John Richmond, Co-Founder and CEO
- October 29, 2026
Buffalo’s I-190 corridor is a key route for many truckers, exposing Erie County drivers to a high risk of dangerous crashes when things go wrong.
If you’re hurt in a truck accident, the road to recovering compensation runs through a complicated, stressful legal process. Thankfully, the Buffalo truck accident lawyers at Richmond Vona are here to provide clarity and support when you need it most.
- What Are Common Causes of Truck Accidents in Buffalo?
- What Types of Truck Accidents Are Common in Buffalo?
- What Should I Do After a Truck Accident in Buffalo?
- Why Should I Choose Richmond Vona For My Buffalo Truck Accident Case?
- What Compensation Can I Receive for a Truck Accident in Buffalo?
- Trucking Company Liability and Responsibility
- Negligence in Buffalo Truck Accident Cases
- Our Buffalo Truck Accident Lawyers Are Ready to Help You
- Richmond Vona has recovered over $250 million in compensation for injury victims in Western New York.
- We work in small, dedicated teams, achieving significant results quickly without sacrificing attentive service.
- We’ve been recognized as a top law firm by Best Lawyers as a Best Law Firm for Personal Injury Litigation in Buffalo.
- Our Buffalo headquarters boasts more than 500 five-star reviews on Google. We also serve the greater Buffalo area, including West Seneca, Amherst, and Williamsville.
What Are Common Causes of Truck Accidents in Buffalo?
Driver errors are often responsible for commercial truck crashes, but trucking companies and others can also be responsible by cutting corners and ignoring safety regulations. The most frequent causes of Buffalo truck accidents include:
- Distracted driving
- Speeding
- Driver fatigue
- Driving while intoxicated
- Unqualified or poorly trained drivers
- Mechanical failures like tire blowouts or defective brakes
- Inadequate maintenance
- Improper and unsafe cargo loading
- Severe weather conditions
What Types of Truck Accidents Are Common in Buffalo?
Truck accidents can occur in many different ways, all of them with the potential for devastating injuries, like amputation, paralysis, spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, and even fatalities:
- Rollover truck accidents: Heavy commercial trucks travel at high momentum, sometimes causing them to roll or flip in a crash.
- Jackknife truck accidents: Sudden stops or shifts can cause an 18-wheeler to swing its trailer around its side.
- Rear-end truck accidents: Semi-trucks can be difficult to stop quickly and can cause significant damage if they strike a smaller vehicle in front of them.
- Head-on truck accidents: When a truck veers into oncoming traffic, resulting collisions are often fatal.
- T-bone truck accidents: If a truck driver doesn’t pay attention at an intersection, they may crash into the side of another vehicle.
- Lost load accidents: If a truck’s cargo isn’t properly secured or loaded, it can detach from the rig and create hazards in the roadway.
- Blind spot truck accidents: Semi-trucks have large blind spots along their sides and behind their trailers. If a driver fails to check these areas before changing lanes or turning, they may collide with a nearby vehicle.
- Underride truck accidents: It’s possible for a smaller vehicle to become trapped under an 18-wheeler during a collision, often with deadly consequences.
What Should I Do After a Truck Accident in Buffalo?
If you’ve been hurt in a truck accident, it’s critical to get medical attention as soon as possible, even if you don’t think you’re badly injured. Getting treated quickly can prevent major complications before certain injuries are even obvious, and your medical records can be important evidence later.
Every truck accident case is unique, and your next steps might depend on the specifics of your situation. You have a limited amount of time to file a claim after a truck accident. Our lawyers can help you understand your legal options and answer any questions you have about your claim.
Why Should I Choose Richmond Vona For My Buffalo Truck Accident Case?
We’re not your typical law firm. We assign small, dedicated teams to each case, allowing us to work quickly and efficiently while maintaining open, honest communication. We pride ourselves on being there when you need us, meticulously prepared to support your family and pursue the best possible outcome.
John E. Richmond and Keith R. Vona, founding partners of Richmond Vona whose legal representation has been recognized by organizations such as Super Lawyers and Best Lawyers, grew up in Western New York. This gives them a deep understanding of the communities our firm represents, including key legal players and common places where accidents occur. Under their leadership, our legal team has helped countless clients recover more than $250 million in settlements and verdicts.
Meet John Richmond
John E. Richmond has spent more than 15 years advocating for injured New Yorkers and their families. A native of the Rochester area, John’s love for Western New York and commitment to client service set the tone for our firm.
John is passionate about giving back to local communities through efforts like our Monthly Acts of Kindness program. He also hosts a podcast, Angles, featuring interviews and conversations with interesting professionals from different fields.
Meet Keith Vona
A U.S. Marine veteran and former Buffalo Police officer, Keith R. Vona has spent his life serving the community he calls home. As one of Buffalo’s top personal injury lawyers, he dedicates his practice to helping injured people in his hometown move forward.
Case Story: Buffalo Truck Accident Leads to $4.25M Settlement
We have recovered over $250 million for injury victims like you, including significant settlements and verdicts in truck accident cases.
One of our notable recoveries was on behalf of a tractor-trailer driver injured in a crash with another commercial truck near Buffalo. The other truck driver attempted an illegal pass on a blind turn, causing his truck to jackknife into our client’s vehicle head-on. The next morning, John and Keith met with the severely injured trucker and his family in the hospital.
