It’s the scenario that every driver on the road hopes never happens to them – you’re in an accident that involves a large truck. The dangers of colliding with a truck are too numerous to count, and there is a high risk of being seriously hurt or killed in this situation. The emotional trauma and physical injury of such an accident can become completely overwhelming. You might be tempted to walk away and forget the entire thing ever happened, but when you or someone you love suffers injuries in a truck accident, it is important to understand all of your legal options.
What might start out as a seemingly small tweak in your neck can quickly evolve into a debilitating spinal injury that requires you to miss weeks of work and attend expensive restorative therapy. Having the financial support to focus on your rehabilitation can be the difference in experiencing a stressful or successful recovery.
Proving Negligence in a Truck Accident Claim
When you’re in a truck accident, you will need to take many steps to create a strong claim for compensation. Showing up and stating that you suffered harm as a result of a negligent driver simply isn’t enough. This is why it is advisable to work with an experienced attorney who can guide your claim to a quick and fair resolution.
Proving that the truck driver was at-fault might seem straightforward, especially since you were at the scene of the accident and saw exactly what happened. But it will be up to your attorney to rebuild the scenario after the fact and to show that the other driver was liable for the accident.
To prove that the truck driver was negligent and that their behavior caused the crash, your attorney will need to prove that:
- The other party (in this case, the truck driver or company) had a duty of care towards you, meaning that the driver was operating a vehicle on the road and for that reason, they are obligated to drive safely and refrain from harming others.
- The other party breached their duty of care, meaning that they failed to drive safely on the road.
- The other party’s breach of duty resulted in your injuries. In other words, you sustained injuries because of another driver’s behavior.
- The injuries that you suffered resulted in losses.
Types of Compensation You Could Receive After a Truck Accident
Once you establish negligence in your claim, what type of compensation will you be entitled to? This often depends on the extent of your injuries. Your attorney will put together a list of what they estimate your injuries to be worth. There are several types of compensation that our team will typically attempt to gain for our clients after the event of a truck accident.
Economic Damages
Economic damages are easier to calculate because these are items that can be assigned an actual dollar amount. When your attorney reviews the details of your case, they will most likely ask for you to provide information on all of your current economic, out of pocket, expenses. These might include but are not limited to:
- Current and past medical bills
- Physical therapy
- At-home nursing care
- Modifications to your residence due to the accident
- Damage to your property
- Lost wages
While a truck accident can be a traumatizing and deadly experience, the aftermath can often be a tremendous additional financial burden. For this reason, it is essential to work with a skilled team of attorneys who will advocate for your right to just compensation.
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages are often a bit more difficult to calculate because these are intangible items that might not be easily assigned a dollar amount. Things such as future medical expense can be estimated based on what your doctor is predicting, but aren’t a current invoice. Other non-economic damages include:
- Potential lost earning
- Pain and suffering
- Grief and emotional counseling
If you have lost someone you loved in the accident, or if you have had a difficult time dealing with the emotional impact of your injuries, your attorney might seek non-economic damages, specifically for pain and suffering. While this is more challenging to prove, pain and suffering is truly a devastating result of many truck accidents, especially when the victim experiences a drastic change in their lifestyle and their abilities.
Punitive Damages
In rare cases, you might be entitled to receive punitive damages. Punitive damages are typically in addition to the other economic and non-economic compensation you receive from the claim. Courts award these damages in order to make an exemplary case of a negligent driver or trucking company. If a truck driver or company knowingly and willfully ignored the safety laws and regulations or exhibited extreme signs of dangerous driving to cause the crash, it is possible that they will face the possibility of paying exemplary damages. Often, these damages come into play when a victim of the accident did not survive or received life-altering injuries due to the truck driver’s negligence.
Call an Experienced Truck Accident Lawyer Without Delay
Colliding with a large truck is one of the most dangerous accidents that can happen on the road, and more often than not, will lead to severe injuries. When you’ve suffered injuries in a truck accident, it is important to learn how to maximize the full extent of your legal recourse.
You want to make sure you have financial protection so that you can be better equipped to deal with the aftermath of a serious truck accident. Medical bills and lost wages due to days missed from work can quickly lead to financial stress. That’s the last thing you want to think about when you’re attempting to recover and move forward with your life.
At Brauns Law Accident Injury Lawyers, PC, our team of skilled truck crash attorneys has been working with clients impacted by truck accidents for many years and we are here to help. To receive a free consultation, call us today at (404) 418-8244 or contact us online.
