If you are facing the life-altering consequences of a serious or fatal truck accident, you may be entitled to financial compensation. Truck accident victims and their loved ones can seek financial compensation on various grounds, and trucking companies, truck manufacturers, and other businesses can all be held accountable when they are to blame. To find out if you have a claim, you should speak with an experienced Birmingham truck accident lawyer as soon as possible.
Why It is Important to Seek the Financial Compensation You Deserve After a Serious or Fatal Truck Accident
When you hire an experienced Birmingham truck accident lawyer to represent you, your lawyer will explain everything you need to know about your legal rights. This includes explaining the types of financial compensation you may be entitled to recover. If you are on the fence about contacting a lawyer, here are five important reasons why you should seek the financial compensation you deserve:
1. Truck Accidents Can Lead to Substantial Out-of-Pocket Costs
Whether you were seriously injured in a truck accident, your child or spouse was seriously injured in a truck accident, or you have tragically lost a loved one, you are almost certainly facing substantial out-of-pocket costs. For accident victims, common costs include:
- Medical bills
- Therapy and rehabilitation bills
- Medications and medical supplies
- Transportation costs
- Paying for other necessary goods and services
After fatal accidents, families may be left to cover many of these costs as well—in addition to paying for their loved one’s funeral. Overall, the out-of-pocket costs associated with catastrophic truck accidents can far exceed what most families can afford, and this alone can make it critical for victims and their families to take legal action if warranted.
2. Truck Accidents Can Also Lead to Lost Income for Victims and Their Families
Along with out-of-pocket costs, truck accidents can also leave victims and their families facing loss of the victim’s income. Whether you are unable to work or you will no longer be able to rely on your loved one’s wages or salary, this can quickly add to the costs of the accident as well.
A key aspect of filing a truck accident claim in Alabama is that it provides an opportunity to seek just compensation for your present and future losses. This applies to all accident-related losses, including loss of income. If a serious or fatal truck accident leads to years (or decades) of lost earnings, this will have significant financial consequences—and this is another reason why it is critical to hire an experienced Birmingham truck accident lawyer who can help you seek the financial compensation you deserve.
3. Victims and Families Are Entitled to Compensation for Their Non-Financial Losses
Under Alabama law, truck accident victims and their families are entitled to compensation for their non-financial losses in addition to the financial costs of their injuries or their loved one’s death. While serious and fatal accidents can impact different people differently, common non-financial losses in these cases include:
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional trauma and post-traumatic stress
- Loss of companionship and society
- Loss of consortium, services, and support
- Loss of enjoyment of life
If you undergo treatment or therapy for any of the effects of your (or your loved one’s) truck accident, you are entitled to compensation for these consequences above and beyond the costs of your care. Compensation for the non-financial consequences of serious and fatal truck accidents can be substantial, but to seek the compensation you deserve, you will need an experienced Birmingham truck accident lawyer who can prove your losses and assert your legal rights effectively.
4. Damages in Truck Accident Cases Can Be Much Greater Than Most People Realize
With all of this in mind, damages in truck accident cases are often much greater than most people realize.
While every case is unique, serious and fatal accidents will typically lead to substantial claims for damages when the trucking company or another commercial party is to blame. If you take into account your (or your loved one’s) medical bills, any future medical needs, present and future lost earnings, and the compensation that is available for non-financial losses, you can start to see how damages in serious and fatal truck accident cases can add up very quickly.
A question we often receive is, “How do you calculate just compensation for non-financial losses?”
While there are multiple methods for calculating non-financial damages, one method that is commonly used is the “multiplier method.” This method involves adding up all the financial damages to which a victim or family is entitled to recover, then multiplying the total by a number typically between 1.5 and 5. This “multiplier” is determined based on the cause of the accident, the severity of its consequences, and other factors. As a result, victims’ and families’ non-financial damages will generally exceed their financial damages, and they can far exceed victims’ and families’ financial damages in many cases.
5. Seeking Accountability Can Help Prevent Similar Accidents in the Future
Finally, if you are on the fence about hiring a lawyer, it is also important to keep in mind that seeking accountability can help prevent similar accidents in the future. If the trucking company, truck manufacturer, and any other at-fault parties are held liable for what happened, they will be less likely to make the same mistake again. Big companies get away with causing harm far too often. By taking action, you can help make our roads safer in the years ahead.
Do You Have a Claim? Find Out from an Experienced Birmingham Truck Accident Lawyer
Do you have questions about hiring a lawyer after a serious or fatal truck accident in Alabama? If so, we strongly encourage you to get in touch. To schedule a free, no-obligation consultation with an experienced Birmingham truck accident lawyer as soon as possible, give us a call at 205-855-2745 or tell us how we can reach you online today.