What Compensation Can I Receive After A Delivery Truck Accident?
December 7, 2021 Posted In Truck Accidents
After an accident with a delivery truck, you may notice that it is costing you in more ways than just medical bills. If it was caused by someone else’s reckless or negligent actions, you are entitled to recover compensation that reflects the total cost of your losses. The types of compensation you can collect may include the following.
Economic Damages
Delivery truck accident victims typically suffer actual financial losses, known as economic damages. This type of damages is often easy to prove with medical records, bills, receipts, invoices, W-2s, etc., and you may be reimbursed for:
Medical Bills
Current and future medical expenses beginning from the date of the accident and until you recover, for example, ambulance service, acute care, hospitalizations, surgeries, physical therapy, prescription medication, and more. One of the most critical types of compensation you can pursue is future medical care. Some injuries require long-term rehabilitation, adaptive medical equipment, home modifications, and more. Medical expert testimony regarding the extent of your injuries and the care you may need is typically required to calculate damages for future medical care.
Lost Income
Any income that you have lost and will lose in the future while being away from work to recover. Depending on the extent of your injuries, you may need an extended period of time to heal, or you may have suffered permanent impairments. Diminished earning capacity may also be a possibility if your impairment or permanent disability leaves you unable to earn the same level of income as before the accident.
Property Damage
Your claim should cover the repairs you need on your vehicle or a check for its fair market value if it is totaled. If any personal items were damaged, such as a phone, iPad, laptop, etc., you are also entitled to compensation for their repairs or replacements.
Non-Economic Damages
This form of damages can be the most significant portion of the compensation you receive. Non-economic damages represent more intangible and subjective losses, such as.
Pain And Suffering
This type of compensation is for the physical and psychological harm or suffering a victim has and will endure. It also includes emotional distress, loss of quality of life, loss of companionship, and more. Generally, an insurance adjuster will think the greater your medical expenses and the more severe your injuries, the greater your pain and suffering. Typically what will be considered is whether your:
- Daily life has been impacted or limited in some way;
- Relationships have changed as a result of your injuries.
- Injuries are permanent, or how long your recovery is expected to be.
- Life expectancy has been shortened.
Non-economic damages can be more challenging to prove but not impossible. An attorney may use expert testimony, counseling bills, journals, testimony from friends, etc., to establish the extent of your pain and suffering.
Punitive Damages
Punitive damages may be awarded in delivery truck accident cases involving a party (e.g., truck driver, delivery company, truck maintenance company, etc.) that acted egregiously or with a conscious disregard for the safety of others. This type of compensation is rare and meant to punish the at-fault party and deter others from taking similar actions. If you need representation, our delivery truck accident attorneys in Riverside are always here to help. We also serve truck accident victims in San Bernardino.