A truck accident can change your life in an instant. One minute, you’re driving along the road. The next, you find yourself in the hospital with severe injuries. In some cases, accident victims heal from their injuries and return to their daily routines. Others need medical care for years or the rest of their lives. So, who pays for your future medical expenses after a truck accident? In California, you can seek compensation from the party(s) responsible for the crash.
Truck accident compensation can include money for past, current, and future medical costs. Yet placing a dollar amount on future medical treatment can be difficult to calculate without a thorough knowledge of California personal injury law. The experienced truck accident lawyers at Demas Law Group have the resources, knowledge, and skills to help you pursue the maximum compensation available in your case, including anticipated medical care. Contact us today for a free consultation with a Sacramento truck accident lawyer.
Types of Truck Accident Injuries
Truck accidents can cause a wide range of injuries, from minor cuts and bruises to catastrophic, life-altering trauma. Some common truck accident injuries include:
- Broken bones – Fractures, dislocations, and crushed bones are common in high-impact truck collisions.
- Spinal cord injuries – Damage to the spine can cause partial or total paralysis, loss of sensation, and impaired organ function.
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) – Truck accidents may cause concussions, hemorrhages, and other brain damage, resulting in lifelong cognitive, behavioral, and physical disabilities.
- Internal organ damage – The force of a truck collision can rupture or crush vital organs like the heart, lungs, liver, and kidneys.
- Amputation – Crush injuries may require amputation of fingers, toes, hands, arms, feet, or legs.
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) – Many truck accident survivors develop PTSD, depression, anxiety, and other emotional injuries that may require ongoing counseling and medication.
Long-Term Health Consequences After a Truck Accident
In addition to acute injuries, truck accident victims may suffer medical problems that last for years or even the remainder of their lives. These include:
- Chronic pain – Severe injuries often cause permanent nerve damage and degenerative conditions. Pain management therapy and medication can cost thousands per year.
- Reduced mobility – Orthopedic injuries may heal poorly, limiting range of motion and requiring assistive devices like wheelchairs, walkers, crutches, and home modifications.
- Risk of infection – Surgeries and injuries due to burns and puncture wounds make patients prone to developing dangerous infections. IV antibiotics or sepsis care can be highly costly.
- Scar tissue – Bad scarring after burns and lacerations may require revision surgeries and treatments like laser therapy, silicone sheeting, steroid injections, and massage.
- Shortened life expectancy – Studies show severe trauma from accidents can shave years off a person’s life expectancy.
- Limited ability to work – The severity of an injury may prevent the accident victim from working in the same capacity they did before the truck crash, if at all. The lost income and diminished earning potential can quickly place families under financial strain, especially if the victim is the primary breadwinner.
Getting Compensation After a Truck Accident in Sacramento
A strong personal injury claim must have compelling evidence. An experienced truck accident lawyer can help you collect and organize the data to make a convincing case.
Potential evidence in a truck accident claim might include:
- Photos and videos of the truck accident scene
- Witness statements
- Data from the truck’s electronic logging device (ELD), black box, in-cab dashcam, and onboard computer system
- Proof of violations of Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulations
- Analyses from accident reconstruction specialists
- Past and current medical records
- Medical statements and receipts
- Opinion from medical experts detailing your diagnosis and prognosis
Once you have gathered as much evidence as possible, you will file your claim with the trucking company’s insurance company. Be prepared for the insurer to deny or minimize your claim by pinning the blame on you. An experienced Sacramento truck accident attorney will fight back and demand full and fair compensation on your behalf.
While the insurance company will likely fight your claim altogether, you should expect them to scrutinize a claim for future medical expenses even more closely. A skilled truck accident attorney can work with healthcare experts to come up with a fair figure based on the severity of your condition and its expected changes to your lifestyle. Without an attorney’s experience and insight, you might unwittingly accept a settlement offer that, in time, leaves you paying out of pocket for unanticipated future medical costs.
Calculating Future Medical Expenses
Calculating adequate compensation for future medical costs involves:
- Gathering all current medical invoices and records
- Consulting doctors for evaluations of your prognosis, recovery expectations, and the necessity of future care like surgeries, therapy, nursing, medications, and equipment
- Identifying patient risk factors like age, obesity, smoking history, or pre-existing conditions that could increase future healthcare needs
- Working with financial experts to project future costs of medications, treatments, and care based on inflation rates
- Including ancillary expenses like medical equipment, modifications to your home and vehicle, and costs of hiring home health aides or paying for nursing home care
- Accounting for potential lost income if injuries prevent a return to work
How a California Truck Accident Attorney Can Help
While working with an experienced personal injury lawyer is helpful in any truck accident case, claims involving future medical expenses can be particularly challenging to manage alone. A seasoned legal professional can help your claim by:
- Conducting a thorough investigation of the accident to collect the necessary evidence
- Identifying all at-fault parties
- Calculating the total value of your current and future losses
- Negotiating aggressively with the insurance company to secure the full and fair settlement package you deserve
- Filing a truck accident lawsuit and going to trial if the insurer won’t pay
Contact Our Sacramento Truck Accident Attorneys Today
If you suffered long-term injuries after a Sacramento truck accident, put Demas Law Group to work for you. Recovering maximum compensation after a truck accident can ensure that your medical needs will be met long after your case is over. Call or contact us today for a free initial consultation.
