Commercial trucks can cause devastating amounts of damage if they are involved in a crash. Big rigs can weigh anywhere from 10,000 to 80,000 pounds, so if one of these vehicles strikes a car at high speed, it can cause serious injuries. Pedestrians and passenger vehicle occupants are at the most risk during these collisions because they have significantly less to protect them from the full weight of the truck, especially pedestrians. Accidents with commercial vehicles can often require the full replacement of a car and could lead to catastrophic injuries, such as spinal cord damage and traumatic brain injuries.
If someone is involved in an accident with a commercial truck, therefore, they will likely need to file a claim for compensation, particularly if the negligent party was the truck driver. For example, if the truck driver was texting and driving, or was inebriated, he or she was negligent. A responsible truck driver not only pays strict attention to the road but refrains from using substances that could reduce the quality of his or driving techniques.
When someone files a claim against the driver or the driver’s employer, the injured party could expect to get economic and noneconomic damages in return. Economic damages include the total cost of the medical bills, rehabilitative services, property damage, and lost wages suffered as a result of the truck driver’s negligence. Some of this can be totaled in advance by looking at the bills you have accrued so far and calculating how much in wages the recovery time made you lose.
Noneconomic damages are harder to calculate. These include compensation for pain and suffering, emotional trauma, inconvenience, and any punitive damages the court decides to award in the case. This amount will vary in each case because all cases are unique.
The best way to determine how much your case is worth is to consult an experienced San Jose truck accident attorney. Habbas & Associates has more than 200 years of combined legal experience to put to work on your behalf. We have worked on many collision cases before and can take a look at your case to offer our legal advice on your best course of action. Over the course of our history, we have recovered more than $300 million in verdicts and settlements for our past clients. Let us see what we can do for you.
Contact us at (888) 387-4053 or fill out our online form to schedule a free case consultation with us today!