Our client’s severe injuries would keep him from continuing to work as a truck driver, so he also needed compensation for his lost future income. We secured a $4.25 million settlement for him and his family in less than a year.
Hear From Our Real Clients Across Buffalo
What Compensation Can I Receive for a Truck Accident in Buffalo?
You may be eligible for economic and non-economic damages if you are severely injured in a truck accident.
Economic damages cover the financial costs associated with your accident, including property damage, medical bills, and lost wages. They include future losses, such as lost earning capacity and lifetime medical care costs related to your injuries.
Non-economic damages compensate for intangible harms caused by your injuries, including:
- Pain and suffering
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Disability
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Emotional distress
- Loss of society
Time is critical after a truck crash. Footage may be overwritten, witnesses can become harder to reach, and other evidence may disappear. Contact a Buffalo truck accident lawyer right away so they can help preserve proof of the other party’s responsibility and the full extent of your losses.
What Happens if I’m Partially At Fault for the Accident?
If you share partial blame for a truck crash, you can still recover reduced compensation in most circumstances. New York’s recently amended comparative negligence law prevents anyone more than 50% liable for a motor vehicle accident from recovering any personal injury damages. As long as you’re not established to be 51% or more at fault, you can receive damages reduced by whatever percentage of fault you’re assigned.
What if My Loved One Died in a Truck Accident?
If your family member was killed in a commercial truck crash, you may be able to pursue a wrongful death lawsuit. Wrongful death damages available to surviving family members can include:
- Funeral and burial expenses
- Your loved one’s medical bills
- Your loved one’s pain and suffering
- Lost inheritance and compensation for your loved one’s lost future earnings
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This law firm goes above and beyond to fight for you. Their entire team treats you with respect and truly cares about your well-being. Look no further if you need a personal injury lawyer.
John Richmond and the team at Richmond Vona did an incredible job with my complicated personal injury case. They made sure no stone was unturned and got me the settlement I deserved for my situation. They treat you well, explain everything you need to know and more so you are always in the loop about the status of your case. John was easy to get in touch with anytime during the process and made signing paperwork easy and understandable. Their entire staff is professional and helpful throughout the process These guys are fair, trustworthy, and will stand up for you!
This firm’s attention to detail is second to none. It’s evident that they are true professionals and really care about their injured clients. This is the firm to call if you have been seriously injured due to someone else’s negligence.
Trucking Company Liability and Responsibility
- The trucking company: A trucking company can be partially liable for a wreck if it failed to ensure that its employees or contractors are fit for the job, such as by hiring a driver with a history of accidents. Violating safety regulations, such as hours-of-service rules for drivers, can also place blame on the company.
- Maintenance companies: Contractors responsible for servicing and maintaining commercial trucks can be liable for accidents caused by inattentive inspections or shoddy repairs.
- Manufacturers: If a truck component or auto part fails because of a design or manufacturing defect, the companies that make them can be liable for the crash.
- Cargo loaders: When a truck picks up or drops off a shipment, the company receiving or sending it usually loads it onto the trailer. The loading company could be liable for a crash caused by an overloaded trailer.
Trucking Regulations and Industry Rules
- Hours of service: The average commercial truck driver can work a 14-hour shift each day, with 3 hours devoted to time not spent behind the wheel. Workweeks can last up to 70 hours, too. However, some drivers who do not travel far from their starting and ending points in a shift can work longer hours.
- Weight limits:Commercial trucks cannot weigh more than 80,000 pounds when fully loaded with cargo. Weighing stations placed along highways commonly used for shipping routes are used to ensure all trucks comply with this strict weight limit.
- Speed limits: Typically, commercial trucks or semi-trucks must adhere to lower speed limits than other motorists. For example, some highways have truck-specific lanes and routes with speed limits of 55 mph rather than 65 or 70 mph.
Negligence in Buffalo Truck Accident Cases
Due to the increased risk of catastrophic injuries in truck accidents, truck drivers must undergo safety training and follow federal and state regulations. If you were injured in an accident involving a commercial truck, you may have a case for negligence if you can prove that the truck driver violated the law or otherwise failed to exercise reasonable care to prevent the accident. According to the FMCSA, speeding is the most common truck driver error that causes accidents, followed by distracted or inattentive driving.
New York trucking companies are liable for their drivers’ negligence, but the company’s own negligence can also contribute to an accident. Truck drivers work long hours on tight schedules. Sometimes, they speed, take unsafe shortcuts, or exceed federal driving time limits to meet unrealistic deadlines imposed by trucking companies. Other examples of trucking company negligence include hiring unqualified drivers, failing to train drivers, and failing to properly maintain their trucks.
Our Buffalo Truck Accident Lawyers Are Ready to Help You
If you’re recovering from severe injuries after a truck accident in Buffalo, the last thing you need is the added stress of pursuing a legal claim by yourself. At Richmond Vona, we’re serious about your case and serious about you. When you need clarity and a staunch legal advocate, we’re here to pick up the phone.
Reach out to us online or call 716-500-5678 today to schedule a free consultation with our team.