What is the average value of a semi-truck settlement?

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How Much Are Most Truck Accident Settlements

Regarding big rigs, Texas tops the list of states with the highest number of trucking accidents. A 2020 Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration report shows Texas having 14,456 trucking accidents, 7,728 injuries, and 513 fatalities. Five hundred thousand truck-related accidents occur yearly in the United States.

This is just over 1,369 accidents per day, 57 every hour, and almost one accident every minute nationally.

For over 35 years, Baumgartner Law Firm has been fighting for maximum compensation for victims involved in semi-truck accidents in Houston and throughout Texas. We don’t want you to settle for average; our truck accident lawyers in Houston, Texas, want to maximize your compensation!

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Common Questions After Being Hurt in a Big Rig Accident

What is the Average Truck Accident Settlement?

There is no “average” settlement from an accident with a commercial vehicle. The value of a personal injury from a crash with a semi-truck largely depends on who was at fault, if negligence can be substantiated or enhanced, the severity of the injury, the amount of insurance available, and who your truck accident attorney is.

We have been obtaining record compensation for over three decades- put our award-winning truck accident lawyers in Houston on your team.

What Laws in Texas May Apply to a Truck Accident?

Statute of Limitations: The clock is always ticking regarding the timely filing of a claim for a personal injury. In most cases, Texas’ statute of limitations is two years from the day of the incident. One exception to this rule applies to those claims involving an injury to a minor.

The 2-year window does not begin on the child’s injury claim until the child turns 18. Additionally, claims against a government entity (or employee), like the city of Houston, must be initiated much sooner.

Comparative Negligence: in a situation where the plaintiff’s actions contributed to the incident, compensation is reduced in proportion to the percentage of fault. The 51% Bar Rule prohibits the plaintiff from collecting any financial compensation if found to be more than 50% at fault.

You can expect the defense to try to shift the blame in your case. Our trucking attorneys are skilled at countering the tactics of the defense. We have been helping truck crash victims for over three decades and have not lost a case.

FMCSR, or the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations, provides comprehensive regulation of truck drivers and trucking companies. Texas also has laws regulating truck drivers and trucking companies. Violations of these rules provide powerful evidence for a personal injury trial lawyer.

What are the Causes of Semi Crashes?

Truck accident statistics show big rig accidents occur in Texas more often than in any other state. Often it is not until after a truck accident investigation that all the facts are known about the cause of the crash. Common causes of tractor-trailer accidents usually involve driver error.

How to Find the Best Lawyers for Truck Accidents?

Look for a preeminent-rated truck accident attorney with decades of experience and a record of success. Always look for a local area trucking accident lawyer.

Documenting Your 18-Wheeler Accident

If you have the chance, take photos of the accident scene. You may want to document the other driver’s license plate number or even snap a photo of the driver if you can do so safely. This simple step can help you prove the presence of the other driver at the scene of the accident and make it easier for you to establish who caused the accident.

You may also want to take pictures of the damage to the two vehicles and any features of the scene that may have contributed to the accident: a blind curve that prevented the other driver from seeing you. Other causes of big rig accidents include:

Lack of sufficient training
Impaired drivers
Overloaded cargo
Unbalanced cargo
Equipment failure
Novice drivers
Distracted driving
Speeding
Fatigued drivers
Road rage
Over the hours of driving
Driver error
Wide turns
Failure to yield
Blindspot accidents
Drunk Drivers

Establishing Fault in a Trucking Accident

To prove fault, you must demonstrate that the defendant’s negligent, reckless, or intentional conduct caused your accident.

Our personal injury lawyers in Houston take only injury cases. We know how to prove fault and liability in all actions, specifically in collisions with 18-wheelers or semi-trucks. Call the best car accident lawyer in Houston if you have been injured in an auto accident with another car. If you have been hit by a big truck, find the best truck accident lawyer near me.

We handle all types of commercial vehicle accident cases. Hit by an Amazon van? We can help!

Calculating a Potential Truck Accident Settlement

We do the math. People ask, “How much is an average semi-truck settlement”?

