Practice Areas & Industries: Porzio, Bromberg & Newman P.C.

Practice/Industry Group Overview

Our Transportation and Motor Carrier Team understands the issues trucking companies face in their day-to-day operations. Our lawyers are widely recognized as trucking company counsel in New Jersey and New York and are highly visible in the industry's legal defense. We focus on providing cost-effective results, innovative solutions to problems, and a client-oriented service approach to trucking companies.

Geographically, we cover all of New Jersey, although most of our work is in Burlington and Ocean counties and north. We also have an office location in Brick, which is in Ocean County. In New York matters, we handle the five boroughs (Manhattan, Queens, Kings, Richmond, and the Bronx); Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island; and to the north and west - Westchester, Rockland, Putnam, Orange, Duchess, Ulster, and Sullivan counties.

Our group includes active members of the Trucking Industry Defense Association, the ABA TIPS Commercial Transportation Litigation Committee (former Chair), and the DRI Trucking Law Committee. The Group's chair has been the Co-Program Chair of the nationally acclaimed ABA TIPS Transportation Megaconference programs held in New Orleans since 1993.

Services Available

Litigation Defense
Our experienced trial lawyers defend trucking companies, their drivers, executives and employees on a regular basis in New Jersey, New York, and beyond. We handle a variety of matters for self-insured companies as well as insurance carriers and third-party administrators on matters involving motor vehicle/trucking accidents, general liability, product liability and environmental matters. Each is a core of what we do here.

Accident Investigation
We work closely with police, engineers, cleanup crews, claims personnel, and accident reconstruction and biomechanical experts to protect the investigation and immediately develop case strategy. We handle special issues involving environmental contamination, vehicle conspicuity, driver perception and fatigue, occupant dynamics and kinematics, and road configuration and design.

Negligent Hiring, Training and Supervision
We defend against allegations involving qualifications and hiring of truck drivers, failure to complete background checks, failure to ensure that in-service hours comply with government regulations, and failure to provide sufficient training.

Negligent Truck Maintenance
Our lawyers defend against allegations of claims involving failure to adequately maintain braking systems, replace worn tires and tread, install adequate mirrors on vehicles, evaluate and rectify nighttime conspicuity issues, and prevent under-ride accidents.

Criminal Prosecution/Coordination with the Civil Action
We coordinate the potential civil action with the criminal defense of a truck driver who is charged with a criminal violation.

Premises and Environmental Issues
Our practice encompasses both trucking and environmental issues, which come up frequently in the context of trucking operations, and we have handled cases broadly dealing with accidents, remediation and cleanup issues, premises claims at terminals and involving tankers, terminal procedures, and loading and unloading issues in that context.

Insurance Coverage
We handle coverage issues that arise in conjunction with loading and unloading scenarios, bobtail coverage, multiple policies, and the applicability of deductibles and self-insured retentions.

Truck Accidents and Product Liability
We are experienced in handling product liability claims that arise against manufacturers of vehicles or vehicle components, particularly lights, mirrors, electrical systems and braking systems.

Lessor Liability
We regularly represent owners, operators and lessors of vehicles in New York and New Jersey.

Clients:
Allied Systems, Ltd., CNA Motor Transport Specialty, Gainey Insurance Services Inc., Millis Transfer, Inc., RLI Transportation, Swift Transportation Co., Inc., USI of Georgia, VFS Insurance Group, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., XL Environmental Inc.