Reckless driving can cause trucking accidents when truck drivers exhibit any of the following dangerous driving behaviors:
- Exceeding the speed limit
- Driving too fast for conditions
- Intentional tailgating
- Cutting other drivers off
- Illegal turns or lane changes
- Failure to yield
- Disregarding traffic signals
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) also lists driver distraction and drug and alcohol consumption as possible causes of trucking accidents.
One or more of these reckless actions might lead to a collision between your passenger vehicle and a much larger truck. Your crash report may indicate these and other factors that might help your lawyer identify one of these forms of reckless driving as the cause of your trucking accident.
Proving the truck driver was driving recklessly may help your legal team establish negligence. Proving negligence may help establish your potential right to recoverable damages for the financial consequences of the accident.
Recoverable Damages After a Reckless Driving Truck Accident
The injuries you sustain in a truck accident can have costly short-term and long-term expenses related to your required medical treatments. While your injuries are being diagnosed and treated, you might also incur additional financial losses if you can no longer work to support yourself or your family.
According to the American Bar Association (ABA), the potentially recoverable damages in a personal injury case might include:
- Past and anticipated health care expenses
- Past and anticipated loss of wages or income
- Physical and emotional pain and suffering
- Physical impairment or disfigurement
You may also be able to recover compensation for property damage.
Calculating these damages on your own can be complex. The lawyer who represents you may assist you in determining anticipated costs and intangible losses like pain and suffering. Your lawyer can help you calculate the financial impact of the accident, assign an accurate value to your case, and manage settlement negotiations with the at-fault driver or their insurance company.
Prove the Cost of Your Truck Accident Injuries with Your Medical Records
Proving the cost of your truck accident injuries might begin with obtaining your medical records and bills. If you were treated in the emergency room, admitted to the hospital, followed up with your primary care physician, referred to specialists, required surgery, needed rehabilitative care, or required psychological support, each of these health care specialists may have their own medical records and billing system.
When a personal injury lawyer prepares your trucking accident case, they might be able to help you compile and calculate all relevant medical bills. This is an important step because inadvertently omitting a medical bill might mean you are unable to recover those costs from the at-fault driver.
In addition to your health care bills, provide your legal team with salary and financial records from all of your sources of income. That might include full-time employment, part-time supplemental employment, business or freelance income, or even income you earn as part of the gig economy. Your legal team may be able to help you prove and assess your total income losses when preparing and valuing your potential compensation lawsuit.
Exchange Important Information with the At-Fault Truck Driver
At the scene of the accident, you should exchange information with the at-fault truck driver that will allow your lawyer to contact them and their insurance provider. Much of this information might also be noted in your crash report, along with contact information for accident witnesses and the officer who investigated the accident.
Obtain a copy of your crash report and share it with the lawyer who represents you in your pursuit of financial recovery. Your crash report may also indicate:
- Points of impact on each vehicle
- Diagrams of each vehicle’s damage
- Your seated position in your car
- Any immediately apparent injuries
The date of the crash report may help your legal team establish the relevant date to ensure compliance with your state’s statute of limitations. Your crash report may also help your lawyer prove the at-fault driver’s recklessness and negligence and your potential right to compensation.
Hold a Reckless Truck Driver Responsible for Your Injuries
If reckless driving caused your trucking accident, you might be able to pursue compensation from the responsible party. Morelli Law Firm can help you with every step of this process. If someone you love was fatally injured by a reckless truck driver, we can help you pursue wrongful death damages.
Contact the trucking accident team at Morelli Law Firm by calling (212) 751-9800. We offer free case reviews. The sooner you call, the sooner we can put our legal team to work building your case for financial compensation.