forklift incidents
• Strains and sprains from manual handling
• Exposure to harmful substances
• Yard and roadside injuries away from traffic
• Company shortcomings that elevate risk

What Constitutes a Valid Workers’ Compensation Claim for Those in the Trucking Industry?

New Jersey workers’ compensation is a no-fault system. This means that you do not have to prove that your employer did something wrong in order to receive workers’ compensation benefits. Instead, all you need to show is that your injury or occupational illness arose out of and in the course of your employment. In other words, you have a valid claim when you are injured while performing job duties that your employer expects or reasonably benefits from.

Common compensable injuries trucking professionals include traumatic harm from crashes, falls from the trailer or dock, crush injuries to hands and feet, back and shoulder strains from manual handling, knee injuries from jumping down from cabs, and more.

In a successful workers’ compensation claim, you may receive benefits for the following:

• Medical treatment at no cost to you
• Temporary total disability benefits
• Permanent partial or permanent total disability benefits
• Death benefits and funeral expenses, when a worker passes away due to a compensable injury or illness

How Long Do I Have to File a Workers’ Compensation Claim in NJ?

Timing is critical, and there are two separate time frames you must know about. First, you must give notice of the injury to your employer as soon as possible–the law requires notice within 90 days from the date of the accident to preserve your right to benefits. Notice can be oral or written, although written notice creates a clear record. Tell a supervisor, dispatcher, safety manager, or human resources. If you have an occupational disease, provide notice as soon as you learn, or should have learned, that the condition is related to your employment.

Second, you must file your formal claim with the New Jersey Division of Workers’ Compensation on time–typically, within two years from the date of the injury. If the employer or insurer has provided authorized medical treatment or temporary disability payments, the two-year clock can run from the date of the last such treatment or payment. For occupational illnesses, the two-year period generally begins when you either knew or should have reasonably known that your condition was related to your work. If you miss this filing deadline, you can be permanently barred from filing a claim, even if the injury was serious, so do not wait.

Contact Our New Jersey Trucking Injury Lawyers

If you were hurt in a truck crash or during any task connected to your job, you may be eligible for benefits, and our seasoned New Jersey trucking injury lawyers are here to fight for you. Contact Lerner, Piermont, Riverol & Lawlor, P.A. for a free initial consultation today.