Recovering Compensation After a Truck Accident

Accidents with commercial trucks are almost always going to result in very serious and grave injuries. People unfortunate enough to be involved in a truck accident almost universally require emergency medical attention due to the giant size discrepancy between a 30,000 lb. or more commercial truck and a passenger car.

Consulting with a truck accident lawyer is necessary to help you negotiate a fair settlement with the insurance companies. It is important that the truck accident lawyer you choose to represent you has handled personal injury lawsuits like yours and understands the nature of truck accidents.

Recovering Medical Expenses After a Truck Accident

Every state’s laws differ regarding recovery in personal injury lawsuits. Most states, however, will allow a seriously injured plaintiff to recover all past and future medical expenses related to the truck accident.

Generally, the quality of your life following your truck accident compared to your quality of life prior to the truck accident will play a considerable role in the amount of damages you are able recover. These damages fall into 2 categories:

Economic – which are medical expenses and lost wages; and

Non-Economic – which consists of "pain-and-suffering", loss of companionship, and other quality of life factors that don’t have a price tag.

Economic damages are fairly obvious, easy to estimate, and less difficult to prove. Typically, there will be no limit placed on the amount of economic damages that can be recovered and they usually consist of:

• Past and future medical expenses
• Other expenses associated with the injury

The injured party’s physical condition, health, and life expectancy will all be taken into consideration when recoverable medical damages are calculated. For example, a 75-year-old individual with a broken hip will have lower past and future medical expenses than a 20-year-old individual who suffers from an incapacitating injury that will require a lifetime of attention that leaves them permanently disabled.

Injuries sustained in an accident where a commercial truck is involved will most likely be life-altering. Many people will require long and intensive medical treatment, and some will need permanent life-long care. Medical damages recovered at trial must account for all the latent and future medical expenses, not only the medical expenses immediately following the accident.

That is why it is imperative for you to have an experienced truck accident lawyer on your side. A qualified personal injury attorney can negotiate on your behalf with insurance companies, examine the evidence, and bring your case to trial through a personal injury lawsuit if necessary.