If you are in the hospital, recovering at home, or adjusting to your new life after getting hurt in a truck accident, then you may not have the energy to handle a case on your own. Going up against large trucking companies and their insurers is not always easy.
With 31 years of experience handling personal injury cases, Distasio Law Firm may be able to assist you with exploring your right to compensation and holding a liable party responsible for your damages. Although you are not required to work with a Valrico truck accident lawyer on your case, there are many benefits to having a skilled personal injury attorney on your side and protecting your rights throughout the process.
Available Damages in a Personal Injury Case
A truck accident is a type of personal injury case. There are specific damages that you could be eligible to receive. For many truck accident victims, finding out how much compensation they may be able to receive is incredibly important.
Some of the damages that you can claim include:
- Lost wages
- Medical bills
- Future estimated medical costs
- Reduced quality of life
- Mental distress
- Permanent disability
- Pain and suffering
- Miscellaneous out-of-pocket expenses linked to the crash
Your dedicated Valrico semi-truck crash lawyer will work with you to help you understand what kinds of damages you can claim. You also need to be able to provide evidence to support each category of damages that you are requesting. If you are seeking reimbursement for medical bills, for example, then you will need to provide invoices, receipts, benefit statements, and other items that show how much you have been charged for your accident-related medical care.
If your injuries are permanent, you may also have to find a new type of employment or be completely unable to work due to your injuries. Our team of truck accident attorneys can partner with a lifecare planner who can provide more insight into the cost of your reduced future earning ability.
Proving That Someone Owes You Compensation
Simply being involved in an accident with a heavy commercial vehicle is not enough to entitle you to compensation. Under Florida law, there are certain things that you will need to prove before you are awarded financial recovery. The main elements of a personal injury case include:
- Duty of care: First, you must show that the other party owed you a duty to act with reasonable care and skill.
- Breach of duty of care: You must show that the other party failed to act according to this duty.
- Causation: You must show that the other party caused your accident and subsequent injuries.
- Damages: Finally, you must provide documentation to show the expenses and injuries you suffered as a result of the accident.
Learn more about what you need to prove to receive compensation and whether you have a potential case against another party.
Gathering Evidence to Support Your Case
Establishing each element of negligence requires gathering specific types of evidence that are admissible in court. This is why many individuals choose to work with a capable Valrico truck accident attorney. A well-practiced lawyer from our firm will be familiar with the types of evidence that could help your case and what measures could secure them.
A few examples of evidence that you may be able to use in your case include:
- Eyewitness testimony
- An interview or deposition with the truck driver
- An examination of the scene of the crash
- An examination of the vehicles involved in the crash
- A police report or Department of Transportation report prepared regarding the accident
- Internal reports from the trucking company
- The truck driver’s driving record
Each case is unique and there may be other types of evidence available for you. If you have not already done so, you should consider writing down everything you remember about the moments before, during, and after the crash. These details could help your case later down the road.
How We Will Support You
If you choose to proceed with one of our 18-wheeler collision attorneys in Valrico, there are many different ways that we will make sure your case is taken care of and that you are supported throughout the process.
To begin with, your lawyer will examine how the state’s statute of limitations affects your case. In Florida, truck accident victims have two years to bring their lawsuit for damages, according to Florida Statutes §95.11(3)(a). This may sound like a long time, but the months and years can move by quickly especially if your injuries are catastrophic.
And if you tragically lost a loved one in a truck accident, you have two years to bring a wrongful death lawsuit against the responsible parties, according to Florida Statutes § 95.11(4)(d).
Your lawyer will also do the following:
- Retain experts to help work on your case
- Prepare you for any court appearances or depositions
- Gather evidence on your behalf
- Review any insurance policies involved in the crash
- Negotiate a settlement if you want to pursue one
- File important documents with the court
- Respond to phone calls and emails about the case
- Interact with the other parties on your behalf
- Prepare for trial
- Explain the laws that apply to your case so you can understand them
- Answer your questions
Call Now for a Free Consultation with a Valrico Truck Accident Attorney
Get more information about your potential truck accident case and how a Valrico truck accident lawyer can help you by calling Distasio Law Firm now. You have nothing to lose and potential compensation to gain.
