Commercial truck accidents almost always result in very serious or fatal injuries. These injuries are also accompanied by substantial medical bills, rehabilitation, lost time from work, vehicle and/or property damage, and other financial consequences.

Consulting with a Peck Law Group truck accident lawyer is necessary to guarantee the full recovery you are owed under the law. A Peck law Group truck accident lawyer can help you determine who was ultimately at fault for your injuries, if more than one party is liable, and walk you through the often complicated legal process of filing a personal injury lawsuit or negotiating with an insurance company.

Types of Compensation Available after a Truck Accident

Every state’s laws differ on what is allowed to be recovered in a personal injury lawsuit stemming from a commercial truck accident. Most states, however, do allow a seriously injured plaintiff to recover all past and future medical expenses.

Most courts use the same benchmark to measure the amount of recoverable medical expenses. Generally, the quality of your life following your truck accident compared to your quality of life prior to your truck accident will play a considerable role in the amount of damages able to be recovered. The damages you will be able to recover will fall into two categories:

o Economic (medical expenses and lost wages); and
o Non-Economic (“pain-and-suffering” types of injuries)

Commercial truck companies, as well as individual truck owners, are required to carry an extensive amount of insurance in the event of a major truck accident. As a victim of such an accident, you are entitled to a fair settlement from those insurance companies to compensate for your injuries and losses says California Truck Injury Attorney Steven C. Peck.

Determining Economic Damages after a Truck Accident

Economic damages are usually reasonably obvious, realistically easy to estimate, and convincingly easy to prove. Generally, there will be no limit placed on the amount of economic damages that can be recovered and they usually consist of:

o Past and future medical expenses; and
o 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, an 80-year-old male with a broken leg will have lower current and future medical expenses than a 20-year-old suffering from an incapacitating and/or debilitating injury requiring a lifetime of medical care with no possibility of full recovery.

Most serious injuries stemming from a truck accident will be life-altering. Many people will require long and intensive medical treatment, and some will need permanent, life-long care. One very important caveat must be realized when attempting to recover medical damages: 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 important to speak with an experienced Peck Law Group truck accident attorney before accepting an insurance settlement. You need to ensure that the amount the insurance company is offering will not only pay for your current medical bills, but related expenses from your injury that may develop later on. A qualified Peck Law Group truck accident lawyer will also be able to call on expert witnesses such as medical professionals, accident reconstruction specialists, and even economists to help you determine how much compensation you will actually require.

About the Author

Attorney Steven Peck has been practicing law since 1981. A former successful business owner, Mr. Peck initially focused his legal career on business law. Within the first three years, after some colleagues and friend’s parents endured nursing home neglect and elder abuse, he continued his education to begin practicing elder law and nursing home abuse law.