Average Truck Accident Settlement in Long Island

Truck accident settlements in Long Island, NY vary so significantly that it would be difficult to determine an average amount. Although various factors can impact the settlement value of your case, one major variable is the personal injury attorney you choose.

When you need a truck accident lawyer in Long Island, call Finz & Finz, P.C. Our nationally recognized law firm is a family-owned and operated business with three generations of lawyers serving our clients. Contact us today to learn more about the past truck accident settlements we have obtained for our clients and what types of compensation are recoverable after you were injured in a truck accident that someone else caused.

Previous Truck Accident Settlements We’ve Obtained

Although past settlements are not a guarantee of future results, the settlement values in our prior truck accident cases speak for themselves:

• $24.5 million – This record-setting settlement was for a client who suffered a spinal cord injury when his car was hit from behind in a tractor-trailer accident.
• $4.6 million – Our firm obtained this settlement on behalf of the family of a pedestrian who was struck and killed by an 18-wheeler tractor-trailer in Brooklyn, NY.
• $2.2 million – We obtained this settlement for a truck driver who was injured when another semi-truck pinned him against his vehicle.
• $1.85 million – We secured this settlement for a truck driver who was killed when another truck that was dumping a load of scrap metal tipped over onto our client’s truck in Upstate New York.
• $850,000 – Our firm secured this settlement figure for a driver injured when they struck a jackknifed tractor-trailer that was traveling too fast for the weather and road conditions.

Factors in the Value of Your Truck Accident Case

People injured in crashes with commercial trucks often wonder how much their truck accident injury is worth. Many factors affect the settlement value of a truck accident case. An experienced truck accident lawyer will investigate the circumstances of the crash and calculate all your related financial losses.

The complex nature of truck accident litigation impacts the overall settlement value of the case. The following factors are some of the issues that distinguish truck accidents from other common motor vehicle accidents:

Extent of the Injuries

Commercial trucks are significantly larger and heavier than typical motor vehicles. As a result, they can cause more severe and even catastrophic injuries than passenger vehicles. Such injuries may require extensive, costly medical treatment and subsequent therapy. More severe injuries will likely result in larger settlements, which are often more complicated and difficult to secure.

Possible At-Fault Parties

Trucks may be leased to their drivers. That means the individual truck driver and the truck owner may be separately responsible for the injuries sustained by the victim in an accident. If the trucker is an employee of a trucking company, the trucking company may be responsible for the behavior of its employees. The truck manufacturer might also share fault if an equipment failure caused the accident. Likewise, some fault may be on another vendor if they did not maintain or repair the truck properly. The tractor (the “cab” where the driver sits) and the trailer (the rig that is hauled) may also be owned or leased by different corporate entities, both of whom may share some responsibility for the accident. Determining the parties who may be responsible for a truck accident can be a complex process, which is why a personal injury lawyer should be involved shortly after the accident.

Layers of Insurance

Because multiple parties may be at fault for a truck accident, numerous insurance policies may come into play in the aftermath of an accident. An experienced truck accident attorney will review and interpret all potentially applicable policies to determine the available coverage. When you retain a personal injury attorney after the accident, the attorney can handle all necessary communications and negotiations with the insurance companies on your behalf.

Trucking Regulations

Because trucks are significant transporters of interstate commerce, they are governed by state and federal regulations and specialized agencies, such as the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). Truck drivers are also held to higher standards and must comply with additional licensing requirements compared to typical motorists because large trucks are significantly more dangerous than standard vehicles on the road. Additional fault could be on the trucking company and the truck driver if they did not follow these regulations and that failure contributed to the accident.

What Damages Are Recoverable in Long Island Truck Accident Cases?

The total compensation in a truck accident case depends on the severity of the injuries, among other factors. However, the categories of losses you could be compensated for, remain the same. Losses are either economic or non-economic.

Economic losses are the financial damages the injured party sustains because of the truck accident, including:

• Past and future medical expenses – You may face unanticipated medical bills if you are injured in a truck accident. Your attorney will fight to have your past and future medical bills paid by the party at fault for the accident.
• Lost wages – If you are off work due to your injuries, your attorney will gather evidence of your employment status and wages. They will use that to calculate the value of your lost wages and add it to the total value of your claim.
• Loss of future earning capacity – Because of an injury you sustained in the accident, you may not have the same earning ability you once had because you cannot perform the same job. This loss of future earning capacity is a compensable loss.

Non-economic losses are not as easily calculable as economic ones and are often subject to the judge’s or jury’s discretion. These types of losses include:

• Pain and suffering
• Anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Lower quality of life
• Loss of consortium

If you are injured in a truck accident, you typically must file your lawsuit within three years of the date of the accident. This time frame is known as the statute of limitations. If you do not file your lawsuit before the statute of limitations expires, you will not be allowed to pursue compensation for your injuries and financial losses in court.

In a wrongful death case where someone is killed in a truck accident, the family can also recover damages. However, a lawsuit must be filed within two years of the date of death.

When you retain an attorney from Finz & Finz, P.C., you can be confident your attorney will monitor and comply with all deadlines and timely file your lawsuit.

Be Wary of Truck Accident Settlement Calculators

Accident settlement calculators simply cannot accurately predict your compensation amount. They cannot fully evaluate the circumstances of each case or account for fault. An accident settlement calculator may generate a generic settlement figure based on some standard criteria. However, it cannot replace the experience that an experienced lawyer can provide in estimating a truck accident settlement. A truck accident settlement calculator also cannot account for subjective losses that can affect the potential settlement value of a case.

If you have been injured in a New York truck accident, you should talk to a lawyer about your case as soon as possible. At Finz & Finz, P.C., we offer free case reviews to discuss your truck accident and what your losses may be worth. Contact our skilled truck accident lawyers in NY today to learn more.