Damages in Virginia Truck Accident Cases

When a person has been involved in an accident, there are several common damages in Virginia truck accident cases. There are several benefits to attaining a local lawyer. An attorney is going to work to build their file when seeking to recover damages. The first step for a damages case to make a recovery is to determine liability. When determining liability, one must figure out who is at fault and whether or not they can prove liability.

If you or someone you know has been injured in a truck accident, there are several things that you should understand about the different types of damages you can recover and how they are calculated.  A Virginia truck accident lawyer can play a critical role when someone is filing claims.

Types of Damages

As with any other type of injury case the types of damages you can recover from truck accidents are:

  • Economic Damages
  • Non-Economic Damages
  • Punitive Damages

Although punitive damages are very rare and don’t often come into play especially in truck accidents.

Economic Damages

Economic damages are those damages suffered by a person that is easily quantifiable. Economic damages typically include medical bills that are incurred as a result of another person’s negligence as well as lost wages. These are quantifiable in that a person gets a bill for the charge for medical treatment. They also can get a lost wages statement for what they missed from time off for treatment because they are medically unable to work or lost their employment as a result of the injuries that they sustained. Those are considered economic damages. They are the things that were taken away from the person as a direct result of the accident. 

Non-Economic Damages

Non-economic damages are most easily defined as everything that is not economic. These are referred to as “pain and suffering” or general damages. These damages are the things that are tough to put a finger on and that are unique to a person or their case. For example, if a person had an arm injury and was an avid tennis player, it is going to have a greater impact on pain and suffering to them than it would someone else who did not have an interest in tennis.

It is the same thing with other activities and interests. If a person sustains a traumatic brain injury and is unable to read for a long period of time and that was both a work and leisure activity, it is going to have a different impact on them than someone who did work with their hands and enjoyed watching TV as a prime leisure activity. There are all sorts of things that can be assessed as to how the non-economic damages and the pain and suffering are unique to the case.

Role of an Attorney

Attorneys play a crucial role in determining what policies are available. That is determining what they can put in the pot, what types of damages they can find to bring to their client, as well as helping calculate the damages. Attorneys will have a reputation with insurance companies, insurance adjusters, or defense attorneys. Attorneys who can promptly put together a case and prove damages may also be the ones using their advocacy and presentation skills to show what is and is not likely as to potential outcomes at trial, outcomes of mediation, and how that may affect their case.