Richmond Truck Accident Damages

Richmond truck accident damages are intended to make the injured victim whole after a wreck. If you or a loved one were injured in a truck collision, you might be entitled to damages. A seasoned attorney with experience in truck wreck cases can fight for your right to compensation. Reach out to a dedicated truck accident attorney today.

Economic damages are out-of-pocket expenses that the injured victim suffered due to the accident. Economic damages include:

• Property damage
• Medical expenses
• Future medical expenses
• Lost wages
• Future wages

Economic damages are those damages that one could present to a judge, a jury, or an insurance company that has a value assigned to them. A lawyer could gather all the medical bills and hire an economist to help with calculating economic damages in Richmond truck accident cases.

Non-economic damages are damages that may not have a specific monetary price to them. Non-economic damages include:

• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress
• Inconvenience
• Disfigurement

A truck accident victim could also recover damages for human losses, which is how the crash has impacted the injured person's day to day life. While non-economic damages often no specific invoice, charge or bill, they represent the great personally harms suffered by the victim. It is crucial when working with a lawyer to focus on these losses and to recover compensation for them.

Non-economic damages are calculated by a judge or a jury. A skilled attorney can help communicate these losses effectively and empathetically to a jury so that they have a full understanding of the harms, losses, and impact on the crash victim's life.

Depending on the circumstances of the wreck, the injured victim could recover punitive damages. Punitive damages are awarded to the victim of an accident when the at-fault party was acting not just negligently, but in an egregious or extremely reckless manner. Punitive damages are awarded to punish the negligent party and to deter others from acting in a similar manner. It is imperative to understand that punitive damages are rarely awarded. An example of a case that may warrant punitive damages is if the at-fault driver was driving while under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol.

Punitive damages have to be proportionate to the economic and non-economic damages. Depending on the type of case, there may be caps on the amount of punitive damages available. In general, punitive damages in Virginia are capped at $350,000.

A person's own auto insurance may cover some of the upfront Richmond truck accident damages. If an individual is injured in a motor vehicle or tractor-trailer truck accident, their insurance might cover property damage to the car and certain out-of-pocket medical expenses, depending on the terms of the policy. In certain circumstances where they have coverage beyond the coverage available for the defendant driver, the insurance might pay for some of the personal injury damages that they suffer.

When the crash involves a commercial vehicle, there is usually a large commercial policy, which means there is often more coverage available than through personal auto insurance.

Following a truck crash, an experienced attorney can immediately help by taking action to preserve crucial information that may make a difference in whether an accident victim wins or loses their case.

Also, depending on the significance of the injuries, there may be multiple insurance policies that are implicated by an accident. In certain circumstances, there could be claims by the policyholder that exclude them from coverage due to some intentional or particularly egregious conduct by the driver of the vehicle. There could be issues related to workers' compensation in certain circumstances that could have an impact on the case, depending on when the accident happened.

An attorney will be able to sort through these issues as well as look into issues involving payment for medical expenses as the victim continues to heal while the discovery process is going on.

The attorney will often try to negotiate a fair settlement and if the trucking company refuses to accept responsibility or pay fair compensation, take the case to trial. Call a well-versed lawyer today for help with recovering Richmond truck accident damages.