Because every case is different, there’s no set average for truck accident settlements. Accident victims can, however, recover financial awards based on their injuries and losses.
If you are recovering from a truck accident, our Bellevue truck accident lawyers can evaluate the details of your case and work to maximize the compensation you receive. This includes looking at the extent of your injuries, determining who you can pursue damages from, and other factors.
What Factors Affect Truck Accident Settlement Amounts?
Several factors can influence the settlement amount in a truck accident case. These include:
- Severity of injuries: The more serious the injuries, the higher the potential settlement.
- Medical costs: Expenses for medical treatment, rehabilitation, and future care impact the compensation.
- Lost income: If the accident caused you to miss work, you could be compensated for the pay you lost. You can also recover damages for loss of earning potential if your damages permanently affect your ability to work.
- Pain and suffering: non-economic damages, like emotional distress and physical pain, also affect the settlement amount.
- Liability: Who is responsible for the accident plays a big role in determining compensation.
- Insurance policy limits: The at-fault party’s insurance policy may have a maximum payout limit, which can affect the total settlement amount you can receive.
A Settlement Can Cover the Costs of Truck Accident Losses
Our Bellevue personal injury lawyers will review your losses and determine the amount of your compensation case. In a truck accident settlement, you may be able to recover various types of damages, including:
- Medical expenses: Serious injuries from a truck crash can lead to costly medical bills, including emergency care, surgeries, extended hospital stays, and rehabilitation. You may also face expenses for current and long-term care, which can add up quickly.
- Lost pay: If you missed work due to the accident, you may receive compensation for lost income. If your injuries prevent you from returning to work, you could recover for future lost wages as well.
- Property damage: You can be compensated for repairs or replacement of your vehicle and any other personal property damaged in the accident.
- Pain and suffering: This includes compensation for physical pain, emotional distress, and reduced quality of life following the accident.
- Loss of enjoyment of life: If your injuries prevent you from enjoying activities or hobbies you previously participated in, you may be entitled to compensation.
- Wrongful death: If the accident resulted in your loved one’s death, we are sorry for your loss. Our Bellevue wrongful death lawyers can advise if your family can seek damages for funeral expenses, loss of companionship, and other related losses.
These are the most common types of damages truck accident victims can recover, but every case is unique, and the specifics of your settlement will depend on the details of your accident.
How Is Fault Determined in a Truck Accident?
Investigations into what caused the accident must take place before fault is determined. Some of these investigations can be conducted by the trucking company’s legal team and insurance company, which makes it even more important to hire an attorney to represent you.
Police reports, witness statements, and camera footage can show who was responsible. Sometimes, the truck driver may have been speeding or distracted.
Other times, the trucking company might not have kept up with regular maintenance on the vehicle, leading to a failure. In some cases, faulty parts on the truck could be to blame. Your attorney can gather the evidence and use it to build your case to show who was at fault.
Parties You May Be Able to Pursue Damages From in a Truck Accident
In a truck accident, more than one party can be liable for your injuries. You might be able to pursue damages from:
- The truck driver if they made a mistake, like speeding or driving while tired.
- The trucking company if they failed to train their drivers or maintain their trucks.
- The manufacturer of the truck or its parts if something like a brake failure caused the accident.
- The cargo loader if the truck was improperly loaded, causing the cargo to shift or spill.
- The maintenance company, if an outside company, was responsible for keeping the truck in working order and didn’t do its job properly.
- The local government if poor road conditions, like potholes or faulty traffic signals, contributed to the accident.
- Third-party drivers if another vehicle’s actions contributed to the truck accident (for example, cutting off the truck, causing the driver to swerve). Third parties can include non-drivers, including pedestrians, bicyclists, or motorcyclists.
Each of these parties could owe compensation depending on who was at fault.
How a Lawyer Can Lead Your Truck Accident Settlement Case
Hiring an attorney to pursue a truck accident settlement is a smart decision. These cases often involve complex state and federal trucking laws and regulations, complicated insurance policies, and severe injuries that require expensive medical care.
The sooner you contact an attorney from our firm, the sooner we can send a formal legal notice to the trucking company and other involved parties, directing them to preserve critical evidence from the crash scene that could strengthen your case.
Other tasks we handle include:
- Investigating the truck crash and identifying all liable parties.
- Gathering evidence (e.g., police reports, witness statements, electronic black box data, traffic camera or dash camera video footage, medical records, toxicology reports, truck service records, etc.)
- Handling negotiation talks with insurance companies for a fair settlement
- Taking your case to court if we cannot get a financial award that meets your post-accident needs
Our personal injury attorneys will fight for the maximum compensation available to cover your injuries and other losses.
Time Limits for Truck Accident Cases in Washington State
Truck accident cases in Washington state have strict time limits. State law generally allows injured parties three years from the date of the crash to file a lawsuit for personal injury or property damage. In wrongful death cases, the deadline starts on the decedent’s death date.
If you miss this deadline, you risk losing your chance to sue the liable parties for damages. You should act quickly so that our attorney can preserve important crash evidence, communicate with the involved insurance companies, and file your case on time.
How Long does It Take to Settle a Truck Accident Case?
Just as there is no average truck accident settlement, there is no set time for how long it can take to resolve a truck crash. Some cases may settle in a few months, while more complicated cases could take over a year. Factors that affect the timeline include:
- Severity of injuries: Cases involving serious injuries or long-term care needs may take longer to settle.
- Liability disputes: If there’s disagreement over who is at fault, it can extend the settlement process.
- Negotiations: Reaching a fair settlement through negotiations with insurance companies can take time.
- Court involvement: If the case goes to trial, it will take longer to resolve.
Every case is different, so the timeline depends on the specific details of your situation.
Call for Help With a Truck Crash Settlement – Free Consultation
If you or a loved one is recovering from a truck accident, Premier Law Group is ready to help you pursue a fair settlement. Every injury case is unique, so we can’t determine what the average truck accident settlement is.
However, we can review factors unique to your case, your options, and possible outcomes. Our legal team will carefully review your situation and fight for the compensation you deserve. You can read our client reviews to hear from others who we have helped.
Call us today for a free consultation, and let us help you start the journey toward recovery.
Jason at premier law group is truly an outstanding individual. Our particular case was not something that their firm usually sees but they were more than willing to help us and give us all of the information they had available. I can't recommend them enough.