How Different Truck Accident Injuries Change What Your Case Is Worth

The value of your truck accident case will depend on the injuries you sustained. A truck accident attorney at The Kryder Law Group, LLC can help estimate the settlement amount or jury award you may be likely to get in your semi-truck accident case.

What is My Case Worth?

If you suffered a minor injury in a truck accident, such as whiplash, your case may be worth less than if you suffered a more serious injury, like a broken bone. More serious injuries typically require more medical treatment and may result in more pain and suffering than minor injuries.

How Are Injuries Quantified by Jurors?

The extent and severity of your injuries can also play a role in how much you might get if your case goes to trial. Jurors tend to award damages by evaluating the following factors:

• Pain and suffering

• Loss of a normal life/loss of enjoyment of life

• Medical bills

• Lost wages

• Scarring and disfigurement

Other Factors that Impact the Value of Truck Accident Cases

In addition to the severity of your injuries, other factors that can affect the value of your commercial truck accident case include:

• Whether the truck driver was at fault for the accident;

• Whether the trucking company is liable for the accident;

• Whether you contributed to the accident;

• The amount of your medical bills;

• The amount of lost wages you incurred as a result of the accident; and

• The insurance coverage available to compensate you for your injuries.

The Chicago truck accident attorneys at The Kryder Law Group, LLC have experience negotiating truck accident settlements, pursing full and fair compensation in truck accident lawsuits, and can help you understand what your case may be worth. Contact a Chicago truck accident lawyer from our law firm today for a free consultation about your personal injury claim.

What types of injuries can affect the value of your truck accident case?

There are a number of different injuries that can occur in truck accidents. Some injuries are more severe than others and will have a greater impact on your case. The severity of your injuries will play a major role in determining the value of your truck accident settlement or jury award. More severe injuries will typically result in a higher settlement or award amount than less severe injuries.

An experienced personal injury lawyer at The Kryder Law Group, LLC Accident and Injury Lawyers can help you understand how different injuries can affect the value of your personal injury case and what your case may be worth.

Common Types of Truck Accident Injuries

Some of the most common truck accident injuries include:

Whiplash

Whiplash is a neck injury that can occur when your head is suddenly jolted forward or backward. Symptoms of whiplash may not appear immediately, and may include neck pain, headaches, dizziness, and fatigue. Whiplash typically requires medical treatment and can take weeks or months to recover from.

Broken Bones

Broken bones are serious injuries that can require surgery and extended periods of recovery. The type of bone broken and the location of the break will affect the value of your case. For example, a broken arm will typically result in less compensation than a broken leg.

Spinal Cord Injuries

Spinal cord injuries can cause paralysis and require lifelong medical care. These injuries are typically very serious and can result in a large settlement or verdict.

Traumatic Brain Injuries

Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) can occur when your head is violently shaken or hit. Symptoms of a TBI may not appear immediately, and can include headaches, dizziness, fatigue, memory problems, and mood swings. TBIs can be very serious, and may require long-term or even permanent care.

Jurors award large damages for TBIs given the acute life changing effect they have on victims. Victims may receive compensation not only for their past treatment and therapy, but also for all future treatment and therapy as well, including any caregiver expenses.

If the victim was working prior to the accident, jurors will also award them past and future lost wages. Finally jurors, will award damages for disfigurement if victims show physical signs of injuries such as spasticity, being wheelchair bound, or needed a walker to get around.

Internal Bleeding

Internal bleeding is a serious injury that can occur when an organ is ruptured or damaged. Internal bleeding may not be immediately apparent, and can cause dizziness, weakness, and confusion. If not treated promptly, internal bleeding can be fatal.

Chronic Neck and Back Pain

These injuries can occur even when a car is hit by a large truck at low speeds and are often associated with rear-end collisions. Victims may immediately feel neck and back pain, or symptoms might not begin to show until hours or even days later. If you were in an accident and are suffering from or neck and back pain, a physician will be helpful in diagnosing and treating your injuries. They will likely order an MRI or CT scan to identify any sprains and spinal damage.

