Trash Truck Accident Lawyers
View Our Landmark Trash Truck Accident Cases 
Trash trucks bring a special risk on residential streets. Like other trucks, garbage trucks outweigh a passenger car, pedestrian or bicyclist by so many times that crashes are nearly always fatal. Unlike most large trucks, garbage trucks travel through residential neighborhoods, exposing them to far more pedestrians and cyclists -- especially children -- than other trucks. Because trash trucks stop and go frequently, their behavior can be unpredictable. And if a truck is poorly maintained by a local government or private contractor, even an otherwise safe maneuver can be dangerous. In fact, one study found that more pedestrians and bicyclists are killed by garbage trucks than by any other type of truck. Another study, by pedestrian advocacy group Right of Way, found that six people a year are killed in trash truck accidents in New York City alone.
The stop-and-go nature of garbage trucks also poses risks for sanitation workers who cling to the back of the truck while it travels. Drivers, who should be commercially licensed professionals, have very poor visibility because they rely on side view mirrors that provide only a limited rear view. Worse, they don't always wait for a signal from their co-workers on the back of the truck before starting. This can lead to jerky or unexpected movements that throw workers off the truck and into traffic or dangerous machinery, causing deaths and very serious personal injury.
Panish Shea & Boyle is nationally recognized as a leader among consumer law firms. Our attorneys have won some of the highest jury verdicts and settlements in the United States, including the highest jury verdict ever won in the United States, $4.9 billion, in an automotive product defect case. Together, our lawyers have won more than 150 verdicts and settlements of $1 million or more. Our partners regularly take on leadership roles in national litigation, including pharmaceutical class actions and aviation accident lawsuits. All are active in professional legal organizations, writing and speaking regularly on trial advocacy and consumer law.
Garbage Truck Accident Verdicts & Settlements
- Guerrero v. Waste Management $9,400,000
- Williams v. Doe Garbage Truck Company $7,000,000
- Teraberanyans v. Browning Ferris $4,500,000
- Doe v. North Bay $3,950,000
- Darnell v. Waste Management $3,400,000
- Burrell v. Doe $2,400,000
- Jimenez v. City of Los Angeles $1,800,000
- Mireles v. Waste Management $1,500,000
