What You Need to Know About Texas 18-Wheeler Accident Settlements

For years, the state of Texas has led the nation in fatal truck accidents. 18-wheelers and other commercial trucks are massive vehicles, and when they are involved in collisions, they can be deadly for people in other cars and trucks, as well as motorcyclists or pedestrians.

Even if victims are not killed in these accidents, they are likely to suffer severe injuries that may affect nearly every area of their lives. Those who are involved in truck accidents will need to understand how they can take action to pursue compensation and the amount they can expect to receive through a settlement with a trucking company or other parties.

Damages Available in Truck Accident Settlements

Unfortunately for Texas truck accident victims, the state recently passed a law that may make it more difficult to seek compensation in these situations. If a victim pursues a lawsuit following an 18-wheeler accident, they will first need to take legal action against the driver who caused the accident and demonstrate that their injuries occurred because of the truck driver’s negligence. If they succeed in doing so, they may then pursue litigation against the truck driver’s employer, and they may seek exemplary damages by showing that the trucking company engaged in negligent hiring practices or otherwise acted negligently and caused the victim to suffer harm.

Fortunately for victims, most truck accident cases can be resolved without the need for litigation. Victims will usually be able to negotiate settlements with trucking companies and their insurers, ensuring that they can receive compensation for the ways they have been affected. These settlements may address:

• Medical expenses – A settlement should cover all forms of medical care that are necessary to treat the injuries a person suffered in a truck accident. The costs of emergency medical treatment, transportation in an ambulance, hospitalization, and surgery can easily add up to tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars. Ongoing medical treatment may also be needed, and a settlement may cover regular doctor visits, physical therapy and rehabilitation, and medications, which may add thousands more to a person’s total medical costs.
• Loss of income – In the immediate aftermath of an 18-wheeler accident, a person may have been unable to work for several months, and a settlement may repay them for the income lost during this time. If a person suffered a permanent disability that limited their future job prospects or has caused them to be completely unable to work, a settlement may address the income that they would have been able to earn throughout the rest of their natural lifetime. The total income lost may add up to hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars.
• Property damage – A truck accident may have resulted in extensive damage to a person’s vehicle, and a settlement may pay for the costs of repairs or replacement. Other property damaged or destroyed in a collision may also be addressed by a settlement.
• Pain and suffering – A settlement may provide compensation for the physical pain a person has had to deal with following an accident, as well as the emotional trauma they and their family have suffered. While it is not always easy to place a dollar amount on these damages, a settlement should ensure that a family will have the financial resources they need to make a full recovery.

Contact Our Carrollton, TX Truck Accident Settlement Lawyer

As you work to recover from the injuries sustained in a truck accident, you will want to make sure any settlement offered by a trucking or insurance company will fully meet your family’s needs. Hartley Law Firm can provide you with legal representation during settlement negotiations, and we will fight to make sure the amount you are offered will properly address all of the damages you have suffered. We will work to make sure you and your family will be made whole. Contact our Carrollton 18-wheeler accident attorney and set up a free consultation by calling 469-289-6063.

Sources:

https://injuryfacts.nsc.org/motor-vehicle/road-users/large-trucks/data-details/

https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/87R/billtext/html/HB00019F.htm