If you’ve been involved in a truck accident, you’re probably curious about your case’s worth. You hope that you’ll receive a settlement as close to the number of damages you’ve incurred. It can be difficult to calculate those numbers without the help of an attorney. Use this guide to get a feel for what your truck accident case might be worth.
When you’re ready to schedule a free case evaluation with our team of experienced car accident attorneys, contact us online or give us a call at (407) 655-3333.
Because an 18-wheeler weighs a whopping 80,000 pounds (or 40 tons), they often do much more damage than passenger vehicles. The average passenger vehicle weighs about 3,500 pounds or just below 2 tons. That’s only 5% of a semi-truck’s total weight.
So, you can see how they could cause some unfortunate damage to drivers. Because truck accidents result in more severe injuries, the damages tend to be higher as well. With a more severe injury, more treatment is required, bills are higher, and victims likely experience more pain and suffering as a result. In turn, they receive higher settlements.
While truck accident settlements do tend to be higher, the value of your case depends on a few factors. Those factors include the severity of your injuries, your total damages, and how much the injury has affected your quality of life.
Injuries like traumatic brain injury (TBI), spinal cord injuries, and internal injuries are often referred to as “catastrophic” as they can have a great impact on one’s life in multiple ways. The severity of your injuries is the main factor in determining your case’s value. This is because your injuries determine a large portion of your damages. Also, the more severe your injury, the greater it affects your life.
Damages like medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering are commonly paid out in truck accident cases. These damages are calculated by looking at your monetary losses (like surgery costs, ambulance rides, and lost wages) and your abstract losses, like pain and suffering.
Pain and suffering are calculated based on how much your injuries have impacted your life. For example, if someone has minor injuries that they’ll recover from, they won’t experience much change. They may have to use crutches, and they’ll likely experience pain, but after a few months, it will no longer affect them.
Others, however, may experience more severe injuries that require constant care. They may be unable to walk, or they may need to remodel their house to account for new medical equipment. They’ll likely face daily challenges and pain. In cases like this, the more severely injured person would receive more compensation because the change they experienced is greater.
There were nearly 400,000 motor vehicle accidents in total in Florida in 2022. These accidents can range from minor to fatal. Because of that, there’s no true “average” settlement amount for Florida. Your settlement is completely personal and can’t be compared to other cases. If you want a good estimation of how much money you’ll receive, look at all of the monetary losses that you’ve experienced. Only an attorney will be able to help estimate your non-economic damages, like pain and suffering.
An insurance company will pay for your damages. Who exactly will pay for your damages depends on who’s at fault. If the trucking company caused the accident, their insurance company would be responsible. If a manufacturing accident caused your injuries, the manufacturer may be on the hook. In truck accidents, multiple parties can be liable for an accident. You may receive compensation from more than one insurance company.
To determine who’s at fault for your accident and resulting injuries, you’ll need evidence.
When you hire an attorney to work on your truck accident case, the first thing they’ll do is begin their investigation. This will include them asking you questions about the accident and taking any evidence you may have, such as images, videos, and witness contact information. Then, they’ll investigate deeper. They may look for security camera footage in the area, speak with witnesses, and pull the police report related to the case. They can also collect black box data and pull log books and other information from the trucking company’s records.
They may also call in expert witnesses to testify on the record. Expert witnesses are used to provide an in-depth analysis of a specific portion of your case. For example, if the insurance company claims that your injuries aren’t that serious, your attorney may have a medical professional comment on your injuries.
Other expert witnesses that may be used include:
We understand how nerve-wracking it can be to wait for your claim to be paid out. However, hiring an attorney is definitely the best way to ensure you get the compensation you deserve. Our team will work tirelessly to gather evidence and negotiate your settlement. Insurance companies expect clients to roll over and accept the payout they’re given. By hiring an attorney, especially an Osborne & Francis attorney, they’ll know that you mean business.
To contact our team of experienced truck accident attorneys, please contact us online or at (407) 655-3333. We’d be happy to schedule a first meeting to evaluate your claim and answer any questions you may have. Our team looks forward to hearing from you.
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Dennis and the other Osborne & Francis staff were amazing! Our case was HUGE and required tender loving care. Everyone on our case did their part by putting all the puzzle pieces together. We were given step by step updates and put at ease when our nerves got the best of us. For every inquiry we made we received a timely response...You are appreciated!
Quick and fair resolution to a unique case. On advice of my own attorney, I engaged Joseph Osborne of Osborne & Francis of Boca Raton, FL. Mr. Osborne had considerable experience in cases such as mine and the results showed that. Mr. Osborne and his staff were very helpful, kept me up to date, and listened to my input. The settlement was very fair as far as I am concerned.
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Hiring a lawyer is the first step towards recovering a better quality of life. At Osborne & Francis, we devote our undivided attention to each client, and all communications are held in the strictest privacy. Contact us by filling out the form or calling us directly at (561) 621-1385.
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