For milder accidents, chiropractic care or a brief round of physical therapy may be enough to provide a full recovery.

More serious injuries may require multiple epidural steroid injections or even surgical intervention to fuse and stabilize your spine. You may need to miss work depending on your injuries and your particular work duties.

In these cases, jurors will award damages for pain and suffering directly associated with the injury as well as pain and suffering due to the recovery period and any surgeries. Your settlement may also compensate you for all related medical bills and lost wages. If you missed out on any life events or daily activities you could not do while you recovered, you may receive additional compensation for that.

Fatalities

The most serious trucking accidents oftentimes cause one or more fatalities. In these instances, the victim’s family may file two or more separate causes of action against the responsible defendants. The first cause of action seeks damages for “wrongful death” and allows plaintiffs to recover for lost companionship, lost services, and grief and sorrow.

The second cause of action is for “survival” damages and allows families to seek compensation for the suffering of their loved one who lost their life in the accident. This can include compensation for pain and suffering before death, medical expenses, lost wages, and loss of a normal life.

When jurors calculate how much to award a victim in a truck accident case, they tend to focus on the relationship between the plaintiff and the decedent as well as the decedent’s job and salary, their medical expenses, and whether they were conscious before they succumbed to their injuries.

For example, a plaintiff whose decedent was younger and had a high paying job will tend to recover more damages for lost wages because their salary was higher and because they had more years to earn a living for their family before retirement.

Similarly, plaintiffs whose decedents were conscious and in pain before they expired will also have a higher settlement value because they experienced conscious pain and suffering and may have higher medical bills if they were hospitalized for a protracted amount of time.

What if the truck driver was not at fault for the accident?

If the truck driver was not at fault for the accident, you may still be able to recover compensation from the trucking company if they are liable for the accident. For example, the trucking company may be held liable if the driver was not properly trained or if the truck was not properly maintained.

What if you contributed to the accident?

If you contributed to the accident, you may still be able to recover compensation from the truck driver or trucking company, but your damages may be reduced by your percentage of fault. For example, if you are found to be 20% at fault for the accident, and your damages total $100,000, you would only be able to recover $80,000 from the truck driver or trucking company.

The lawyers at The Kryder Law Group, LLC can help you understand how different injuries can affect the value of your case and what kind of settlement you may be able to receive. Contact us today for a free consultation.

What should I do if I’m injured in a truck accident?

If you are injured in a truck accident, the first thing you should do is seek medical attention. Once you have been seen by a doctor and have a diagnosis for your injuries, you should contact a truck accident lawyer to discuss your case.

The lawyers at The Kryder Law Group, LLC can help you understand your legal options and how to proceed with your case. Contact us today for a free case review.

Let The Kryder Law Group, LLC Handle Your Case So You Can Focus on Healing

If you have been injured in a truck accident, the last thing you want to worry about is dealing with insurance companies and fighting for the compensation you deserve. The Kryder Law Group, LLC can handle every aspect of your case so you can focus on healing. We will investigate the accident, gather evidence, and build a strong case to get you the maximum compensation possible.

Contact our law firm today for a free case review.

No Recovery, No Fee

You should not have to worry about how you will afford a lawyer after a truck accident. At The Kryder Law Group, LLC Accident and Injury Lawyers, we work on a contingency fee basis, which means you don’t owe us anything unless we recover financial compensation for you. Contact us today for a free consultation to learn more about how we can help you.

What to Expect During the Legal Process

The legal process involved with a trucking accident can be confusing, but the lawyers at The Kryder Law Group, LLC will be with you every step of the way. We will handle all of the paperwork and deal with the trucking companies, truck drivers, and the insurance company so you can focus on healing.

Get Your Free Case Evaluation

Contact us today for a free consultation to learn more about what to expect during the legal process.

We have recovered millions of dollars and helped thousands of clients in all kinds of personal injury cases. Let’s talk about your trucking accident case.