You’ve been involved in a truck accident and are considering pursuing legal action against the at-fault driver. Of course, you want to know how much money you may receive in a settlement.
If you are seeking a settlement for your truck accident, know that our expert legal team at Barrera Law Group LLC is here to help. However, it can be difficult to narrow down an exact amount without a lawyer looking at all the details of your specific case.
Important Factors That Determine a Settlement
If you ask your attorney how much you might receive in a truck accident settlement, they’ll probably tell you that they’re unsure or that they cannot tell until the case has nearly been settled.
Every case is unique, and settlements are not one size fits all. Every settlement amount is determined by the cause of the accident, the nature of your injuries, and the overall impact the accident has had on other areas of your life.
The following are the factors your legal team and the truck driver’s legal team will evaluate to determine your settlement amount.
Who Is At Fault?
New Mexico is a pure comparative negligence state. This means that even if the truck driver’s actions caused your collision, there is a chance that you may be found partially at fault as well.
Depending on the percentage that you are found to be at fault for in your accident, your expected compensation may be lessened by that amount. If it’s determined that you were 30% at fault for the crash, your compensation would be 30% less than what you otherwise could have received.
Additionally, if you are partially at fault, the truck driver and their legal team might also attempt to argue that your overall settlement amount should be lessened as well.
Injury Severity
The severity of your injuries is an important detail when determining how much you might receive in a truck accident settlement.
If you suffer a small abrasion after a minor fender bender, you will likely receive far less in a settlement than if your car was totaled beyond repair and you suffered severe injuries that leave you permanently disabled.
Economic Damages
Economic or financial damages are often easier to assess as you and your lawyer can determine more specific dollar amounts for these losses.
For example, medical bills, car repairs, lost wages, any therapies or in-home nursing assistance, disability determinations, etc., can all be added up and presented to the at-fault party and their legal team during negotiations for your settlement.
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic, or non-financial, damages are often more complex to assess, as these vary from person to person and are more difficult to put an exact dollar amount on.
Examples of these would be pain and suffering, emotional or psychological stress (such as PTSD), loss of quality of life, or loss of companionship.
How Much Can You Expect with Your Truck Accident Settlement?
As you can see from the information presented, there’s no way to really know how much you may receive in a truck accident settlement until all the facts of your case are thoroughly reviewed.
While it can be difficult to know for certain how much your specific case may pay out in a settlement, our office has seen great results. And no matter the severity of your injuries, or how much of a percentage of fault you may have, our expert truck accident lawyers at Barrera Law Group LLC can assist.