In theory, financial recovery from damage and injury sustained in a big rig truck accident should be calculated as follows:

The sum of the replacement cost of personal property lost in the accident + actual medical expenses incurred to date + projected future medical expenses + compensation for pain and suffering, disability, disfigurement, and impairment + wages lost due to accident + verifiable loss of future salary.
Minus the percentage of comparative fault assigned to the plaintiff.

If you would like a free case evaluation by a leading truck accident lawyer with over 35 years of experience, call us at (281) 587-1111 or click here to request a consultation.

How the Severity of Injury Impacts Truck Crash Lawsuits

Physical damage and emotional trauma
Severe and often catastrophic injuries occur in an altercation between a large truck and a passenger car. Some of the more common physical injuries are:

Traumatic brain injury
Neck and spinal cord damage
Damage to internal organs
Compound fractures
Post-traumatic stress

Medical expenses

As it should be, seeking medical care following a trucking accident is a major part of recovery. The responsible driver’s insurance carrier often takes months, even legal intervention, to cover the costs. And that occurs with a truck accident settlement. How long it takes to settle an 18-wheeler case depends on the attorney you choose and the facts of your case.

Victims can use personal health insurance and automobile insurance benefits to help with immediate costs. If you are injured in a Texas truck accident and do not have health insurance to cover necessary medical care, call us to see if we can help!

Healthcare is expensive. For example, a broken bone in the leg can cost a significant amount of money when one figures in:

E R treatment
Orthopedic physician fees
Radiology costs
Casts and slings
Follow-up visits

The Texas Department of Insurance established this healthcare costs consumer information guide for consumers to view the average costs of medical procedures for different regions in Texas based on Zipcode.

The cost of severe injuries can be staggering. A traumatic brain injury is often suffered when a passenger car collides with a semi-truck. This type of injury carries a huge economic toll on the victim as well as the entire family. The lifetime cost can reach $4 million.

Spinal cord injuries are frequently the result of serious motor vehicle accidents. According to information released by the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, the estimated lifetime cost of care ranges from $1,113,990 to $4,472,181.

We often use life care planners after a severe injury trucking accident. Life care planners calculate the cost of future medical needs for the victim.

Non-economic damage

The Texas legal system does recognize the validity of non-economic damages following a catastrophic accident; these are highly subjective, and the potential compensation is not easily calculated. The value is often proportional to expert testimony, friends, and family impact statements. Examples of non-economic damages include:

Pain and suffering
Emotional distress
Disfigurement
Disability
Changes in the family dynamic
Loss of enjoyment of life
Loss of companionship

Lost wages and loss of future income

Determining the monetary value of lost salary can be as simple as multiplying the plaintiff’s current hourly wage by the number of hours missed or breaking down an annual salary into an hourly rate. The process becomes more complicated when factoring in:

Possible overtime
Anticipated bonuses or raises
Loss of sick leave hours
Loss of accrued vacation pay
Reduction of 401(k) contributions
Impact on pension
Self-employed

Severe injuries may be likely to impact future earning capacity. Projecting the loss of future income is often based on:

Salary before the injury
Occupation
The age, health, and educational background of the injured party
Anticipated potential advancement

Baumgartner Law Firm Personal Injury Lawyer Practice Areas

At Baumgartner Law Firm, our personal injury attorney in Houston, TX, helps clients throughout Texas maximize their damages to get the compensation they deserve. We have recovered millions of dollars and represented thousands of accident victims.

Since 1985, our firm has limited the practice to serious injury cases and produced exceptional results in the following areas:

Our founder attorney, Greg Baumgartner, has over 35 years of experience and has been peer-reviewed preeminent for decades.

How We Can Help With Your 18-Wheeler Case?

The legal process following a semi-truck accident can be confusing and complicated for injured parties, and the idea of pursuing litigation may be intimidating. When your family member is involved in the aftermath of a big rig accident, you need a law firm with experience and proven results. We have been winning multi-million-dollar settlements from truck accident injuries for over three decades. We have never lost a truck accident injury or wrongful death case!

And have recovered punitive damage settlements for many families in Houston and across Texas.

Don’t delay. Choose to protect your rights and the future of your family. Call our exceptional truck accident lawyers at (281) 587-1111.

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