With the emergence of e-commerce, home deliveries and online shopping have become part of our daily lives. With the rising convenience of shopping from home, mishaps involving delivery trucks such as FedEx and UPS have become commonplace. There are more trucks on the road, meeting short deadlines and a heavy workload.
Often this has resulted in increased collisions. The victims face injuries that are not only debilitating but also lifelong. The financial burden of meeting these injuries is an additional stress.
Understanding and prior knowledge of legal provisions regarding what damages you are entitled to claim can help mitigate some of the financial obligations. A FedEx truck accident lawyer is skilled and knowledgeable enough to help ensure that you will receive what you are rightfully entitled to and that your rights are protected as you pursue the entitled compensation.
Medical Expenses
Medical expenses form the bulk of the expenses in any accident case. It is also an immediate and significant expense, ranging from emergency room visits, ambulance services, surgeries, hospitalization, medications, and follow-up care.
If your injuries entail long-term rehabilitation, physical therapy, or assistive devices, the cost of these will also be included in your claim. In some cases, where injuries are severe, such as traumatic brain injury or spinal cord damage, medical costs can go on for years and are covered under a claim.
Lost Wages and Future Earning Capacity
The claim covers loss of income due to an accident and recovery. However, lawmakers have ensured that loss of income due to disability is also covered. This is because truck accidents, due to their devastating nature, often leave victims with some sort of disability.
When a person is disabled, they lose their ability to work; e.g., a construction worker without a limb will not be able to continue to work, and an IT professional will not be able to work if they have a severe TBI. In other cases, if the disability is not so severe, the victim would end up taking a lower-paying job to support themselves or their family.
The law aims to compensate victims for the loss of income they will face in the future due to the disability.
Property Damage
Truck accidents result in extensive property damage. Passenger vehicles are often left in unsalvageable condition due to their large size and weight. Victims are entitled to reimbursement for repairs or replacement. Additionally, any personal property inside the vehicle at the time of the accident is also covered under the compensation.
Pain and Suffering
Financial losses are a major segment of the accident-related loss. However, the damage claim also covers expenses incurred due to pain and suffering. It has been framed to compensate for physical pain, emotional distress, and loss of quality of life from the injury.
Although these are harder to quantify compared to tangible elements, such as medical bills. Courts and insurance companies have devised methods, like multipliers of medical costs, for calculating the costs.
Pain and suffering, emotional trauma, or chronic pain are categorized as long-term disabilities. A skilled lawyer will present the medical evidence, expert testimony, and personal accounts to support your redressal claim.
Loss of Companionship
Loss of consortium or companionship due to disability resulting from an accident can affect the quality of life. Injury and the resultant recovery process and disability can significantly affect relationships with near and dear ones. Victims can pursue damages due to loss of social contact.
Punitive Damages
Punitive damages, contrary to compensatory damages, are intended to punish the egregious or reckless behavior of the at-fault party. For example, in cases where the delivery driver was found to be driving under the influence or not maintaining the fleet or mitigating safety hazards, punitive damages may be levied. Punitive damages act as a deterrent for those organizations that fail to meet safety standards.
Wrongful Death Damages
In cases where FedEx and UPS truck accidents result in death, family members are entitled to sue the company for wrongful death claims, which cover funeral expenses, loss of financial support, and companionship.
Conclusion
An accident can be an overwhelming event, both physically and financially. Victims who may not be at fault are entitled to a variety of damages, such as medical costs, loss of earnings, property damage, pain and suffering, and punitive damages in some cases.
Fatality or wrongful death damages are also available to surviving family members. Associating with a skilled truck accident lawyer will ensure that all potential avenues for compensation are explored and pursued effectively.
Also read: The Benefits of Professional Truck Cleaning Services for HMD Trucking
