If you or a loved one suffered serious injuries in a truck accident caused by someone else’s negligence in Bellevue, you’re likely facing a long road to recovery filled with medical appointments, time away from work, and a great deal of pain and stress.
The immense size and weight of commercial trucks mean that they collide with passenger vehicles with devastating results.
Many victims of truck accidents endure severe, life-changing injuries that require extensive medical treatment and prevent them from working and enjoying life as they did before.
As the medical bills pile up and the paychecks stop coming in, you’re probably wondering what damages you can sue for in a truck accident to get the money you need to cover your losses and move forward with your life.
An experienced Truck accident lawyer in Bellevue can evaluate your case for free and explain your legal options for seeking maximum compensation from those responsible for the harm you have suffered.
Damages Typically Available in Truck Accident Cases
In a truck accident claim, victims generally seek compensation for the economic and non-economic losses they have incurred. These damages are meant to make the victim whole again and provide the financial resources they need to recover from their injuries to the fullest extent possible.
While each case is unique, truck accident claims often recover the following damages:
Economic Damages
Economic damages compensate truck accident victims for their measurable financial losses, such as:
- Medical expenses: Victims can pursue compensation for all medical costs associated with the crash, including emergency care, hospitalization, surgeries, doctor visits, physical therapy, medical equipment, and prescription drugs. Compensation also covers the anticipated costs of any ongoing or future medical needs.
- Lost wages: If the injuries keep the victim out of work, they can seek reimbursement for their lost income, benefits, and opportunities. Compensation can also include diminished future earning potential for long-term injuries and disabilities that affect their ability to work.
- Property damage: This covers the costs to repair or replace the victim’s vehicle and any other personal property damaged in the crash.
- Future economic losses: Some severe injuries require lifelong care and accommodations, such as home and vehicle modifications, in-home assistance, long-term care in a facility, and other ongoing expenses. These anticipated costs can also be sought as damages.
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages aim to compensate truck accident victims for their intangible losses that don’t come with an obvious dollar value, including:
- Pain and suffering: Victims can seek compensation for the immense physical and mental anguish they endure after a truck accident and the injuries it causes.
- Emotional distress: Many truck accident victims suffer severe psychological injuries, like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression. They can pursue compensation for their emotional distress and any counseling needed to cope with the aftermath of the crash.
- Loss of enjoyment of life: When severe injuries prevent a victim from participating in activities and hobbies they once enjoyed, they can seek compensation for their diminished quality of life.
- Loss of consortium: This compensates the victim’s spouse for the loss of companionship, affection, and household services stemming from their loved one’s injuries.
Wrongful Death Damages
When a truck accident in Bellevue proves fatal, eligible surviving family members can file a wrongful death claim seeking many of the damages listed above.
Available damages in wrongful death cases also typically include funeral and burial expenses. They also usually include compensation for losing the deceased’s income, benefits, services, care, and companionship.
Punitive Damages
While rarely awarded, punitive damages may be available in truck accident cases involving particularly egregious conduct, such as drunk driving. Unlike the compensatory damages discussed above, which compensate for the victim’s losses, punitive damages punish the at-fault party for their wrongdoing and deter similar misconduct.
Courts may award punitive damages when the at-fault party acted with extreme negligence, malice, or willful and wanton disregard for others’ safety.
For example, a trucking company may knowingly allow an unqualified or intoxicated driver to get behind the wheel. Trucking companies that violate industry regulations and pressure their drivers to meet unrealistic deadlines could also face punitive damages when their business practices endanger the public.
Factors That Can Affect Truck Accident Compensation
Many factors can influence the amount of compensation available to victims after a truck accident in Bellevue.
Some of the most significant factors include:
- Severity of injuries: In general, the more severe the injuries, the higher the potential value of the case. Devastating injuries that require extensive treatment and have lasting impacts tend to result in higher settlements and awards.
- Long-term impact on life: Permanent injuries and disabilities that profoundly affect the victim’s quality of life, relationships, and ability to work typically lead to more compensation.
- Degree of fault: In some cases, the victim might be found partially at fault for the crash. Under Washington law, victims can recover compensation no matter how much they are to blame for an accident. However, their damages would decrease by their assigned percentage of fault. The more liability that rests with the trucking company and other defendants, the better for the victim’s case.
- Insurance coverage: Most truck accident settlements and awards are paid by insurance, so the amount of coverage available can limit the compensation a victim ultimately receives. Trucking companies must carry higher liability insurance than passenger vehicles, with minimums ranging from $300,000 to $5 million, depending on the truck’s weight and cargo. An attorney can identify all available insurance policies and other sources of compensation.
A Bellevue truck accident attorney can fully assess your case to determine the full extent of your losses and explore all avenues of compensation. They can also push back against attempts at unduly blaming you for the crash and holding the appropriate at-fault parties accountable.
Bellevue Is a Hot Spot for Traffic Accidents
With I-405 and I-90 cutting through the heart of Bellevue, this city sees its share of commercial truck accidents. Bellevue sits a busy trucking corridor that connects Seattle to Spkane and other points east, north to I-5 and the Canadian border, and South to Tacoma.
