Our Washington Truck Accident Lawyer Provides Information on Determining Claim Value
Being injured in a semi-truck accident can change your life in an instant, causing severe disruptions to your health, work, and personal life. You may also be grappling with many questions about your legal rights and the value of your truck accident claim against the negligent driver or other potentially liable parties.
Fortunately, you don't have to attempt to settle your claim alone. At Max Meyers Law, we use our decades of experience with truck accident cases to offer compassionate legal assistance. We’ll answer all your questions, evaluate the damages related to your injuries, and handle fighting with the insurance company for the compensation you deserve so you can get your health—and your life—back on track.
Compensation You May Be Entitled to in a Washington Truck Accident
One critical aspect of estimating the value of your truck accident claim is calculating the economic and non-economic damages you’re entitled to according to state law. Here are some types of compensation we’ll pursue for you:
- Medical expenses. You may need extensive medical treatment to recover from your truck crash injuries. You should be reimbursed for all surgeries, hospitalizations, physician visits, medications, physical therapy, and any future medical expenses related to your injuries.
- Lost wages. If your injuries forced you to miss work, you can claim compensation for lost income. This includes wages, salaries, commissions, bonuses, sick and vacation time, and any other earnings you have missed out on due to the semi-truck accident.
- Lost earning capacity. You may be entitled to damages for lost earning capacity if your medical condition caused you to switch jobs or made it impossible for you to work in the future. Monetary claim damages help replace the wages you would have earned over your lifetime.
- Property damages. Compensation for property damage covers the cost of repairing or replacing your vehicle and any other personal property damaged in the truck crash. This ensures you aren't left shouldering the financial burden of property repairs.
- Pain and suffering. These non-economic damages address the physical pain and emotional distress you must endure because of the collision. They provide you with compensation for the impact of your injuries on your quality of life and overall well-being. Our truck accident lawyer has the experience of settling and litigating many truck crash claims to value this portion of your claim.
- Loss of consortium. If your spouse's injuries adversely affected your relationship with them, you can claim loss of consortium. This compensation acknowledges the loss of their companionship, support, and intimacy because of the accident.
Factors That Affect How Much Your Washington Truck Accident Claim Is Worth
Several other factors influence the value of your truck accident claim, so we also assess the following issues.
Severity of Your Injuries
A fully loaded semi-truck can weigh up to 40 tons. So it’s no wonder that the immense force of impact results in a variety of serious injuries. Traumatic brain injury, fractures, burns, or spinal cord injuries are just a few severe medical conditions people suffer in these collisions. If your injuries require long-term care and rehabilitation, related health care expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering will be astronomical. This can increase the value of your claim and may lead to a higher settlement to cover these extensive damages.
Strength of Your Evidence
To have a strong case, you must have solid evidence proving that the negligence of the truck driver, their trucking company, or other liable parties caused the crash. You must also establish how severe your injuries are and the compensation you should receive. We strive to investigate all aspects of the incident and preserve critical evidence, as the value of your claim—and its success—depends on this proof.
However, when determining responsibility, truck accidents are different than car crashes. Additional entities at fault, such as the cargo handlers, or the maintenance company responsible for maintaining the truck. The cause of your collision might involve violations of the Federal Motor Safety Carrier Administration regulations commercial vehicle operators and fleet companies must follow.
Our savvy truck accident team starts proving your claim by sending a spoliation letter notifying all potential defendants not to destroy or alter evidence in their control. We’ll also obtain the proof you need to build a winning case that increases the value of your claim, such as:
- Trucker's personnel file
- Vehicle's black box data
- Truck's dashcam footage
- Trucker's logbook
- Trip receipts
- Texts and cellphone records
- Alcohol and drug testing results
- Witness statements
- Medical records
- Wage loss documents
Disputes With the Insurance Company
The at-fault parties' insurance companies may dispute your claim to minimize their payout. Depending on the arguments they raise, this can affect the value of your claim.
However, only legitimate disputes will possibly reduce your claim’s value. At Max Meyers Law, we provide numerous strategies to defeat the insurance company's invalid arguments and will fight to negotiate a fair settlement for you.
Your Partial Fault
If you’re found partially at fault for the collision, this lessens your potential compensation amount. Washington follows comparative negligence laws, so based on your percentage of fault, any settlement you might receive will be reduced by that percentage.
It’s important to keep in mind that the insurance company could falsely claim you were partially to blame for the crash to try to pay you a smaller settlement. We won’t hesitate to use all available evidence to refute these accusations.
Insurance Policy Limits
An insurer is only responsible for compensating you up to the negligent party’s policy limits. This is one reason why we work diligently to identify all entities that are potentially liable and assess the value of your claim within those insurance limits. Ultimately, we want you to achieve a fair settlement that helps you move forward—even if we have to convince a jury to get it.
