What Damages are Available After a Truck Accident?
Recovering from a truck accident is a long process. At some point along the way, you may become aware that you will need to file a lawsuit to help recover from your injuries. You may have missed significant time from work, expensive medical bills may be piling up, and you may be unsure of the long-term effects your injuries will cause. As you consider filing a claim for compensation, you may wonder how much your claim is worth. Below, our Knoxville truck accident attorney outlines what compensation you may be entitled to.
Economic vs. Non-Economic Damages
In Knoxville, there are two main types of compensation that are available after a truck accident. These are known as economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages are those that have an actual dollar value, such as medical bills and lost income. State law does not cap the amount of economic damages you can receive after a truck accident.
Non-economic damages do not have a concrete dollar value and so, they are much more challenging to calculate. Common examples of non-economic damages are pain and suffering along with permanent disfigurement or disability. Unlike economic damages, state law does cap non-economic damages. The limit in most personal injury cases is $750,000. However, if a victim suffers paralysis from a spinal cord injury, amputation of a limb, the death of a minor’s parents, or severe burns, the cap on non-economic damages is increased to $1,000,000.
Damages Available After a Truck Accident
When filing a personal injury claim after a truck accident, you can recover all of your losses. These may include:
- Property damage: Due to the immense size and weight of trucks, the damage they cause to smaller vehicles is severe. Your vehicle may need extensive repair, or you may need to replace it completely.
- Medical bills: You can recover compensation for any hospitalization, emergency room visits, surgery, assistive devices, physical therapy, nursing care, and medications you needed due to the crash.
- Lost income: You have a right to recover the income you lost due to the fact that you were unable to work after the accident. You can include past and future lost income as well as bonuses for early retirement, disability, loss of promotion or advancement, and lost employer benefits.
- Loss of a loved one: If you lost a loved one due to a truck accident, you can file a wrongful death claim to obtain damages for lost contributions to the household, lost companionship, loss of marital assistance, and more.
Our Truck Accident Attorney in Knoxville Can Help You Claim Full Damages
If you or someone you love has been hurt in a truck accident, you need sound legal advice. At Atkins Brezina, PLLC, our Knoxville truck accident attorney can provide it so you obtain the full and fair compensation that is rightfully yours. Call us today at 865-500-3121 or contact us online to request a free consultation with one of our experienced attorneys and to learn more about your legal options.
Source:
law.cornell.edu/wex/negligence
