Trucks are the lifeline of commerce in America, and truck drivers serve an irreplaceable role in making sure our daily lives carry on uninterrupted. They also hold a serious responsibility. When things go wrong, they go catastrophically wrong.
Truck accidents are some of the most devastating accidents that can happen on the road in Yakima. This is why it’s so important to make sure that trucking companies are held to high standards. Here at Brumback and Ottem, we hold trucking companies accountable for their trucks and their drivers. If you get injured in a trucking accident, we will fight for your recovery and for the improvement of the existing systems within the trucking company.
Common Injuries from Truck Accidents
Truck accidents are some of the most dangerous accidents on the road. The impacts can range from minor to catastrophic, but are often more severe. Some common injuries from truck accidents include:
- Bruising
- Broken bones
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal, back, and neck injuries
- Whiplash
- Cuts
- Burns
- Amputation
- Death
Compensation is available for every level of injury, and not all injuries are immediately obvious. This is why it’s important to seek medical attention immediately after the accident, even if you don’t think you were injured. Brain, spine, and neck injuries can often go unnoticed for a few days, and then provide a lifetime of pain.
Getting the Compensation You Deserve
Making sure you receive the compensation you need is our job. This doesn’t mean making sure the trucking company gives you a check, it means making sure the trucking company gives you a sufficient amount to cover all the damages you have suffered. These damages include costs related to any physical injuries, emotional trauma, and property damage. If the accident resulted in the death of a loved one, the costs associated with that loss should be covered.
Medical Expenses
Medical costs don’t end with the hospital bill. As anyone who has been injured knows, the bills keep coming. Weeks after your visit to the hospital, new bills can arrive in the mail. This is the reason for the wide ranging costs covered by medical damages. These can include all out of pocket expenses, rehabilitation costs, and pharmaceutical costs. In order to prove your need for medical compensation, you will need to prove that you were actually injured. This is done with doctor testimony and medical records, which is why it’s so important for you to see a doctor immediately after your accident.
Emotional Trauma
Truck accidents are often catastrophic incidents, and can leave an emotional scar in a victim’s memory. If the victim requires mental health counselling to continue their daily life, the cost of that mental rehabilitation can be covered, along with compensation for the emotional stress caused by handling the logistic aftermath of an accident. These are proven with testimony by a mental health professional, and can also be supported by testimony from friends and family who knew the victim before and after the accident and can attest to changes in behavior.
Property Damage
If you rely on your car for transportation, commuting, and general day to day use, you might be affected by not having it due to the accident. In most commercial truck accidents, the car involved will either be totaled or require some serious repairs. Either way, you will likely not have your car for a significant amount of time. This could affect your ability to get to work, the accessibility of medical facilities, and your ability to live your daily life. If your car needs repairs or to be replaced after an accident, you can be compensated the full price of replacing the car or repairing it, up to the value of the car before the accident.
Beyond just your car, you can also be compensated for anything of value that was in the car at the time of the accident. If you were carrying power tools in your car for your work, you can get compensated the amount to repair or replace those items. Unfortunately, you can only be compensated for resale value, not sentimental value. The damages you receive cannot be more than the market value of the item prior to the accident.
Wrongful Death
If the accident resulted in the death of a loved one, there is nothing that can feel sufficient to replace your loss, because there isn’t anything. Wrongful death claims can never replace what you have lost, but instead, make sure you don’t face financial ruin due to it. Damages covered by wrongful death claims cover:
- Medical bills
- Funeral/burial costs
- Lost wages
- Pain and suffering
Let Our Injury Lawyers Fight for You
A Bulldog Tough Yakima Law Firm
In the case of commercial trucking accidents, we understand how to hold the proper people accountable. Our lawyers have too often seen workers get thrown under the bus in situations where the company should have done more. We stand up to the companies that should have done more to screen and protect their workers, and we’ll make sure your get the full compensation you deserve.
If you have been impacted by a commercial trucking accident, please don’t hesitate to contact the bulldog-tough lawyers of Brumback & Ottem. We won’t let your case go until you get the compensation you deserve.