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After being struck by a large truck on the road, you will likely be facing a mountain of medical bills, and potentially dealing with psychological trauma and/or missed wages from work. You should not have to bear this economic burden alone. By working with a dependable truck accident attorney, you could improve your odds of recovering damages after a truck accident in Cicero.
Economic damages are those which have a concrete dollar value attached to them, such as medical expenses, and are the most common form of recoverable damages in a local truck collision case. Lost wages can also be sought in a lawsuit, including wages lost while recovering from the injury as well as future earnings that the plaintiff will lose out on because of disability. Economic and non-economic damages are considered compensatory. This means that the at-fault truck driver is required to pay damages to compensate the injured individual for what they have lost as a result of the accident.
Due to their size, trucks tend to produce more serious injuries than regular cars do. Common injuries include those to the back and neck, as well as to the arms, legs, and head. While most injuries following a truck accident will heal with time, some may turn out to be long-term or permanent. It is important to consult with an experienced lawyer to determine how a permanent injury should be compensated for.
Non-economic damages do not have a concrete dollar amount attached to them. They include concepts such as pain and suffering, loss of normalcy, disability, scarring, and emotional trauma. A jury must determine the amount of money to reasonably and fairly compensate someone for these elements, and they can vary wildly from case to case as a result.
There is no formula to determine the amount of non-economic damages. A jury ultimately decides how much to award. The more serious the injury and the greater the impact it has on someone’s life, then the greater the award of non-economic damages tends to be. Despite some well-publicized cases, most awards for non-economic damages are surprisingly low.
Punitive damages are considered exemplary damages and are meant to punish the defendant for particularly egregious conduct. Punitive damages also serve as a deterrent to other truck drivers to ensure that they follow the rules of the road, as well as the trucking guidelines. Most cases in Cicero only involve compensatory damages. Unless the actions of the truck driver were illegal or reckless, punitive damages will not be available.
The insurance company for the truck will be responsible for the damages in accidents their drivers are involved in. However, if the plaintiff has their own automobile insurance, there may be additional coverage to work with. If they have full coverage, they could elect to have their car repaired through their own insurance company rather than battling with the truck’s insurance.
Their personal automobile insurance could also contain a provision which will pay a certain amount of medical bills incurred in an accident. Because truck accident claims can take time, it is sometimes advisable to have medical bills paid through a plaintiff’s personal automobile insurance even though the truck insurance is legally responsible for them.
The truck insurance will not pay for the medical bills until the entire case is resolved and settled. If their personal auto insurance pays any of a plaintiff’s damages, they can obtain reimbursement from the truck insurance once that case has resolved. The presence of multiple insurers makes it more likely that a plaintiff can recover compensation after a truck accident in Cicero.
A lawyer could establish contact with the truck company’s insurance provider and begin to plan how damages could be accounted for. They could also reach out to other insurance companies that might be involved in the case and determine who the compensation and reimbursements will work.
The insurance adjuster for the truck accident only looks out for the interest of the trucking company. Having a legal advocate represent an injured person as soon as possible following a truck accident could result in a better recovery down the road.
There are many types of injuries and losses that could be compensated for after an accident. In addition to expenses and lost wages, you could also win an award for non-economic losses, and potentially punitive damages. However, it is difficult to manage a legal claim without the proper education and experience. For that reason, you should reach out to a lawyer to discuss recoverable damages in a Cicero truck accident.