ESPANOL
How much a rear-end truck accident is worth will depend on the extent of your damages and expenses associated with the accident.
In 2015, roughly 116,000 people were injured in accidents with large trucks, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Of the 4,761 fatal crashes in 2017, 21% were rear-end crashes.
If a rear-end truck accident injured you or your loved one, you could be entitled to recover the losses through a personal injury lawsuit. You can also recover damages if your loved one died in a truck accident through a wrongful death lawsuit. An attorney can give you a better estimate of what you can expect to recover in compensation.
Examples of Economic and Non-Economic Losses Suffered in Rear-End Truck Accidents
According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the average cost of a large truck crash is $91,000. Your settlement or judgment in a rear-end truck accident is based on both economic and non-economic losses, such as the following items.
Medical Bills
If you suffered personal injuries in the accident, you most likely have medical care costs. If you are struggling to cover all of the costs, you might be able to get compensation from the at-fault party or their insurance company. Medical bills you can recover include, but are not limited to:
- Hospital stays
- Doctor’s visits
- Prescription medicine
- Medical device costs
- In-home care costs
- Surgery
- Rehabilitation or therapy costs
Make sure to save all your medical bills to estimate the compensation you will need to recover.
Property Damage
If your vehicle was damaged in the rear-end truck accident, you could recover costs associated with that damage, including:
- Rental cars or other temporary transportation
- Repair costs
- Replacement parts
- Replacement vehicle
- Items in the vehicle that were broken
Lost Income
If you lost earning opportunities because you were out of work due to your injuries, you might be able to recover those costs as well. These earnings could include:
- Past and future lost wages
- Lost earning potential
- Lost benefits
- Lost saving capability
This is not an exhaustive list, and you could potentially recover any money you lost as a result of being out of work.
Pain and Suffering
One of the types of compensation that is more difficult to calculate is your pain and suffering. This could include emotional suffering, as well. A lawyer who handles truck accident cases can help you estimate what you might be entitled to for your pain and suffering.
You could also be entitled to recover other compensation, in addition to the ones mentioned above. If your loved one died in a truck accident, you might be able to recover compensation for funeral and burial expenses, as well as final medical bills.
Proving Liability After Being Rear-Ended by a Truck
In order for your rear-end truck accident to be worth financial recovery, you must be able to prove that the other driver or a third party was liable. Typically, in personal injury cases, you must prove the following:
- Duty of care: The other driver or third party owed it to you to keep you safe.
- Breach of duty: They failed to abide by that responsibility in some way.
- Causation: The breach of duty led to your injuries.
- Damages: Your injuries led to economic and non-economic losses.
While you do not need an attorney to file a claim for compensation following your accident, they can help you to prove the other party’s negligence. They can look at medical records, police records, auto shop records, traffic camera footage, speak with eyewitnesses, and more.
Contact Our Office to Learn How We Can Help You With Your Truck Accident Injury Claim
No one should have to pay for the costs of an accident they did not cause. The negligent party should be held accountable for your damages in a truck accident.
If you or a loved one were injured or a loved one died after being rear-ended by a truck, George Sink, P.A. Injury Lawyers wants to help you. While you are recovering from your injuries, we can focus on your case.
While most personal injury cases settle outside of court, if the negligent party or their insurance company does not give you the settlement we feel you deserve, we are prepared to argue your case at trial.
For a free consultation, please contact a member of our team today by phone or through our online form. We understand that this is a difficult time both emotionally and financially for you. That is why we do not take any payment up front or out of pocket. We only take our fee when your case results in a settlement.