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Torts/Personal Injury

Sep. 17, 2026

Fewer garbage-truck crashes, good. The same fatal cases, bad.

Garbage-truck collisions are falling, but those dying are still overwhelmingly outside the cab, caught in routine backing and turning maneuvers. The question for the law is: when a "routine" maneuver kills someone, how routine was it really?

Yosi Yahoudai

Co-Founder and Managing Partner
J&Y Law

1880 Century Park E Ste 717
Century City , CA 90067

Phone: (877) 862-4317

Fax: (310) 407-0767

Email: intakes@jnylaw.com

See more...

Parham Nikfarjam

Senior Trial Attorney
J&Y Law

Phone: (877) 735-7035

Email: Parham@jnylaw.com

See more...

Fewer garbage-truck crashes, good. The same fatal cases, bad.
Shutterstock

For three years, garbage-truck crashes have gotten rarer. For three years, who's dying hasn't changed. Federal crash data shows garbage-truck collisions falling from roughly 4,250 in 2022 to about 3,950 in 2023 and 3,700 in 2024. That is nearly 550 fewer crashes in two years, a decline of almost 13%. Extend the trend line and the annual total lands somewhere near 2,900 by 2027. As a matter of raw counts, the roads are getting safer for these trucks. 

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