According to the National Safety Council, 73% of the people injured in semi-truck accidents are people in surrounding passenger vehicles—not in the trucks themselves. This lopsided statistic is due to semi-trucks being so much bigger and heavier than even the largest pickup trucks, SUVs, and minivans.
People who are hurt in truck accidents experience not only serious physical injuries but also significant pain and suffering, too. The combination of physical pain and psychological shock after severe truck crashes can leave victims struggling with everyday tasks for weeks, months, or even years to come.
In this blog, we explore the common types of pain and suffering from truck accidents and how a lawyer can help victims get the compensation they deserve.
4 Types of Post-Truck Accident Pain and Suffering
Pain and suffering damages are also known as non-economic damages. They’re called that because they can’t be easily calculated the same way that economic damages, such as medical bills and lost wages, can be.
Victims of truck accidents often experience one or more of the following types of pain and suffering after crashes:
- Physical Pain: Semi-truck accidents often lead to severe injuries like broken bones, spinal cord damage, and traumatic brain injuries, which can cause intense, long-lasting pain. Recovery can be a lengthy process, with many victims requiring surgeries, physical therapy, and ongoing medical treatments. This physical suffering can last for months or even years, affecting victims’ ability to work and perform everyday tasks independently.
- Emotional Distress: The trauma of a semi-truck accident can lead to significant emotional and psychological effects, including anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Victims may experience flashbacks, nightmares, and feelings of intense fear when near traffic or while driving or riding in a vehicle. These side effects can severely disrupt crash victims’ daily lives and relationships. The emotional toll often requires professional counseling or therapy to manage and heal from these lingering effects.
- Loss of Enjoyment of Life: Injuries from truck accidents can hinder a person’s ability to engage in hobbies, sports, and other activities they once enjoyed. Even simple pleasures like spending time with family, exercising, or pursuing personal interests can become difficult or impossible following severe injuries from a truck crash. This loss of enjoyment not only affects their mental well-being but also impacts their overall quality of life, leading to feelings of frustration and sadness.
- Loss of Consortium: Serious injuries from a semi-truck accident can also disrupt relationships with loved ones, particularly spouses and family members. Victims may no longer be able to participate fully in family activities, and physical injuries can impact intimacy and companionship. This strain on relationships often leads to feelings of isolation, adding to the emotional burden of the recovery process for both the victim and their loved ones.
How Can a Lawyer Help You Get Compensation for Pain and Suffering?
It can be difficult enough to get compensation for financial damages caused by physical injuries, including medical bills and lost wages. It can be even more difficult to get fair compensation for pain and suffering. That’s because these damages aren’t easily calculated, are hard to prove, and are rarely taken seriously by trucking companies and their insurers.
However, an experienced Ohio truck accident lawyer can significantly increase your chances of getting fair compensation for all the ways the crash has affected your life by:
- Evaluating and Documenting Your Damages: Your lawyer will assess the full extent of your physical and emotional damages after the truck accident. They will work with medical experts to document your injuries, ongoing treatments, and how the accident has impacted your daily life. This thorough evaluation helps ensure that the compensation sought accurately reflects the pain and suffering you’ve endured.
- Negotiating with Insurance Companies: Truck accident lawyers understand the tactics that insurance companies often use to minimize payouts. They will negotiate on your behalf, using evidence of your pain, emotional distress, and other non-economic damages to pursue a fair settlement. Having an experienced lawyer increases the likelihood that the insurance company will take your claim seriously and offer appropriate compensation.
- Filing a Personal Injury Lawsuit: If negotiations don’t result in a fair settlement, your lawyer can file a lawsuit to pursue compensation through the courts. They will handle all legal procedures, including gathering evidence, preparing legal arguments, and representing you at trial. This process helps hold the trucking company or other liable parties accountable for your pain and suffering.
- Maximizing Compensation for Pain and Suffering: Your lawyer will understand how to calculate and argue for maximum compensation for non-economic damages, such as your physical pain, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life. They know the state laws and legal strategies to ensure you receive the full compensation you deserve, providing financial relief and support during your recovery.
At Nurenberg, Paris, Heller & McCarthy, we strive to get our clients every penny they deserve after serious truck accidents. Because these crashes are often so devastating and traumatic, we know that pain and suffering damages are an integral part of a full financial recovery, and that’s why we push hard to ensure our clients are fairly compensated for all the ways their accidents have affected their lives.
Our Ohio truck accident attorneys are ready to start building your case. We have the experience and aggressive approach needed to make the trucking company and its insurer take you and your claim seriously from day one. Contact us today for a free consultation to learn how we can help.
