What Damages Can I Recover After a Semi-Truck Crash?

After a semi-truck crash, there are two critical things you need to prove in order to recover just compensation. 

First, you need to prove who (or what company) is responsible for causing the accident. This involves conducting a comprehensive investigation, and it is important to hire a truck accident lawyer to investigate your accident as soon as possible. 

Second, you need to prove the damages you are entitled to recover. This involves working with your lawyer to understand the financial and non-financial consequences of the crash. Truck accident victims’ damages can be substantial, and to make sure you are seeking the full compensation you deserve, you need to have a clear and comprehensive understanding of your accident-related losses. 

Types of Damages in Wisconsin Semi-Truck Accident Cases

While every truck accident victim’s losses are unique, all truck accident victims are generally entitled to seek the same types of damages for their losses. These damages fall into two categories: (i) economic damages, and (ii) non-economic damages. 

Economic Damages

Economic damages cover semi-truck crash victims’ financial losses related to their injuries. This includes costs victims incur in the immediate aftermath of the crash (i.e., emergency medical bills), costs victims incur during the recovery process, and costs victims are likely to incur in the future. With this in mind, typical economic damages in commercial truck accident cases include:

• Medical bills (including inpatient and outpatient care)
• Therapy and rehabilitation bills (including physical, occupational, and mental health therapy)
• Costs for prescription and over-the-counter medications
• Costs for medical devices and medical supplies
• Costs for other necessary expenses (i.e., home or vehicle modifications)
• Loss of earnings (including income and benefits)
• Loss of future earning capacity 

As you can see, the costs of a serious truck accident can add up quickly. For many semi-truck accident victims, they can also continue adding up for years—if not decades—to come. This makes it essential for accident victims to work closely with an experienced lawyer who can help ensure that they have a full picture of their lifetime financial losses. 

Non-Economic Damages

While economic damages cover semi-truck crash victims’ financial losses, non-economic damages cover everything else. Suffering traumatic injuries in a serious accident can impact your life in various ways, and accident victims are entitled to just compensation for these impacts as well. Typical non-economic damages in commercial truck accident cases include:

• Physical pain and suffering
• Emotional trauma and distress
• Post-traumatic stress
• Permanent scarring or disfigurement 
• Loss of consortium, services, and support
• Loss of companionship and society
• Loss of enjoyment of life

Just like truck accident victims’ economic damages, accident victims’ non-financial damages can vary widely. For example, a truck accident victim who suffered broken ribs may experience very different impacts than a truck accident victim who has been fully or partially paralyzed. In all cases, however, seeking non-economic damages is an important part of the recovery process—and, here too, an experienced truck accident lawyer can help with determining what constitutes “just compensation” under the circumstances at hand.  

What About Punitive Damages?

While economic and non-economic damages are intended to compensate semi-truck accident victims for their losses, punitive damages are intended to punish wrongdoers. So, can accident victims seek punitive damages as well?

The answer to this question depends on the circumstances of each individual case. In Wisconsin, punitive damages are available if the at-fault party in a serious accident, “acted maliciously toward the [victim] or in an intentional disregard of the rights of the [victim].” This requires evidence that the at-fault party either:

• Acted out of, “hatred, ill will, desire for revenge, or inflicted under circumstances where insult or injury is intended;” or, 
• Acted deliberately and with, “actual disregard of the [victim’s] right to safety, health, or life, a property right, or some other right.”

When punitive damages are warranted, truck accident victims can seek up to twice the total amount of their economic and non-economic damages or $200,000, whichever is greater. If you have a case for a semi-truck crash, your lawyer can assess whether a claim for punitive damages is warranted, and if so, your lawyer can seek these additional damages on your behalf. 

Speak with a Wisconsin Truck Accident Lawyer for FREE

After a serious semi-truck crash, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. You may be dealing with serious injuries, ongoing medical care, lost income, and uncertainty about what comes next. During this difficult time, you need support from a legal team that understands what you are going through and is prepared to fight for the justice and compensation you deserve.

At Studinski Law, LLC, we do more so you get more. That means taking more time to fully investigate your accident, understand the full impact it has had on your life, and build a case that reflects the true scope of your losses. While you focus on your recovery, we focus on righting the wrongs you suffered and pursuing the maximum compensation for your physical, financial, and emotional losses.

Don’t face your injuries alone. Contact the truck accident lawyers at Studinski Law, LLC today online or at (715) 343-2850 for a FREE case evaluation. We proudly help clients in Plover and all of Wisconsin.