Important Things to Know If You’re Hurt in a Truck Crash
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nearly two million truck drivers are licensed to drive on America’s roadways, and the number is going up every year. It’s no surprise, then, that annually, there are more than half a million commercial truck accidents. If you are one of the unfortunate ones to suffer injury in an accident involving a commercial truck, you may have a number of questions:
Q: Who can I look to for damages if the truck driver was at fault?
A: That depends on a number of factors. If the driver was negligent, you can bring a claim against him or her. You also might be able to bring a claim against the company that employed the driver, if you can show the driver was working at the time of the crash. There also may be potential third-party liability if, for example, there’s evidence of roadway defects, defective truck equipment or parts, or negligence by other drivers.
Q: What kinds of losses can I seek compensation for?
A: Damages in a personal injury claim typically are divided between economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages are those losses that are easy to calculate based on receipts or pay stubs, for example. They include lost wages and income, as well as unreimbursed medical expenses. Non-economic damages include other, less tangible losses, such as pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, and loss of companionship or consortium.
Q: Is there any meaningful difference between a truck accident and other motor vehicle accidents?
A: There are usually a number of characteristics that make a truck accident claim significantly different from a car or motorcycle accident. First, the size of a truck typically means that injuries are more catastrophic. There are also many more potential causes of a truck accident, including driver fatigue, improper cargo load, or violation of maintenance or “behind the wheel” regulations. It’s fairly typical for a truck accident to include a larger number of parties, and most commercial truck accidents include the potential for corporate liability.
Contact Attorney Howard N. Sobel
At the office of Howard N. Sobel, we’re experienced helping people who have been involved in commercial truck accidents. Contact our office online or call us at 856-424-6400 to see if you qualify for a free initial consultation (on selected cases). Evening and weekend appointments can be arranged upon request. We accept all major credit cards.
Named a New Jersey Super Lawyer Every Year Since 2010