What Damages Are Recoverable In A Case Involving Trucking-Accident Injury Or Death

After a truck accident, you are entitled to receive full compensation for your losses that resulted from the crash if the driver or trucking company was responsible for the accident. The law says you should be “made whole,” which means that you should be paid for all economic and non-financial losses you endured so you can be put back as close as possible into the position you’d have been in had the accident never happened.
Determining the appropriate amount of damages in a truck accident case can be complicated and it is important you understand your rights before you agree to settle a case or make a decision on taking a truck accident claim to court. An experienced truck accident lawyer can help you to determine what you are entitled to receive for monetary compensation after a truck crash has happened.
Damages Recoverable In a Case Involving Truck Accident Injury or Death
The damages that you are entitled to recover after a truck accident injury or death are going to vary depending upon whether you are the victim suing on your own behalf or whether you are a family member filing a wrongful death lawsuit after a fatal crash.
Truck accident victims are entitled to receive compensation for:
• All medical bills and costs arising from truck accident injuries, including the cost of future treatment expected to be necessary over the course of the rest of your life.
• Lost income and wages that occur if/when your injuries cause you to miss work, reduce your earning potential or make work impossible on a temporary or permanent basis.
• Pain and suffering compensation if your injuries have caused you to experience any physical discomfort or harm.
• Emotional distress if the truck accident or resulting injuries caused you to experience post-traumatic stress disorder or other mental/emotional consequences.
If the accident caused a death and surviving family members bring a claim against the truck driver or trucking company, damages include compensation for:
• Medical bills that were incurred to treat the victim prior to the death.
• Funeral costs for the victim killed in the truck accident.
• Lost financial support/ lost income that the deceased was unable to earn due to the untimely death.
• Lost companionship resulting from the fact that the deceased is no longer in the life of the plaintiff bringing the wrongful death claim.
Compensation for a truck accident can be obtained in a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit, in which case a jury will decide on an appropriate damage award for the plaintiff. Many cases also settle outside of court, with the plaintiff negotiating a reasonable payout from the insurance company representing the truck driver and/or trucking company involved in the accident.