Truck Accidents

Lost wages

Compensation for lost wages is one of the damages in a personal injury case that can be awarded if the plaintiff had to miss work because of the injury or because he or she had to receive treatment. If the plaintiff was able to take vacation time or sick time, he or she would still be compensated for the loss of the paid time off (PTO).

Loss of future income

If the plaintiff has been unable to work permanently due to their injuries, then he or she may receive compensation for loss of future income that they would have made had they not been injured.

Pain and suffering

Pain and suffering is considering non-economic damages, which are the more subjective effects of the accident and injuries, including, physical pain caused by the accident, physical discomfort resulting from treatment, mental anguish, fatigue, anxiety and other psychological effects of the accident.

Emotional distress

If an accident has impacted the plaintiff's mental health, then a claim for emotional distress may be possible. Typically, this type of damage is proven through diagnosis and/or treatment by a medical provider.

Property damage

In an accident, the plaintiff may be entitled to compensation for property damage, which includes damage to your vehicle, personal belongings, and more.

Wrongful death

Wrongful death claims are brought by the family members of the victim who was killed. There are many damages recoverable in a wrongful death claim, including, the victim’s pre-death “pain and suffering,” medical bills incurred prior to the victim’s death, funeral/burial costs, loss of the deceased person’s income, value of services the victim would have provided, and loss of care, guidance, and nurturing the victim would have provided.

Head injuries

Head injuries in a truck accident can result in an injury to the brain, which can be life-altering. Brain injuries can occur even when there is no direct impact to the head, which can result in whiplash or rapid acceleration and deceleration.

Internal injuries

Blunt trauma from an accident can cause internal bleeding to organs, such as the bladder, kidney, liver, and more.

Spinal cord injuries and paralysis

Spinal cord injuries are extremely serious and can lead to paralysis depending on the severity. Because these types of injuries aren’t always immediately apparent, it is extremely important to get a medical exam.

Neck injuries

Truck collisions can easily result in neck injuries due to rapid acceleration and deceleration. Neck injuries can include whiplash, herniated discs, neck features, and more.

Broken bones

Broken bones are common in truck accidents, as the impact of a truck is extremely powerful.

Lacerations

Cuts and lacerations caused by a truck accident can be extremely painful, resulting in scars that may never heal.

Wrongful death

Truck accidents are more likely to kill victims than a regular car accident. If your loved one has been killed due to a negligent driver, it is important to seek legal help immediately.

Fatigue

Truck drivers are often overworked and drive many hours without rest breaks in between. This is often caused by the owners of truck companies who have a high demand in a short period of time. Therefore, many truck drivers are under a lot of pressure to make certain deadlines.

Alcohol and drug use

Many truck drivers have been found guilty of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, which results in their driving to be impaired and consequently, causing accidents.

Poor driver training

Before truck drivers are able to operate commercial vehicles on the road, they are required to put in a certain number of training hours and meet certain requirements. Although it is required, not all truck drivers meet these requirements and may get behind the wheel with inadequate experience.

Truck maintenance

Although truck owners are required to ensure their trucks receive the proper maintenance before hitting the road, this isn’t always the case due to costs and time it takes to maintain the trucks.

Over speeding

Due to poor weather conditions, traffic, and other factors, many truck drivers drive over the speed limit to meet certain deadlines so they do not have to worry about being fired. In addition, speeding reduces the ability for reaction time. For instance, traffic may result in the need to break immediately; however, with high speeds, this is impossible, especially with trucks.

Overtaking

Overtaking the road by truck can result in serious repercussions, and often leads to fatal accidents.

Distracted driving

Driving long hours often results in truck drivers to become bored, which may result in them texting and driving, using their phones for games or social media, eating, changing the radio station, and other distractions. These small distractions can result in serious accidents.