Gulfport Truck Accident Lawyer
While a crash between two cars can be disastrous, a wreck involving a truck often results in severe injuries and catastrophic property damage. If you or a loved one was hurt in a collision with a semi-truck or 18-wheeler, a Gulfport truck accident lawyer may be able to help you seek compensation for the damages you sustained.
If a trucker’s careless or reckless behavior caused a crash that injured you, you should not have to shoulder the subsequent financial burdens by yourself. By working with a skilled injury attorney, you could build a claim to request full and fair compensation for your injuries.
Who is Liable in a Gulfport Truck Crash?
Because a truck crash may involve the combined negligence of numerous parties, it is the job of a Gulfport truck accident attorney to understand each element of an accident in order to determine who may be considered legally liable. For example, the truck driver may have ignored the speed limit or federal laws and safety rules regulating their conduct while on the job and caused an accident as a result. Likewise, a trucking company may have failed to train its employees to load the vehicle correctly, while a parts manufacturer may have distributed faulty equipment.
Because of the complexities of establishing fault, Mississippi Code §85-5-7 establishes a legal theory known as several liability in order to calculate damages owed. Essentially, each defendant that is deemed to be liable for a crash and its subsequent injuries must pay the proportionate percentage of owed damages.
However, if multiple defendants deliberately acted together, joint liability may also apply, wherein the allocated portion owed by each defendant would have to be settled between them. If joint liability applies, the plaintiff could collect the full amount of damages awarded from a single defendant, and leave the defendant to seek contribution from other defendants. A Gulfport truck crash attorney could help clarify these legal concepts and apply them to a particular case.
Potential Compensation for Damages in a Truck Wreck
While no amount of money may erase what an injured plaintiff has endured because of a truck accident, the purpose of a civil claim is to ease their financial burden and help to get their life back on track. To this end, there are two primary areas that a claimant may request compensation for economic and non-economic damages.
Economic Damages in Gulfport
As its name suggests, economic damages represent the ways that the plaintiff has —or will continue to—suffer financially as a result of a crash with a truck. These damages may include, but are not limited to:
- Past and future lost wages
- Past and future medical bills
- Physical therapy and other associated recovery costs
- Property damage
- Amounts an injured person has to pay to a caretaker in their home
- Decreased earning capacity
How are Non-Economic Damages Calculated in a Truck Accident?
Unlike losses with a definitive price point, non-economic damages are more subjective damages that focus on what an injured claimant has suffered, both physically and emotionally after a collision with an 18-wheeler or tractor-trailer. These may include pain and suffering, loss of consortium, mental anguish, inconvenience, loss of enjoyment of life, and emotional distress.
These non-economic damages are more difficult to calculate because they are inherently subjective. Because of this, a potential claimant may wish to seek the counsel of a practiced truck crash lawyer in Gulfport in order to determine how the extent of these damages may be calculated.
The Potential for Punitive Damages
Punitive damages are not always assigned and are usually the least common. For punitive damages to be included in a damage award, a jury must determine that the defendant acted with willful intent or wanton recklessness in causing damages to the plaintiff and should be punished for that behavior beyond just compensating the plaintiff for his or her damages.
Reach Out to a Gulfport Truck Accident Attorney
A compassionate Gulfport truck accident lawyer understands the resounding personal, professional, and financial losses you may face after being injured in a collision with a semi-truck. Instead of trying to seek compensation alone as you recover from your trauma, a legal professional could help by listening to your circumstances and building a claim that fits your needs.
Because of a mandated three-year deadline known as the statute of limitations (in some instances the deadline may only be one year), you may benefit from building a claim as soon as possible. To begin seeking the compensation you deserve, contact a dedicated attorney today. Consultations are always free.
