After a collision with a big commercial truck, you may be eligible to recover both economic and non-economic damages to address your immediate losses and long-term needs. These damages restore your financial stability and compensate you for reducing your quality of life after the accident.
Together, these damages are known as compensatory damages. They are the most common form of compensation after an accident. In rare cases, some victims can recover punitive damages, which is extra money awarded by a court ruling as further punishment against the responsible parties.
When you hire an Indianapolis truck accident lawyer, one of their main tasks is to add up all the damages you’re owed. With that number in mind, they will negotiate with the insurance company to get you fair compensation.
Economic Damages in Truck Accident Cases
Economic damages are the measurable financial losses you experience due to the accident. These damages include your current medical bills, anticipated future medical expenses, and lost wages from missing work. Your economic damages also cover property damage, including vehicle repairs or replacement and any personal belongings damaged in the crash.
When you’re recovering after an accident with a big truck, you may not know the full amount of your economic damages. Calculating the true value of your economic damages, especially future damages, is difficult without the assistance of a lawyer.
Insurance companies may try to contact you soon after a crash and offer you what seems like a large settlement to cover your immediate expenses. However, you cannot get more money after you accept a settlement. Never accept a settlement without speaking with a lawyer first to ensure the offer is fair.
Your Case Will Get
The Attention It Deserves
About Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages address the personal toll of the accident that can’t be measured in dollars and cents. These damages compensate you for physical pain, emotional distress, and the overall impact on your quality of life. The severity and duration of your injuries play a significant role in determining these damages.
Your mental and emotional well-being matters just as much as your physical recovery. We consider anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and other psychological effects when calculating non-economic damages. These conditions can significantly impact your life.
We take time to understand how the accident has affected your daily activities and relationships. If you can no longer participate in hobbies you once enjoyed or if your injuries strain your family relationships, these changes factor into your non-economic damages.
How Are These Calculated?
Our team documents these impacts through detailed testimonies from you, your family, and your friends. We need to show how you were before your accident with a big truck and how your life was changed after the crash.
These damages can comprise the bulk of your compensation package and require careful negotiation. Some firms and insurance companies take shortcuts to calculate the value of non-economic damages, but Vaughan & Vaughan does not take that approach. We will investigate to get you their full value.
The Role of Evidence in Maximizing Your Recovery
Lawyers cannot pull a number out of the air and present it to the insurers. Strong evidence forms the foundation of any successful truck accident claim. Evidence helps demonstrate the full extent of your damages and proves that you have a case.
Medical records and bills are the most immediate proof that you have economic damages to recover after an accident with a big truck. Your lawyer will collect all relevant medical documentation, including emergency room records, diagnostic tests, treatment plans, and expert opinions about your prognosis.
Photos, videos, and daily pain journals can prove your non-economic damages. We encourage clients to document their recovery process, including physical limitations, emotional challenges, and how injuries affect their daily lives. This documentation helps paint a clear picture of your experience for insurance adjusters and jury members.
Who Can I Recover Damages from After an Accident with a Big Truck?
Commercial truck accidents often involve multiple liable parties, which can affect your potential recovery. The trucking company, truck manufacturer, or maintenance provider might share responsibility for your damages.
Identifying all liable parties and determining their insurance limits is an important part of your case. All these parties likely have a large insurance policy. This means more resources may be available to cover your damages without going to trial.
Corporate defendants often have substantial resources to defend against claims, but a lawyer makes the process fair. Their experience helps ensure you receive fair compensation for your damages.
Getting the Support You Need After a Truck Accident
Don’t let the insurers try to tell you what damages you can recover after an accident with a big truck. Hire a lawyer instead. A lawyer will handle all communications with insurance companies and their attorneys and protect you from tactics that could reduce or deny your compensation.
Contact our lawyers and staff at Vaughan & Vaughan today to discuss your truck accident case, peruse case results by our Indiana injury law firm, and learn how we can help you pursue the damages you deserve.
