- What kinds of injuries you suffered
- How much money your injuries have cost you, as well as how much they will cost you in the future
- Whether you (or your lawyer) can collect enough evidence to prove your case to the insurance company
What Is a Truck Accident Settlement?
A truck accident settlement is money awarded to an accident survivor—or to the relatives of a deceased accident victim—by the insurance company covering the party or parties who caused the accident. In FedEx truck accident cases, the at-fault party may be:
- The FedEx truck driver
- FedEx
- A third party, such as a mechanic or road maintenance company
If it is very obvious that the at-fault party is to blame, their insurer may agree to a settlement relatively quickly. If they believe they have a chance of fending off your lawsuit, the insurer may not pay. Instead, they may:
- Play hardball and refuse to offer any more than a token amount
- Blame you for the accident, or claim that your requested settlement is more than you need
- Force you to take your case to trial in pursuit of a jury award
Laborde Earles injury was great for me they took care of me very fast and professional. If for any reason I need legal help they will be who I use.
ClientDetermining Your Truck Accident Settlement Amount
Truck accident lawyers use many different factors to decide how much money to seek on their clients’ behalf. They may look for evidence regarding the following questions:
How Many Injuries Were There?
Survivors deserve compensation for every injury and loss they suffered. For example, consider the following hypothetical accident survivors:
- Person A sustained a concussion and minor cuts.
- Person B sustained a broken arm, whiplash, and a sprained back.
- Person C sustained a deep cut to their leg.
Each person suffered a different number of injuries in different places. Each deserves compensation for those specific injuries.
How Serious Are the Injuries?
The “seriousness” of an injury is determined by:
- How much physical and emotional pain it caused
- If the plaintiff will ever make a full recovery, or if they are permanently disabled by the injury
- If the injury threatened or continues to threaten the plaintiff’s life
The more serious your injury, the more money you could seek in compensation for it.
The same rule applies to financial or property damage. For example, someone whose car needed $1,000 worth of repairs will get less for that specific loss than someone who needed to spend $3,000 to fix their car.
Has the Injury Healed Yet?
If you have already completed treatment and recovered fully from the injury, then your lawyer will calculate your damages based on your past losses only.
Unfortunately, some injuries take much longer to heal than others. If you are still recovering, you could end up losing more than you already have through:
- Additional medical expenses
- Future loss of wages
- Continued physical and psychological symptoms that interfere with your quality of life
When necessary, your lawyer can estimate how much your injuries may cost you over the course of your lifetime. This would ensure you do not run out of money as expenses pile up.
Can I Prove the Accident Caused the Injury?
In many ways, evidence is the deciding factor when it comes to determining your FedEx truck accident settlement amount: if you cannot prove the accident caused your injury, you cannot receive compensation.
Your testimony regarding what happened and how your injuries affect your life may be compelling evidence, but it is only one piece of the puzzle. The insurance company will want more information to verify your story before they agree to pay a settlement.
A truck accident lawyer can seek evidence from as many sources as possible, such as:
- Your medical records: Evidence from your doctor can show how badly you were injured and the cost of the treatments you need to recover.
- The official police report: The responding officer should have filed a report containing basic information about the accident and the identities of those involved.
- Photos: If you or any witnesses had the chance to take photographs of the accident scene, these could be very valuable during a legal action.
- Video footage: For instance, if there was a traffic or security camera in the area, your lawyer can review the footage for clues.
- Eyewitness testimony: Did anyone witness the crash or attempt to help you afterward? These people can add important information to your case file.
I thank God for Digger & David. I don’t know what we would have done if it hadn’t have been for them.
Rick Smith | ClientIf You Cannot Get a FedEx Truck Accident Settlement
Many cases end with the plaintiff receiving a pretrial settlement. In these cases, the plaintiff never has to go to court to get the money they need.
Unfortunately, it is not always possible to negotiate a settlement that meets all of the plaintiff’s needs. This can be upsetting, but failure to secure a settlement does not mean you have failed to secure compensation. You may still have the option of taking your case to court.
If you hire a lawyer, they can represent you in the courtroom and:
- Submit and discuss evidence
- Select jury members
- Question witnesses
- Deliver arguments
The reassurance from Digger and his staff gave me that renewed hope that it’s going to be okay down the road.
ClientWhat Will Your FedEx Truck Accident Settlement Amount Be?
Since FedEx truck accident settlement amounts can differ so much, you may benefit from hiring Laborde Earles to determine your case’s precise worth. This way, you can know that you are asking for the right amount of compensation and that a dedicated legal professional is fighting for that amount on your behalf. Call us for a free case review today.
