After being involved in a truck crash, you might be eligible for damages. The three types of recoverable damages an injured victim may be able to recover are economic, non-economic, and punitive damages. If you or a loved one were injured in a truck collision, reach out to an experienced truck accident lawyer. A dedicated truck accident attorney could help you recover Chicago truck accident damages.
Economic Damages
Economic damages refer to out-of-pocket costs associated with an accident. Economic damages include property damage, lost wages, future lost wages, medical bills, and future medical bills. If an individual suffers a severe injury and cannot return to work in the same capacity as before, that will be taken into consideration when calculating economic damages. Also, economic damages could include any future therapy sessions the injured person may need.
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages refer to losses that do not come with a dollar amount. Non-economic damages include pain and suffering, mental anguish, and loss of a normal life. For instance, if a person injures their lower back, they likely have trouble walking upstairs and downstairs, standing or walking for a long period of time, playing with their children, and doing any physical activity. In this case, the victim’s life has been altered in a serious way due to the accident. A well-versed lawyer who has experience recovering Chicago truck accident damages could help calculate determine the non-economic damages that an injured person deserves.
Punitive Damages
Punitive damages may be available if it is determined that the liable party acted in an egregious and reprehensible way. These types of damages are awarded to punish the defendant and help discourage others from acting in a similar fashion. It is essential to understand that punitive damages are rarely available in truck crash cases.
What Damages Does a Person’s Auto Insurance Cover?
If someone gets into an accident and someone else causes it, the other person’s insurance should cover the property damage and medical bills. Depending on the severity of the case and the injuries, insurance may also cover potential future medical costs or maybe make an offer for future medical costs and money on top of that. It can also pay for pain and suffering and loss of a normal life. If the other driver is uninsured, then the injured party has to deal with their own insurance and it may cover the same factors. However, if there is a situation where the other insurance company is being difficult with making a fair offer for property damage, then it is recommended that the injured person uses their own insurance because they should handle it fairly quickly, especially if it is a straightforward case.
Calculating Damages in a Truck Accident Case
An accomplished lawyer calculates the damages they are going to demand from the insurance company. They come up with what they think fairly and reasonably compensates the injured victim. The attorney sends the demand to the insurance company and then they negotiate with the company.
In a jury trial, when asking for an award in the plaintiff’s favor, then the damages need to be broken down. It is broken down by current medical costs, future medical costs, pain and suffering, loss of normal life, and lost wages.
Future medical expenses are calculated by taking a doctor’s recommendation or what the doctor estimates the costs would be. If it is a serious enough injury, the lawyer may need to discuss it with medical experts.
Pain and suffering and loss of normal life are subjective. How bad were the injuries? How long did they need treatment? Where were their pain levels during treatment? What did they do before that they could not do afterward? A lawyer will come up with an amount of money they think would compensate the injured person for the activities they could not do or had trouble doing after the collision that they were able to do before.
Call a Chicago Lawyer About Recovering Truck Accident Damages
A skilled truck accident attorney could help you with recovering Chicago truck accident damages. If you were injured in a truck crash by a negligent party, call today and set up a consultation.