Delaware Truck Accident Lawyers Fighting to Make Injured Clients Whole

Commercial truck accidents are different from car accidents in many ways. The size of the vehicle causing the accident is much larger than a standard car and any collision involving a tractor-trailer potentially involves federal trucking safety regulations and multiple defendants. The owner, lessor, operator, maintenance contractor, or any of several other parties with an ownership or contractual relationship with the semi-truck, its driver, or its freight might be liable.

Are you dealing with a serious personal injury after a truck accident? Did your loved one die in a fatal truck accident, and you want to learn your options in pursuing a wrongful death claim? Hudson, Castle, & Inkell, LLC has the resources and capacity to handle serious injury and wrongful death claims resulting from the aftermath of a trucking accident on any Delaware highway, including Route 1 or I-95. Claims may arise from the following:

• Construction vehicle accidents
• Bus accidents
• Accidents with maintenance, repair, or inspection vehicles
• Accidents involving delivery vans or trucks
• Moving van accidents
• Taxi, limo, or courtesy shuttle accidents

If you or a loved one have been a victim of a truck accident, you may be entitled to compensation. Call our knowledgeable accident lawyers at Hudson, Castle, & Inkell, LLC, today: (302) 428-8800.

What Should You Do After an Accident With a Truck?

If you are involved in a truck accident, ensuring that you and your passengers are safe should be paramount. Call 911 to get medical help if there are injuries and follow the advice of any emergency responders. After you are all safe and if you are physically able, take these steps:

• Call the police: They should come to the scene and file an accident report.
• Get the truck driver’s insurance information: Collect the insurance company’s name, the policy number, and the company’s phone number. Also, get the truck driver’s name, the tractor-trailer number, license plate number, and the name of the trucking company and its owner.
• Collect witness information: Gather names, phone numbers, and addresses of any witnesses.
• Take photos: Get as many photos of the accident scene as you can. Use different angles. If you are hurt and cannot take photos, find a trusted person who can. Videos are also helpful. You could capture something the police report missed.
• Contact a truck accident lawyer: Having a lawyer as soon as possible after the accident is important. They will advise you on any further actions you need to take.

Always seek a medical evaluation after an accident, even if you feel ok. You may have received injuries that are not immediately apparent. Avoid telling anyone at the scene that you are okay or not hurt because you may find out differently after your evaluation. Remember to never discuss fault after an accident, which includes not apologizing to the truck driver or the responding officers. These statements could be used as evidence against your truck accident lawsuit later. An experienced injury lawyer can inform you about what you should and should not say and will help you navigate the process of dealing with a trucking company’s insurance.

What Injuries Can Result From a Truck Crash?

Drivers of trucks are held to a higher standard because of the responsibility of controlling such a large vehicle. Special licenses or license endorsements are required for semi-truck drivers, those who drive vehicles carrying passengers (such as buses), and those who operate large vehicles carrying hazardous materials. But sometimes, these drivers still make mistakes, due to inattentiveness, driver fatigue, or faulty equipment, with devastating results. A tractor-trailer or other commercial vehicle can weigh 2.5 or more times the weight of the average passenger vehicle. Unsurprisingly, the vast majority of injuries and deaths in truck crashes occur to victims in other vehicles besides the truck. Some typical truck accident injuries include:

• Broken bones and fractures
• Back, head, and neck injuries
• Burns
• Dislocations
• Head trauma
• Lacerations
• Paralysis
• Severed limbs
• Traumatic brain injuries (TBI)
• Whiplash

Permanent disability or even death can also result from severe truck accidents. Survivors could be saddled with nightmares, anxiety, PTSD, and other trauma-related issues. A trucking accident can be a life-changing event for you and your loved ones. A Delaware truck accident lawyer from Hudson, Castle, & Inkell, LLC, will thoroughly investigate your truck accident claim with the goal of holding both the truck driver and the trucking company responsible for the negligent actions which resulted in your injuries.

What Compensation Is Available to Victims of a Truck Accident?

If the driver of the truck involved in the crash is found to be at fault for the accident, you may receive compensation. The two main categories of compensation available for personal injury lawsuits are economic damages and non-economic damages. Compensation is the law’s way of holding the people or entities responsible for the accident. Economic damages cover tangible monetary losses the victim had from the accident. These may include:

• Medical expenses: This covers emergency room bills, hospital care, surgery, doctor appointments, rehab appointments, and other medical expenses resulting from the accident. It could also include compensation for future medical care, if needed.
• Lost wages: If you were injured and couldn’t work, you may be compensated for all wages lost between the time of the accident and the conclusion of the lawsuit.
• Loss of earning capacity: If you have permanent injuries or disabilities, your earning ability has been negatively impacted. This compensation for this is based on a calculation of the amount you could have earned if the accident had not occurred.

Non-economic damages are harder to quantify. These cover the very real consequences of a truck accident that are not strictly monetary, such as emotional damage or the loss of a loved one. It’s more challenging to assign a dollar amount to these experiences, so the compensation awarded may vary. Non-economic damages may include:

• Mental anguish: The accident may have caused emotional distress that negatively impacted your life, such as anxiety, depression, grief, and more. This is all considered when assigning a compensatory value.
• Pain and suffering: The type of injury, the amount of pain caused, and how long the victim of the crash is expected to suffer are all taken into account when calculating this compensation.
• Loss of consortium: If someone is killed or permanently disabled in a truck accident, this kind of compensation may be awarded to a spouse, parents, and/or minor children of the victim for the loss of their companionship and support.

Additionally, punitive damages might be assessed if the defendant’s actions that caused the accident are deemed to be willful, malicious, or reckless. Punitive damages are meant to punish the offender and prevent them from committing similar actions in the future. Because a truck accident includes a truck driver, a trucking company, and other entities who may be found to be at fault, these cases can become quite complex. However, an experienced truck accident attorney will fight to get you the proper compensation for your case from all responsible parties.

What Are the Benefits of Hiring a Lawyer to Handle Your Case?

Our truck accident lawyers at Hudson, Castle, & Inkell, LLC, have more than 50 years of combined experience investigating and proving complex liability claims against defendants subject to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations. These attorneys have the knowledge and skills necessary to get the most out of your claims against corporate defendants with multi-million-dollar liability coverage. We believe you deserve justice, and we will fight to get you the compensation you are entitled to.

If you or someone you know has been injured in a motor vehicle accident involving a truck, Hudson, Castle, & Inkell, LLC can help you get the maximum compensation. Contact our office at (302) 428-8800 for a free initial consultation.