Damages in DC Truck Accident Claims

As defined by DC law, economic damage is a term used to describe objective damages that are readily calculable. Economic damages typically take the form of past medical bills and expenses and/or lost wages incurred in the past. Economic damages in DC truck accident claims are actual bills that are calculable and have been incurred in the past, which a medical professional would testify are causally related to the subject motor vehicle collision.

If you or someone you know has been involved in an accident involving a truck, a DC truck accident lawyer can review what types of damages you can recover, what caps exist on damages in DC, and whether trucking companies themselves are liable to be sued.

Economic Damages

Economic damages attempt to financially compensate injured victims for specific losses that were sustained by the victims. These types of damages are easily quantifiable as they possess a fixed financial value that has already been determined and can be calculated into the future.

Some of the most common types of economic damages include the following:

  • Lost income
  • Medical bills
  • Ongoing medical expenses
  • Property damage
  • Rehabilitative care
  • Household services that victims can no longer perform
  • Loss of future earning potential

Non-Economic Damages

Non-economic damages describe damages other than economic damages. These are typically more subjective than economic damages and are particular to the individual involved in a collision. They are often referred to in terms of pain, suffering, and inconvenience.

Non-economic damages in DC truck accident claims are presented typically through the testimony of witnesses, either of the injured person or some other close friend, relative, or family member, who can provide the jury some information about the plaintiff’s overall well-being both prior to and subsequent to the truck collision.

Insurance Coverage

Automobile insurance offers different types of coverage. Generally, a typical automobile insurance policy affords property damage coverage, liability coverage, and no fault coverage. Property damage and liability coverage is often paid by the at-fault party’s insurance company. Property damage is to pay for property damage as the name implies. Liability coverage is coverage afforded by the at-fault party’s insurance company to pay for the liability of the negligent driver.

That liability coverage typically covers economic and non-economic damages in DC truck accident claims or a typical motor vehicle accident brought on the basis of negligence. As long as the claimed injuries were caused by the subject motor vehicle accident, they should be covered under the liability portion.

Punitive Damages

Certain cases involve a third type of damages, punitive damages, which serve a different purpose than economic and non-economic damages. Punitive damages seek to punish the defendant for engaging in wrongful injurious conduct.  Punitive damages also serve as a way to deter third parties from engaging in similar actions in the future.

Liability Issues

An issue to consider when it comes to both liability and property damage is that there are insurance policy limits available to compensate the injured person for their injuries. The amount of insurance is determined by the person who obtains the insurance policy. The injured person often does not have a choice to determine the amount of coverage afforded to them by the at-fault party.

It is the at-fault party that negotiates the contract of insurance with their company and then is afforded a certain insurance policy limit for damages in DC truck accident claims. This is a consideration for the injured person to evaluate or determine whether the at-fault party’s insurance carrier has sufficient coverage to properly compensate for their injuries. These are all issues that are evaluated by a personal injury attorney as part of their representation of the injured person.

Talk to a DC Truck Accident Attorney Today

Serious truck accidents in DC can have a material impact on a victim’s daily life, as well their inability to enjoy life as they once had. Truck accidents in DC can generate three broad categories of damages that may be recoverable, including economic, non-economic, and, in limited circumstances, punitive damages.

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in a DC truck accident, you should call an experienced personal injury lawyer as soon as possible.  A dedicated attorney can work diligently and avidly for the interests of injured individuals. Contact a lawyer who can tell you more about potential damages after a DC truck accident.

Damages in DC Truck Accident Claims