How Much Can I Recover After A Florida Tractor-Trailer Crash?
Accidents involving tractor-trailers can lead to devastating injuries that can change your life on a fundamental level. If it can be established that the driver or the owner of the tractor-trailer was negligent, you may be able to recover monetary damages from either or both of them. It is perhaps natural to wonder what an average settlement in these cases might be, but in truth it is difficult to estimate a figure given how widely accident cases vary. Still, the right attorney can help you maximize the possibility of financial recovery.
Too Many Factors To Tell
It is understandable for an injured person to want a rough estimate of how much they might recover in damages after a crash. The decision to file suit can be an intimidating one, and many people ask for an estimate in order to convince themselves to file or not file. In reality, though, there are so many different factors in every tractor-trailer accident case that it is not really possible to estimate a dollar amount with any degree of certainty.
That said, it is possible to evaluate a case and inform an injured plaintiff about the types of damages that would potentially be available, even if one cannot guarantee the plaintiff would receive them. Filing suit against a tractor-trailer driver often means filing suit against their employer, as many times an employer will be at least partly liable for any damages their employees cause while acting within the scope of their employment. While this can be a positive in terms of a trucking company having deeper pockets than a single individual driver, it can also make for a more prolonged suit.
Three Types Of Damages
There are three broad types of damages one may recover in a tractor-trailer crash. The first is economic damages, which are, as one might imagine, the damages that can be quantified with bills or other records. Medical expenses usually fall under this category, as well as other tangible costs like lost wages. The second category is non-economic damages, where a dollar value must be estimated, often by an expert. The most common examples here are pain and suffering, mental anguish, and loss of quality of life.
The third category recognized in Florida is punitive damages, which are only awarded in particularly egregious cases of gross negligence. The word ‘punitive’ is related to ‘punish,’ and these damages are not awarded in order to make an injured plaintiff whole; they are granted solely to punish the defendant(s), which is rare in the U.S. legal system. This is why the burden of proof one must meet in order to be awarded punitive damages is so high.
Contact A Tampa Tractor-Trailer Accident Attorney
If you have been injured in an accident involving a tractor-trailer, it can feel like asking too much of yourself to file suit while you are trying to physically recover. A Tampa tractor-trailer accident attorney from the Rinaldo Law Group can help shoulder the load, handling the legal details while you try to get your life back on track. Call our office today to schedule a free consultation.
