Following a serious truck collision, it is not uncommon for a person to experience significant financial hardship. Medical bills, lost income, and other complications could become costly and place immense personal strain on an injured driver or passenger. An experienced truck wreck attorney could help a plaintiff recover monetary compensation. To learn more about Altoona truck accident damages, consider reaching out to a truck accident lawyer.
Economic damages are damages that can be calculated. These include medical bills and other types of care, such as assistive devices, the future need for wheelchairs, the future need for ramps to be put into their homes and placed in their homes for wheelchair access.
A lawyer may hire an assisted living counselor to visit with the client at their workplace and home and see exactly what modifications they need to lead as normal a life as they can to accommodate for the injuries they suffered. Other economic damages may include past and future missed wages or other employment complications.
Non-economic damages are what people often refer to as pain and suffering. A plaintiff could collect for their past pain and any future pain that they will endure. There is also loss of life’s pleasures, which is the fact that an accident laid them up even if it is only for a period of time took them away from doing things that they would normally like to do, like go to their children’s ball games and do any hobbies.
Pennsylvania is different than a lot of states in that the attorneys are not allowed to suggest a number for non-economic damages. During the jury instructions that the judge gives at the conclusion of a trial, the jury is instructed to use their collective wisdom and judgment to come up with fair compensation for the injuries suffered in the accident.
Punitive damages may be imposed by a jury or a judge in a case where the actor’s conduct goes beyond negligence and rises to the level of recklessness, a reckless or willful disregard for safety, or outrageous conduct. Punitive damages are designed to deter future bad conduct.
Punitive damages under Pennsylvania law must bear some reasonable proportion to the damages themselves. An individual cannot win $1,000 and win $1 million punitive damages, so there must be a justifiable basis for the award of punitive damages. The amounts awarded to the economic and non-economic losses, when totaled up, must be a fair and reasonable proportion to punitive damages.
An attorney could help a plaintiff recover compensation for Altoona truck accident damages. A lawyer could hire expert witnesses, such as a life care planner to calculate the future costs that the client would need to expend to adjust their life, or a doctor to explain how a particular injury could lead to long-term disability.
If you are experiencing financial hardship due to a truck accident, contact us to speak with an attorney today to learn about your legal options.
Marcus & Mack
