Easton, MD Truck Accident Attorney

Truck accidents are incredibly devastating and dangerous. The size disparity between large semi trucks, 18-wheelers, and other big-rig vehicles compared to regular cars and SUVs means that victims of truck accidents are very likely to get badly injured. In many cases, these injuries are permanent and “life-altering.” Moreover, the cost of treating these injuries can easily balloon into hundreds of thousands of dollars, leaving victims upset, angry, and anxious about what comes next.

Fortunately, we are here to assist and help you out. Our lawyers have a lot of experience fighting for victims of truck accidents. We can do all the things that need to be done in your legal fight so that you can focus on recovering from your injuries and getting back to living your life. You do not need to deal with the aftermath of a truck accident alone.

To get a free analysis of your case, call Rice, Murtha & Psoras’s truck accident lawyers at (410) 694-7291.

What Causes Truck Crashes in Easton, MD?

Truck accidents happen for all sorts of reasons. Determining the cause of your truck accident is actually very important to our truck accident attorneys because it helps determine who you bring to court. If you try and sue someone who did not cause your injuries, you cannot recover any damages. Below are some frequent causes of truck accidents in Maryland.

Driver Error

Often, truck accidents are caused by a mistake the trucker makes. If a trucker speeds, drives drunk, or otherwise ignores traffic rules, they can be considered negligent and responsible for your injuries.

Trucking Company Negligence

Trucking companies can also be responsible for truck accidents. Frequently, trucking companies are responsible for hiring and training truckers. If, for example, a trucking company does not properly vet and train their truckers, they can be liable for any injuries those truckers cause.

Truck Problems

If a problem with the truck causes an accident, the truck is considered “defective,” and you can file a suit against the party responsible for the truck’s design and/or maintenance. If a truck accident was caused by a popped tire, defective brakes, or other truck-based problem, you should have our lawyers investigate to see if there was a problem in the manufacturing process of the vehicle.

Damages from Truck Crash Lawsuits in Easton, MD

If you are successful in court, you will be awarded damages. Damages are the court’s way of compensating plaintiffs who get injured in accidents. The idea behind personal injury lawsuits – including those for truck accidents – is to “make the plaintiff whole” again. A lot of the time, especially if the plaintiff has permanent injuries, this is not literally possible. Thus, financial compensation/damages is used as the next best thing. Damages generally fall into three categories:

Economic Damages

Economic damages refer to things with readily displayable economic value. These damages cover things like hospital bills and the cost of long-term medical treatment. Even with insurance, the cost of dealing with injuries sustained in a truck accident can be quite high. Accordingly, you can ask for damages based on those expenses in your truck accident lawsuit.

Additionally, you can get economic damages for lost wages. For example, if you were injured in a truck accident and then had to be in a hospital for several months, unable to work, you may not have earned any income. You can get damages based on the income you would have earned had you not been injured and recovering. You can also get damages if your injuries are such that you have to change to a lower-paying job or cannot continue to work at all. In those cases, your damages would be based on the difference between your old and new income and your predicted future income for the rest of your time in the workforce.

Non-Economic Damages

These damages are different than economic damages in that there is nothing that tangibly proves their value. Unlike medical records or lost wages, items that fall under non-economic damages are more nebulous. The category includes damages for pain and suffering and mental anguish as well as lost enjoyment of life. For example, you may get economic damages for the cost of emergency surgery, but you can also get non-economic damages for the physical pain you felt before, during, and after that surgery.

Since there is no way to empirically calculate the value of physical pain, our lawyers will need to come up with what that pain and other non-economic damages are worth. Everyone experiences pain and mental anguish differently, so this value will be unique to you. You do not have to base it on anyone else’s experience.

Punitive Damages

Economic and non-economic damages are based on your condition. However, punitive damages are different. These damages are not based on your condition but on the conduct of the defendant. Courts will only award these damages when the defendant has acted especially badly. Usually, you need to show that the defendant set out to harm you and the accident was not just the result of carelessness.

The controlling case for punitive damages in Maryland is Phillip Morris Inc. v. Angeletti. In that case, the court held that it is exclusively up to the trier of fact (the jury) to determine whether punitive damages are warranted, and there are also other factors that need to be taken into consideration. If you believe that punitive damages are warranted in your case, you should bring it up with our lawyers so that we can fight for them.

Call Our Easton, MD Truck Crash Attorneys Today

Our truck accident attorneys with Rice, Murtha & Psoras can help you with your case right away when you call us at (410) 694-7291.