If you’ve driven next to a commercial truck or have seen a big truck crash into car, you may be worried what would happen if you had the misfortune of being such a collision. You’re not alone in your concerns. Injuries in an 18-wheeler crash can range in severity. You may suffer whiplash or forms of soreness, tightness, or stiffness. Severe crashes can lead to broken bones, disabling conditions, or even death.
If you feel pain after a truck accident, you should have a licensed medical professional assess your condition. Seeking prompt treatment can help you recover as quickly as possible. Depending on what the doctor sees, you may need to be referred to a specialist, such as an orthopedic doctor for disc injuries or neurologist for headaches or head injuries. Without medical records documenting your symptoms and condition, it can become difficult to prove they are causally related to the wreck.
Immediately after the accident, police must be present at the scene. In most states, like New York, the law requires police to be called after an accident the culminates in any type of personal injury or property damage. The police will acquire statements from the involved parties and will need photos, and statements of any witness that may still be on the scene. Often, witnesses are left off of a police report, so if you’ve taken care to document the names of witnesses, your attorney can contact them for alternate version of events.
It is always beneficial to secure as much evidence as possible after a crash involving a semi-truck, so document as much as possible including witness information, pictures of the vehicles, pictures of your injuries, and any other relevant information. If you’ve sustained suffered visible bruising or skin tears photograph those areas immediately.
Assuming you can prove the other driver caused the accident, the focus shifts to damages. While most people injured in truck accidents simply wish they could turn back time to where the wreck never happened in the first place, we know that’s not possible. Instead, the form of recovery is monetary damages.
If you are hurt in a truck accident, you can recover compensatory damages designed to make you whole. Included in these damages are reimbursement for medical bills, prescriptions, medical devices like crutches, lost wages, property damage (car repairs, total loss, etc.), and out of pocket expenses. If you suffered a traumatic injury, your attorney may need to consult with expert witnesses to document future losses, such as medical bills and lost earnings.
Your disability settlement may be given to you in a lump sum. This is a one-time payment meant to cover treatment and lost time working. While it is a predetermined amount, you could instead receive the amount in installments, such as weekly or monthly payments. While the exact amount varies, you will most likely receive about two-thirds of your salary before your shoulder injury. Some states put a limit on how long you can receive workers’ compensation payments. For example, in New York, you can receive it for up to 525 weeks if you have lost all your earning capacity.
At HURT-511, our personal injury lawyers help injured workers recover the benefits to which they are entitled by law. For a free consultation with an experienced workers’ compensation lawyer, call us toll-free at 800-4878-511 or complete our online form. Our firm handles accident and injury claims throughout all five boroughs of New York.
HURT-511 operates in all boroughs of New York including all Bronx neighborhoods, namely: Bedford Park, Belmont, Fordham, Highbridge, Hunts Point, Jerome Park, Kingsbridge, Morris Park, Morrisania, Mott Haven, Parkchester, Riverdale, Spuyten Duyvil, Throgs Neck, University Heights and Woodlawn.
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