Determining the average amount that a lawsuit is worth might be able to help you get an idea of what your case could be worth. However, accident cases vary so much from case to case because the facts, damages, and parties are completely different. If you were injured in a truck accident, you might be wondering what your case could be worth if you sued the trucking company for your injuries. Fayetteville, AR truck accident lawyer Ken Kieklak explains some of the information you need to know when researching “average” settlements and important details about how to calculate how much your truck accident case could be worth.
How Much is the Average Truck Accident Injury Lawsuit in Arkansas?
Determining the average amount that truck accidents pay might be helpful in helping you determine whether your case is serious or whether the damages you faced are “worth” suing over. Our attorneys have dealt with personal injury claims for decades, and one thing that we know for sure about injury cases is that each one is incredibly different. Even if the facts of how the crash happened line up with the facts of another case, each truck accident injury case is going to be slightly different based on the damages the victim suffered.
Looking at an average for truck accident cases should, in theory, help you determine very generally what your case could be worth, but it will not take the individual factors into account. Even if two people suffered similar injuries – for example, a broken leg – the damages for each victim are going to vary based on how that injury affects them. For instance, a warehouse worker with a broken leg will face significant lost wages and may even become disabled by an injury like that, but an accountant might be able to work while they recover, losing less money to lost wages. These factors would greatly affect the outcome of their case.
Further, “average” values for truck accident lawsuits are often unreliable. Court data can be collected on injury cases across the board, but many settlements take place outside of court. Most truck accident injury cases are ultimately settled, not taken to trial, so looking at court data for lawsuits that went to trial accounts for only a small portion of all trucking accident claims. Further, many truck accident injury settlements are confidential and would not be recorded in these statistics anyway. To learn more about the average settlement amount for an 18-wheeler accident in Arkansas, speak to a lawyer.
How Much is My Trucking Accident Lawsuit Worth in Arkansas?
Rather than looking at the average values of injury cases, it is important to have an Arkansas truck accident injury lawyer review what your case could be worth. The damages for lawsuits for truck accident injuries in Arkansas are determined by looking at the sum total of what damages the victim faced in the crash. For instance, a driver whose car was destroyed in the crash could face higher costs of vehicle repairs or replacement than a driver whose car suffered minor damage while being rear-ended. However, the medical bills for each driver could still be similar if the minor crash resulted in whiplash or back injuries.
Truck accident damages usually come from four main areas of harm the victim faces during the crash:
- Medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Property damage
- Pain and suffering
Medical expenses are somewhat straightforward: the costs of your hospital bills and other expenses should be paid by the parties who injured you. What you might not realize is that these can also include projected costs for future care in many cases, covering ongoing rehabilitation and physical therapy.
Damages for lost wages can be complicated to calculate in many cases. Victims who suffered injuries that kept them from work during their recovery can claim the value of any paychecks and benefits they missed because of their injuries. However, victims can also claim future damages for lost earning capacity in many cases where the injuries will keep them from working or cause them to be disabled.
The damages for property damage can cover the cost of vehicle repairs, broken equipment, and other losses incurred in the crash. However, the focus of most truck accident cases is on the victim’s personal injuries.
Pain and suffering is an odd area of damages since it falls under the category of “noneconomic” damages. While most damages are paid to cover bills, expenses, and monetary losses, noneconomic damages like pain and suffering are paid to account for intangible effects like pain and mental anguish. You should talk to a lawyer about what your pain and suffering could be worth, but understand that these values vary greatly from person to person and case to case.
Should I Sue in Court or Settle a Truck Accident Injury Case in Arkansas?
The reason many people want to look at average values for settlements and lawsuits is to determine whether it is better to take their case to court or settle it with the insurance companies. In most cases, insurance settlements are going to be lower for a case because insurance policies do not cover damages for pain and suffering and other noneconomic damages. Additionally, any settlement might be lowered to account for the money the victim saves by not having to take the case to trial. However, these settlements are sometimes worth taking because you get money faster and avoid the time and resources it takes to go to trial. Talk to a Rogers, AR truck accident lawyer for more information about how this works in the specific context of your truck accident injury case.
Call Our Lawyer for Fayetteville Truck Accident Injury Lawsuits Today
Ken Kieklak, Attorney at Law, represents victims of truck accidents and other injuries in Fayetteville and throughout Arkansas. For help with your potential truck accident injury case, call our Fayetteville, AR personal injury lawyer today to set up a free case consultation. We can help you understand what your case might be worth and how to best proceed to get the damages you need. To set up a free case consultation, call us today at (479) 316-0438.