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A wreck between any two vehicles can cause serious injury or death, but when one of the vehicles is a truck, the potential is even greater. When a truck hits a car, the car—and its occupants—usually does not have a chance. People injured in a truck wreck may face devastating physical injuries, emotional trauma, mounting medical bills, and lost income.
If a truck caused a wreck that injured you or killed your family member, you may be entitled to financial compensation from the liable party. A Columbus truck accident lawyer with Farmer & Morris Law, PLLC, may be able to help you recover damages for medical bills, loss of income, and pain and suffering.
Damages Available After a Columbus Truck Accident
The damages available to you after a truck accident depend on many factors. The extent of the damage to your vehicle, the severity of your injuries, and the length of time you are out of work all influence the value of your total losses. Our lawyer can estimate this value by collecting evidence such as your medical bills and records, past tax documents, vehicle repair or replacement bills, and expert medical testimony.
After a truck accident, you may be entitled to recover damages for:
- Medical expenses, such as your ambulance bills, emergency room treatment, diagnostic imaging, surgeries, follow-up appointments, rehabilitative therapies, prescription medications, and more
- Future medical expenses, such as the cost of anticipated surgeries, ongoing rehabilitative therapies, or ongoing care, such as assistance with activities of daily living
- Loss of income for any unpaid time off work you had to take while recovering
- Future loss of income if you cannot return to your previous occupation or if you are unable to work at all because of your injuries
- Property damage for the repair or replacement of your vehicle
- Pain and suffering, including physical pain and emotional trauma caused by the accident
If you lost a loved one in a truck accident, you may be entitled to recover wrongful death damages for:
- Medical expenses for the treatment of your loved one’s injuries before he or she passed away
- Pain and suffering experienced by your loved one
- Funeral and burial expenses, such as cremation or embalming, a casket or urn, a memorial service, and more
- Loss of income that you reasonably expected your loved one to provide
- Loss of services, protection, care, and assistance from your deceased loved one
- Loss of society, comfort, guidance, and advice that your loved one would have provided
More Than One Party May Be At Fault for Your Truck Accident
After the accident, your first thought might be that the truck driver caused your truck wreck. That may be true, but there are several other potentially responsible parties. Our Columbus truck accident lawyer can investigate the wreck, determine which party or parties caused it through their negligence, and help you seek compensation from every liable party.
Here are some common examples of different parties that can cause a truck accident with their negligent behavior:
- Truck drivers: Truckers who drive irresponsibly or carelessly can cause wrecks. Speeding, failing to follow traffic signs and signals, following too closely, driving for too many consecutive hours, driving without regard for current weather conditions, texting while driving, falling asleep at the wheel, and driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol are all examples of negligence by truck drivers.
- Business owners: If the truck driver who was involved in your accident was driving for a business at the time of the accident, that business and its owner may be legally liable. Business owners must inspect and maintain their trucks, screen truck drivers for proper licensing, train drivers, and require drivers to follow the law concerning drug and alcohol use as well as time limits on driving. Owners who neglect these obligations may be liable for accidents.
- Manufacturers: Sometimes, truck wrecks result from defective parts or equipment, not driver error. If a manufacturer supplied the truck with faulty brakes, sensors, or other critical components, the manufacturer may be liable for the accident.
- Contractors: Trucking companies sometimes outsource tasks such as loading. Improper loading, overloading, and failure to inspect the load can all lead to accidents. When this happens, the shipping or loading contractor may be on the hook for your damages.
- Other drivers: The driver of a third-party vehicle may be at fault for your truck accident. Another driver may have cut off the truck or collided with it, causing it to hit you. In this situation, the other driver may be responsible.
File Your Truck Accident Lawsuit Before the Legal Deadline
You may feel pulled in many directions after your truck accident in Columbus. Focusing on the legal aspects of your case may be difficult while you recover from your injuries or grieve the loss of a family member. However, because North Carolina limits how much time you have to sue the at-fault party, you must act quickly after your truck accident to preserve your legal right to compensation.
- G.S. § 1-52 establishes the statute of limitations for personal injury at three years. If you were hurt in a truck wreck, you have three years from the date of the accident to sue the responsible party.
- G.S. § 1-53 establishes the statute of limitations for wrongful death at two years. If you lost a loved one in a truck wreck, you have two years from the date they died, which may be different from the date of the accident, to sue the responsible party.
Truck accident cases can be complex, and you may not be sure how these laws apply to your case. Our lawyer serving Columbus can evaluate your case, establish a timeline of events, and make sure that you file your lawsuit before time runs out.
Contact Farmer & Morris Law, PLLC, About Your Columbus Truck Accident
The physical, emotional, and financial fallout from a truck accident can be devastating and overwhelming. Our lawyer serving Columbus with Farmer & Morris Law, PLLC, may be able to help. Contact our office today to learn more in a free consultation.
