California roads are awash with semi-trucks, big rigs, and other large commercial vehicles, and with very good reason. Without these vehicles transporting raw materials, components, and finished products around the nation, the United States economy as we know would not exist. The sheer size of these trucks enables them to carry all manner of essential goods around the country, but also comes with some potentially serious downsides, such as the havoc which can be wrecked by a truck accident. Our Inglewood truck accident attorneys have extensive experience in successfully representing those who have been injured in serious collisions, learning first-hand just how destructive trucks can be. If you have been injured in a truck accident, a personal injury attorney from the Law Offices of Howard Kornberg can provide the legal expertise you need whilst securing maximum compensation.
The Statistics of Inglewood Truck Accidents
With our extensive experience of handling cases arising from Inglewood truck accidents, one of the facts which stands out is that, once you are traveling over 40 miles per hour, a truck is virtually indestructible. Quite a sobering thought when you consider the average speed you are likely to maintain while driving alongside commercial vehicles on the highway or freeway. As you are sure to be aware, you and your car are most certainly not indestructible.
Did you know?
- Many truck accidents in California, and beyond, are caused by truck drivers breaching the maximum allowable driving hours. While unscrupulous trucking companies continue to incentivize their drivers for delivering ahead of schedule, this risk will remain
- Some other common contributing factors include driving too fast for current road and weather conditions, checking Qualcomm for work information, adjusting GPS systems, or using a cellphone
According to statistics published by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA):
- In 2016, 4,213 large trucks were involved in fatal collisions
- 55,633 trucks were involved in accidents causing non-fatal injuries
- 99,911 tow-away accidents occurred
- 73% of fatal truck accidents were significantly contributed to by a person, vehicle, or animal encroaching on the lane in which the truck was traveling
- 5% of fatal truck accidents were caused by issues with the vehicle itself
Whatever caused the Inglewood truck accident you sustained serious injuries in, or lost a loved one to, an experienced attorney from the Law Offices of Howard Kornberg can ensure you receive the maximum compensation and monetary damages available.
COMPENSATORY DAMAGES IN INGLEWOOD TRUCK ACCIDENT CLAIMS
Recovering the maximum settlement or verdict in your case is the top objective of our Inglewood truck accident attorneys. Making you financially whole again after your truck accident means taking into account the severity of your injuries and how they have affected your life, the impact your injuries will have on your life going forward, and who shoulders the liability in your case.
As a general rule, the more serious the injuries sustained, the larger the settlement or verdict in a truck accident claim. Injuries that require a long recovery period or that are expected to result in lifelong impairments, deficits, or disability yield higher payouts, at least in most cases. If an injury causes someone to become unable to hold the same job they held at the time of the injury, then awards may be enhanced to account for any future lost income.
Determining who is liable for the injuries sustained in the truck accident and the at-fault party’s percentage of liability also affects any award received. California courts follow what is known as the comparative negligence doctrine. Under this legal doctrine, any damages awarded to a plaintiff in a truck accident claim are reduced by that plaintiff’s percentage of liability. In other words, if a claimant is partially to blame for their own injuries, they cannot collect damages for the percentage of their liability. For example, if the court determines that a claimant is 25 percent responsible for their own injuries, then a $100K judgment is reduced to $75K.
ECONOMIC, NON-ECONOMIC, AND PUNITIVE DAMAGES IN TRUCK ACCIDENT CLAIMS
Your truck accident claim may include three different types of damages, depending on the specific circumstances surrounding your accident. This includes recovery for economic, non-economic, and punitive losses.
- Economic losses. This type of loss can be measured with an assigned dollar figure. You lost time from work in “X” amount of dollars. Your medical bills totaled “X” amount. Your property damages amounted to “X” total dollars. Quantifiable losses make up the basis of most truck accident claims, but not always the bulk of the claim.
- Non-economic damages. Noneconomic losses are harder to measure and calculate, mainly because they are subjective. Some non-economic losses sustained by victims in truck accidents include:
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Loss of life enjoyment
- Hardship
- Mental anguish
- Severe impairment
- Disability
- Disfigurement and/or scarring
- Punitive damages. In a narrow number of cases, the court permits the assessment of punitive damages. Punitive damages are sometimes referred to as exemplary damages and are assessed to punish the responsible party in a personal injury claim. This type of assessment also serves to deter others from the same sort of behavior that caused the accident. Punitive damages are generally awarded only in cases where the at-fault party’s actions were deemed particularly malicious or intended harm to the plaintiff.
Our Inglewood truck accident attorney can review your case and help you determine the best course of action moving forward and which damages may be warranted in your case.
Schedule Your Free Initial Consultation with an Expert Inglewood Lawyer
Hiring an expert lawyer with relevant personal injury experience can make the difference between you recovering what you deserve following an Inglewood truck accident, and you and your family facing financial hardship due to the negligent or dangerous actions of another. Our decades of personal injury practice enable our legal team to investigate the circumstances leading to your injuries with a fine-toothed comb, building the strongest possible case on your behalf.
To learn more about how our attorneys could help you after an Inglewood truck accident, call us today at 310-997-0904 today for your free initial consultation.
