Large semi-trucks and 18-wheelers play an important role in commerce. Without them, transporting materials and products at scale would be near impossible. However, when driven irresponsibly, large trucks can cause horrible accidents and injuries.
If you have been hurt in a truck accident, you could be facing a long recovery and expensive medical bills. You can’t work due to your injury, and you might be wondering how you will make ends meet. A Bridgeport truck accident lawyer can help you get the compensation you deserve.
At Jonathan Perkins Injury Lawyers, our Bridgeport personal injury lawyers have recovered over $500 million for accident victims in Connecticut. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation and learn how we can help.
Should You Take a Settlement for a Truck Accident?
It is always smart to consult with an attorney before agreeing to any settlement. Insurance companies are supposed to help when disaster strikes. However, they are businesses with bottom lines to worry about, and they aren’t always on your side.
Sometimes they offer lowball settlements, hoping you don’t understand what your claim is really worth. If you accept, you waive your rights to future compensation, and they can close your case for a fraction of what you deserve.
Our Bridgeport truck accident attorneys will understand the true value of your case. We will not allow an insurance company to take advantage of you. Although they may not have your best interests in mind, we’ll fight to ensure that you are treated fairly.
What Is a Truck Accident Claim Worth?
The compensation you can receive for your truck accident depends on the extent of your injuries and other damages. It isn’t possible to estimate without a thorough evaluation of your case.
Your truck accident lawyer in Bridgeport can calculate your potential awards based on your economic and non-economic damages.
Economic Damages
Your economic damages are those you can relate to a specific cost. Typically, you receive a bill or an invoice telling you what you owe. You may be able to recover economic damages for costs such as:
- Ambulance transportation and emergency room care
- Medical care such as doctor appointments, specialist visits, and surgery
- Physical and occupational therapy
- Medications
- Anticipated future medical needs like medications, therapy, and additional surgical procedures
- Lost wages for the time when you were unable to work after your accident
- Future employment issues such as lost income and job retraining
- Property damage, as in the expense of repairing your vehicle
It can help your Bridgeport truck accident attorney if you keep track of receipts and paperwork related to your expenses so that they can ensure that they include all of your costs.
Non-Economic Damages
Your hardships related to your mental, emotional, and social issues that have emerged as a result of your accident are considered non-economic damages. They are harder to prove and are not available in all cases. Non-economic damages include things like:
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Emotional distress
- Mental anguish
Keeping notes on how the accident has impacted the wellbeing of you and your family can help your attorney understand if non-economic damages may be part of your compensation.
Who Is Liable in a Truck Accident?
Usually, people expect the truck operator to take the blame for an accident, but drivers are not always at fault. Some of the parties that can be fully or partially responsible for an accident include:
- Truck driver: The driver may be liable if they recklessly operated the vehicle, under the influence of drugs or alcohol, ignored speed limits, or violated other traffic laws.
- Trucking company: A trucking company may be liable for the accident if it fails to maintain the trucks, engages in poor hiring practices, pushes its drivers to work long hours without sleep, or does not offer proper training.
- Truck manufacturer: If defects in parts or equipment caused the accident, the vehicle or parts manufacturer may be held liable.
- Cargo loaders: If a truck tips due to improperly loaded cargo, the shipper or the cargo loader may be responsible for the accident
- Other drivers: Another careless driver may cause a truck to swerve to avoid a collision, only to crash into your vehicle.
Common Causes of Truck Accidents
Truck accidents can occur in almost any way. Here are some of the most frequent causes in the Bridgeport area.
- Driver fatigue: Truck drivers who log long hours without sleep can have impaired reaction times and may even fall asleep at the wheel.
- Distracted driving: Texts, phone calls, and other distractions can distract a truck driver from the road and cause an accident.
- Equipment malfunctions: Faulty brakes or blown tires can cause trucks to lose control and cause tremendous damage.
- Speeding: Trucks traveling at high speeds are harder to stop, and speeding gives truck drivers less time to react to danger
- Driving under the influence: Truck operators under the influence of drugs or alcohol are breaking the law, risking their licenses, and putting other drivers in jeopardy.
- Poor weather conditions: Rain, ice, snow, and fog can create problems on roadways when truck drivers do not adapt their driving to dangerous conditions.
- Inexperienced drivers: Drivers who lack proper training or experience can make poor decisions and cause accidents.
- Reckless driving by others: Other drivers who do not respect the difficulty of operating a large truck can put truck drivers in dangerous situations.
Connect With a Bridgeport Truck Accident Attorney
Most truck drivers are responsible professionals who take safety seriously. Unfortunately, all it takes is one negligent, reckless, or overly aggressive driver to cause an accident. Suddenly, you are struggling to pay your bills and care for your family due to an injury.
Our Bridgeport truck accident attorneys can hold careless drivers and their insurance companies responsible for the hardships they have caused. We will fight for fair compensation so you can begin to heal and move forward with your life.
Our team at Jonathan Perkins Injury Lawyers has a 95% success rate. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation and tell us your story.
