Trucks cause some of the worst motor vehicle accidents. With victims often suffering serious injuries and needing help covering medical bills and other pressing damages, filing a lawsuit may be the best way to get compensation. For help with all parts of your truck accident lawsuit, rely on our experienced attorneys in Bethlehem.
Pennsylvania’s filing deadline for truck accident lawsuits is two years. You should file well before the deadline if possible, as this helps you claim compensation sooner. How much compensation you get depends on the different damages you incur, economic and non-economic. We can prove both types of damages during a lawsuit using bills, income records, and witness testimony.
For a free and confidential case review from Cardamone Law, call our truck accident lawyers today at (267) 651-7945.
When Should I File a Bethlehem Truck Accident Lawsuit?
You should consider filing a lawsuit if you sustain a serious injury in a truck accident and need compensation. Pennsylvania’s no-fault rules apply to most collisions, including those involving commercial trucks. Get in touch immediately so we can see whether you can and should sue in Bethlehem.
If you have limited tort car insurance, as many Pennsylvania drivers do, we must compare your injuries to the definition for a serious injury. Serious impairment to a bodily function, permanent and serious disfigurement, and death are serious injuries. Traumatic brain injuries, limb loss, and many other injuries qualify under Pennsylvania’s broad definition, so do not assume you cannot sue for non-economic damages.
Delaying your lawsuit might have consequences. Most truck accident lawsuits are bound by the two-year filing deadline under 42 Pa.C.S. § 5524. Even if you miss the deadline unintentionally, your lawsuit may be blocked.
How Do You Prove Non-Economic Damages in a Truck Accident Case?
Non-economic damages are typically the hardest to prove. Since these losses are based on the plaintiff’s subjective experiences, their testimony is some of the strongest evidence possible.
Testifying can be daunting at first. Once you are thoroughly prepared, however, testifying is your chance to help us prove your case. It can also be cathartic, letting you describe the intense pain you have felt, as well as emotional damages like depression, mental suffering, or even embarrassment because of disfiguring injuries.
Testimony from others can also help prove your non-economic damages from a truck accident. Victims can confide about their struggles to mental health professionals. These experts may then testify during trials to support our case to the jury.
What is the Most Compensation You Can Get After a Truck Accident?
As mentioned, to get non-economic damages or more than your no-fault coverage provides for economic damages, you must pass the serious injury threshold. Once you do and file a lawsuit, the compensation you get should directly reflect the damages you have incurred.
To get the most compensation possible, we need proof of all your damages. Proof includes copies of medical bills, property damage assessments, and evidence of pre-accident wages, like tax returns.
You should also tell us about any new services you have had to hire, such as child care, or any other new expenses you have incurred directly because of a truck accident.
Pennsylvania also does not limit non-economic damages in truck accident lawsuits. Sometimes, juries give more for pain and suffering than defendants are willing to offer in settlements. That said, going to court does not guarantee more compensation, and our lawyers will help you decide what is best for your recovery.
Is the Driver’s Employer Liable for a Truck Accident in Bethlehem?
When a commercial truck driver hits you, they may be on the clock. If they are working during the accident, they may not be the only liable party. Holding the truck driver’s employer responsible may lead to an even larger recovery, so let us see if that is possible.
Respondeat superior is the legal doctrine that holds companies liable for workers’ conduct while working. So, if a truck driver is negligent and injures you while delivering goods, their employer is also legally liable. Even if the employer did not do anything negligent themselves, you may sue them alongside their employee.
What Pictures Should I Take After a Truck Accident?
Without pictures, proving truck accident lawsuits is harder. If you could not take many pictures because of your injuries do not panic. We may get many useful photos by interviewing eyewitnesses and reaching out to law enforcement. We may even get videos from security cameras, which might be even stronger evidence.
Pictures of Your Car
Always photograph your car before leaving the scene of an accident. It likely has visible damage after a collision with a truck, and might even be totaled. Taking pictures preserves evidence of property damage and helps our attorneys reconstruct the accident.
Take photos from multiple angles, and do not delete any pictures until our truck accident lawyers have copies for your lawsuit.
Pictures of the Truck
Photograph the truck as well. It might only have a few minor dents or scrapes after a crash with a smaller car, but you should still take pictures of the truck. This helps us establish that specific vehicle was involved in your accident.
Pictures of the Road
Take pictures of the road in general, too. Photograph any debris left on the road, like glass or broken car parts. Take pictures of where the vehicles landed in relation to one another. You can even take pictures of relevant traffic signs or stoplights. Pictures of the general area may reveal nearby surveillance cameras or doorbell cameras that could have filmed the collision. Photos may even capture eyewitnesses present during the accident, so take as many photographs as you see fit.
Get Help from Our Bethlehem Lawyers Today
For a free case assessment from Cardamone Law, call our truck accident lawyers at (267) 651-7945.
