According to the Safer Trucking Report, there were 5,788 truck accident fatalities across the United States in 2021. If you have been involved in a truck accident, you may have sustained serious, even catastrophic injuries. Recovering from a truck accident can be traumatic, both physically and emotionally, and can take significant time and financial resources. Medical expenses may be threatening your financial security—or you may be unable to get the medical treatments you need following a truck accident. If your accident has left you unable to work, you may also be unable to pay your normal monthly expenses.
The best step you can take right now is to choose a strong legal advocate who will fight for a settlement that will fully cover all the damages related to the truck accident. It can be difficult to find a law firm that consistently receives full truck accident lawsuit settlements. Finney Injury Law is that firm. Our attorneys will fight for a full and fair settlement for every client. We understand the difficulties involved in recovering from a truck accident and know what steps to take to safeguard your rights and your future.
Why Choose Finney Injury Law for a Great Truck Accident Lawsuit Settlement?
Choosing Finney Injury Law is an easy choice because we have a long, successful history of securing truck accident lawsuit settlements on behalf of our clients. Truck accidents come with an array of complexities not found in a “normal” car accident between two passenger vehicles. There can be more than one liable party in a truck accident, and your attorney needs to be skilled at identifying the liable parties and holding them responsible. If you are unable to return to the life you had before the negligence of another caused an accident that altered your life in many different ways, you need a strong legal advocate from Finney Injury Law.
At Finney Injury Law, we are here for you when you need it most. When you are injured, dealing with medical procedures, physical pain, and an inability to live your life as you once did, the last thing you want to do is fight with an insurance company. The default for insurance companies is to pay out as little as possible to maintain their healthy financial bottom line. This means that insurance companies often offer injured parties a quick, lowball settlement soon after the accident. The problem with accepting such an offer is that most injured individuals are not yet aware of the full extent of their injuries. Once you accept an offer, there are no second chances. You are stuck with a settlement check that may not even begin to cover your medical expenses, lost wages, future lost wages, and pain and suffering.
Do not let this happen to you. When you have a Finney Injury Law attorney in your corner, you can rest easy knowing your truck accident lawsuit settlement will cover all your damages. You will not have to struggle financially, physically, and emotionally as you would with a settlement that covers only a portion of your damages. We are top-rated attorneys who prepare every case as though it will go to trial. This means we are always 100 percent prepared, no matter what curveball comes our way. If we do need to go to trial, we are experienced, aggressive litigators who will present your case to a jury in the most favorable light possible.
What is the Average Truck Accident Settlement Amount?
While it is understandable that you’re anxious about when you will receive your truck accident lawsuit settlement—and how much that settlement will be—only your lawyer can give you a good estimate of your settlement. There are too many unique factors involved in truck accident lawsuit settlements for there to be a definitive answer. The average truck accident settlement is between $40,000 and $200,000 for non-fatal injuries.
Permanent disabilities or fatalities can result in settlements in excess of $1 million. If you received catastrophic injuries from a truck accident, you may be unable to ever return to work and may require ongoing medical services for many years—or for the remainder of your life. Those types of damages can significantly increase your truck accident settlement amount.
How are Damages in a Truck Accident Settlement Calculated?
Calculations regarding your truck accident lawsuit settlement are determined by looking at your specific economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages are those that have a specific financial number attached, like medical expenses, lost wages, and lost future wages. Medical expenses include costs associated with your hospital, surgeons, physicians, rehabilitative therapies, and prescription drugs. If you were unable to return to work for weeks or months, you are entitled to lost wages for the money you would have earned.
If your injuries will prevent you from returning to work for years—or ever—you are entitled to future lost wages as well. Future lost wages are based on your age, your education, how long you have worked, and the likelihood of advancement in your job. A 30-year-old brain surgeon who is just beginning his or her career is entitled to much greater future lost wage compensation than a 65-year-old truck driver who is close to retirement.
Non-economic damages include pain and suffering—both physical pain and emotional pain and trauma. While non-economic damages are more difficult to quantify, they play a crucial role in determining total compensation. Since Missouri is a comparative fault state, this means that if you are found partially responsible for the truck accident—up to 50 percent—your total compensation for damages will be reduced by your percentage of fault.
How Do I Know If the Truck Accident Lawsuit Settlement Offered to Me is Fair?
There is no way for the average person to know if a settlement offered to them is fair and will fully cover all their damages. Your attorney will know whether an offer is fair because they have carefully calculated all your losses while considering other information that influences the offer. These are the issues your attorney will consider and factor into the final settlement:
- Whether you are partially liable for the accident
- The severity and extent of your injuries
- Current and future treatment costs
- Whether you are likely to fully recover from your injuries
- The insurance policy limits of the at-fault driver’s policy
- Whether there was any property loss involved
- Your current and future income losses
- How your injuries have affected your mental and emotional health, and whether you have chronic physical pain resulting from your injuries
How Can a Truck Accident Attorney Help You Determine Whether to Accept a Settlement Offered in Your Truck Accident Case?
Your experienced Finney Injury Law attorney can help you decide whether an offered settlement is fair and will fully cover your damages. Below are some truck accident successes achieved by Finney Injury Law.
- On Friday, August 5, 2022, a St. Charles County, MO jury agreed to hold a Kansas trucking company responsible for the death of a 19-year-old, returning a verdict of $20,025,000.00. Finney Injury Law attorneys Chris Finney and Alex Ledbetter co-counseled the case representing the young man’s father. Three years after his death, our St. Charles truck accident attorneys stood toe-to-toe with the defense counsel in a St. Charles County courtroom. The days were long filled with expert and witness testimonies, photo and video exhibits, and statements. The jury worked well into the evening on the fifth and final day; at 11 pm, they rendered their verdict: $20,025,000.00.
- In early March 2020, our client was struck from behind by a top 50 National trucking company. Our client was driving on I-70 and headed to a funeral. Immediately, based on body cam footage and 911 calls, the trucker blamed our client for “cutting (sic) off” and “stopping short.” Our client wasn’t sure of her injuries at the time and refused medical attention though she didn’t feel well. Her car was totaled. When we initially got the case, we could tell our client was in some serious discomfort. Eventually, she was forced to quit her job to focus on her physical health. During all of this, we pushed forward with the fault aspect of her case. After aggressively litigating this case and sharing all of our information with the defense, they offered $1,000,000. We rejected it outright. After some back-and-forth, the case was resolved for $2,950,000 for our client and her husband.
How Finney Injury Law Can Help with Your Truck Accident Case
When you choose Finney Injury Law to assist with your truck accident settlement, you can be assured that experienced professionals are handling your case. We are highly skilled negotiators who will fight for a full and fair settlement that will cover all your damages. If the insurance company is unwilling to pay an equitable settlement, we will immediately file a lawsuit and take your case to court. Our lawyers prepare every case as though it will go to court, even though most cases are settled out of court. We believe that the better prepared we are, the better outcome for our clients. Contact Finney Injury Law today.