Bellevue’s location, unfortunately, makes it a hotspot for traffic accidents, including those involving commercial trucks. In recent years, the total number of traffic crashes in Bellevue hovered somewhere between 1,500 and 1,900 annually. Most recently, Bellvue’s number of fatal traffic accidents hit a 30-year high.
What to Do Following a Truck Accident to Protect Yourself and Legal Rights
The aftermath of a truck accident is chaotic and overwhelming, especially when it leaves you seriously hurt and in pain. However, to the best of your ability, take the following steps to protect your well-being and your right to pursue compensation:
If You’re Still at the Accident Scene
- Call 911 and wait for police and medics to arrive.
- Seek immediate medical attention, either at the scene or at the nearest hospital.
- Follow your doctors’ treatment plans and attend all follow-up appointments.
- Gather evidence at the scene if you can, including photos of the wreckage, injuries, and surroundings. Ask any witnesses for their names and contact information.
- Get the truck driver’s name and contact information, as well as any other drivers involved.
- Avoid discussing the crash, accepting blame, or downplaying your injuries.
- Notify your own insurance company of the accident, but do not give a recorded statement to any insurance adjusters without consulting an attorney first.
Contact an experienced truck accident attorney to discuss your rights and the next steps for seeking compensation. Most lawyers offer free consultations and represent truck accident victims on a contingency fee basis, so there’s no upfront cost to speak with an Truck accident lawyer in Bellevue and learn about your options.
If Some Time Has Passed Since the Crash
If you’re already home from the hospital and facing mounting bills and lost wages, don’t try to go through the claim process alone. The trucking company and its representatives may pressure you to accept a lowball settlement or make it difficult to prove your case.
The sooner you contact a knowledgeable truck accident lawyer, the sooner they can get to work advocating for your interests and fighting to maximize your settlement or award.
How a Bellevue Truck Accident Attorney Can Help
An attorney who regularly handles truck accidents and catastrophic injury claims will know how to stand up to trucking companies and their teams of lawyers.
They will have the skills and resources to thoroughly investigate the crash, gather evidence of negligence and liability, document your injuries and losses, and advocate for full and fair compensation on your behalf.
Your Truck accident lawyer in Bellevue must promptly identify potentially liable parties and avenues of compensation before the trucking company can repair or destroy evidence.
Truck accident attorneys take immediate steps to preserve logbooks, black box data, employment records, vehicle maintenance reports, and other critical evidence before they can disappear.
A thorough investigation can often uncover wrongdoing by multiple parties, such as negligence by the truck driver, trucking company, cargo loading company, and truck or part manufacturers.
An attorney will negotiate aggressively with the insurance companies to demand a fair settlement that covers all your losses and provides for any future medical and financial needs. If the insurers refuse to act in good faith and pay the amount you deserve, your lawyer will prepare to take your case to court and present a compelling case for maximum damages at trial.
How Long Do I Have to Sue a Truck Driver or Trucking Company After an Accident?
If you suffered serious injuries or losses in a truck accident someone else caused, you may wonder how long you have to file a lawsuit against the truck driver, Truck Driver Fatigue as a Cause of Accidents, trucking company, or any other party responsible for the crash. The answer depends on the statute of limitations in your state.
A statute of limitations is a law that sets a strict time limit on your right to file a lawsuit. If you miss the deadline, you lose your right to seek compensation for your injuries and other losses, no matter how strong your case is.
For example, Washington State’s statute of limitations generally gives you three years from the date of the truck accident to file a personal injury lawsuit against the driver, trucking company, or any other liable parties. If a loved one died in the crash, eligible surviving family members also typically have three years from the date of death to file a wrongful death lawsuit.
While three years may seem like plenty of time, you must consult a Truck accident lawyer in Bellevue as soon as possible to begin your case. Investigating a truck accident is far more complicated than a typical car accident claim.
Trucking companies and their insurance carriers act quickly after a crash to gather evidence and build their defense. An experienced truck accident lawyer can take prompt action to preserve evidence and identify potentially liable parties before crucial information disappears.
Contact Our Truck Accident Attorneys for Help Recovering Damages After a Truck Wreck
If a devastating truck accident in South Carolina leaves you with serious injuries, contact Ye Law Firm today for compassionate guidance and relentless advocacy.
Personal injury lawyer Chong Ye is passionate about helping injured people like you recover the full compensation they deserve. His concern for clients is genuine, born out of witnessing how his immigrant parents could not find quality legal representation when they needed it.
He’s ready to fight for you too.
Ye Law has built a reputation for securing life-changing verdicts and settlements in some of the toughest and most complex personal injury cases. It’s Ye Law’s belief in its clients and an unwavering commitment to justice that fuel’s the firm’s success and expansion.
Call Ye Law’s Bellevue office today at (425) 322-0577 for a free case evaluation. You won’t owe any attorney fees unless Ye Law recovers compensation for you.
