How Much Is A Rear-End Truck Accident Worth? | Call 4/7
The worth of a rear-end truck accident claim depends on the accident’s damages, your injuries, and other circumstances. There isn’t a set amount for all rear-end accident cases. In some cases, those involved aren’t hurt, while others can lead to severe and life-altering injuries.
Generally, the more severe the rear-end truck accident, the greater the victim’s compensation. The compensation you recover from a rear-end truck accident is meant to ‘make you whole again.’ Therefore, the amount you receive will consider all the damages and losses you’ve incurred following the accident.
What Damages Can You Get in a Rear-end Truck Accident Case?
As a victim of a rear-end truck accident, the last thing you should have to do is pay out of pocket for medical expenses related to your injuries. The liable party should pay for all the damages and losses you’ve incurred following the accident.
The amount of settlement you get in your rear-end case will be based on both economic and non-economic damages, including:
- Past and future medical expenses, such as hospital stays, ambulance fees, prescription medications, physical therapy costs, and doctor visits
- Lost wages
- Pain and suffering
- Disfigurement
- Temporary or permanent disability
- Lost earning potential
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), thousands of people die every year in truck accidents. Of the total fatal truck accidents in 2019, 25% were rear-end crashes. If your loved one passed away in a rear-end truck accident, you may collect wrongful death damages.
What Are the Common Causes of Rear-End Truck Accidents?
Like other types of car accidents, rear-end truck accidents usually happen due to various reasons, including
- Fatigue
- Speeding
- Driving under the influence (DUI)
- Mechanical failures
- Recklessness
- Distracted driving
How Do You Prove Liability in a Rear-End Truck Accident?
Your lawyer must establish that the truck driver or a third party was at fault for you to recover compensation in a rear-end truck accident case. Therefore, you must prove the following factors:
- Duty of care. The truck driver or the third party owed it to you to keep you safe on the road.
- Breach of duty. The truck driver or a third party failed to uphold that responsibility.
- Causation. The truck driver or third party’s breach of duty led to the injuries you sustained.
- Damages. The rear-end truck accident resulted in both economic and non-economic damages.
How Do Rear-end Truck Accidents Differ From Other Accidents?
Trucks, tractor-trailers, and 18-wheelers weigh almost 20 times the average passenger vehicle, especially when they’re fully loaded. This means that getting rear-ended by a truck can be devastating, even at low speeds.
Your truck accident lawyer will conduct the necessary investigation to identify all the liable parties following the accident. As a result, you may have to deal with multiple insurance companies if more than one party is liable for the accident.
The liable parties may include:
- The truck driver
- The trucking company
- The truck owner
- The parts manufacturer
- The service team who worked on the truck
- The loading company
Why Hire a Lawyer To Pursue Your Truck Accident Claim?
All these parties are likely insured by different insurance companies who may try to dispute or deny your claim altogether. These entities also have a team of lawyers who will claim that you played a role in the accident, and they may try to minimize the compensation you can recover.
It would benefit you to have a truck accident lawyer on your side. The lawyer will represent you throughout the case and work to secure maximum compensation. If a fair settlement isn’t reached with the insurance companies, your lawyer could take your case to trial.
Why Should You Take Legal Action Immediately?
Most states usually give rear-end truck accident victims a few years to file a lawsuit for compensation. While it may sound like a lot of time, it’s always not the case. A lawyer wants to recover total compensation for you, meaning that they’ll need enough time to build a strong case on your behalf.
Therefore, it’s in your best interests to take legal action immediately after a rear-end truck accident. If your injuries are not stable and you cannot reach out to a law firm, you can have a loved one do it on your behalf.