Common Injuries in Truck Accident

Accidents involving large trucks often cause more catastrophic injuries than car crashes. Large trucks are those with a gross vehicle weight rating that is more than 10,000 pounds. Common injuries in truck accidents are often catastrophic because of the weight of the vehicle. The Los Angeles truck accident attorneys at Sharifi Firm understand that victims may be dealing with life-changing, permanent conditions, and we are ready to prove the full scope of the damages that you suffered.

Injures that often arise from truck accidents include brain trauma, paralysis and other forms of spinal cord damage, burns, disfigurement and scarring, broken bones, and lacerations. Sometimes multiple people are hurt in truck accidents, and all of them may suffer catastrophic injuries. For example, tractor-trailers may jackknife—meaning that the cab goes straight ahead as the trailer swings out to the side. When a long trailer swings to the side, cars in every lane of a busy highway may be affected. It is not uncommon for numerous people to suffer catastrophic injuries or even die.

In California, victims of these accidents may recover compensation for any harm that they suffer as a result of a truck driver or trucking company's negligence, recklessness, or intentional wrongdoing. Damages that may be recovered include general damages (non-economic damages) and special damages (economic damages). Economic damages consist of losses like medical expenses, lost wages, lost earning capacity, lost employment opportunities, property damage, household services, and other out-of-pocket expenses.

For example, if you became paralyzed in a truck accident, you may no longer be able to work as a laborer at a construction site. You might lose not only your wages while you were in the hospital but also your future wages. If you had a promising career ahead of you and were likely to become a foreman, you might also lose out on those prospects and the increased pay that would come with them. You might also need to pay for expensive plastic surgeries.

In addition to recovering compensation for economic losses, you may also be entitled to recover compensation for noneconomic damages. These are the more subjective losses that a jury might believe naturally flow from an injury of the kind that you have suffered, such as pain and suffering, mental anguish, and loss of enjoyment of life. Although they are subjective, noneconomic damages must be proven, just like economic damages. Each person is unique, even if they suffer common injuries in truck accidents, and an experienced trial attorney will make sure to investigate your situation carefully to figure out the full scope of emotional harm that you may have suffered as a result of your injuries.

In most cases, punitive damages are not available in motor vehicle accident lawsuits, even for catastrophic injuries. However, there is an exception for accidents caused by a drunk driver. If a trucking company purposely looked the other way with regard to a known drunk driver or a drug-abusing truck driver, it may be liable for punitive damages as well.

At Sharifi Firm, our experienced Los Angeles lawyers may be able to help you recover compensation if you were struck by a careless commercial driver. We take our clients' injuries seriously and fully explore the damages that they have sustained. Contact us online or call us at (866) 422-7222 to set up a free appointment with a motor vehicle collision attorney. Our firm also represents injured individuals in Temecula, Riverside, Rancho Cucamonga, Glendale, Covina, and San Bernardino, among other Southern California cities.