Florida Truck Accident Wrongful Death Cases

West Palm Beach Truck Accident Wrongful Death Cases

While West Palm Beach truck accident wrongful death cases can be tragic occurrences in one’s life, know that a form of retribution may be found for your lost loved one through injury compensation for your damages. A surviving family member can potentially recover for funeral expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering following a wrongful death case. Read on to learn more about West Palm Beach truck accident wrongful death cases, as well as the ways a professional injury attorney may be able to assist you.

Common Causes of West Palm Beach Truck Accident Wrongful Death Cases

Because of the inherent danger that a large truck poses to smaller vehicles, these cases can, unfortunately, lead to a wrongful death or severe injuries more often than other accidents. Those who suffer most from these cases include pedestrians, individuals driving a smaller car, a motorcycle, or a bicycle. When someone is suing the driver of semi-trucks and tractor trailers, they could be facing a much larger corporate structure.

Sometimes a plaintiff may be looking at a direct action against the corporation itself in addition to the driver of the vehicle because they forced the driver to work for extended periods of time or did not follow the correct procedures to prepare their vehicle. These reasons in addition to poor weather and road conditions are often the most common causes of West Palm Beach truck accident wrongful death cases.

Required Insurance Compliance

Trucks are required to maintain a certain level of insurance to operate on Florida roads. For this reason, truck accidents will involve a much larger insurance policy in comparison to a crash between two private vehicles. This is because bodily injury liability coverage is not required in Florida for an individual, but is required for trucking companies. If a truck causes a crash and the company is in compliance with Florida law, then there will be a bodily injury liability policy to pursue. Reach out to a skilled attorney to learn more.

Categories of Recoverable Compensation

In West Palm Beach trucking accident wrongful death cases, individuals may pursue compensation for economic damages, non-economic damages, and punitive damages in some rare situations. Economic damages include monetary values such as one’s funeral expenses and the lost future wages that the deceased could have made.

Non-economic damages are intangible injuries suffered from someone’s death, such as pain and suffering and loss of companionship. Punitive damages may be awarded to a plaintiff if the defendant acted with a wanton disregard for the safety of others in addition to excessive recklessness. While these damage awards are more rarely seen, they are intended to punish the defendant and deter them from committing those actions in the future.

Damage Caps

It is important to know that there are no damage caps for West Palm Beach trucking accident wrongful death cases. In determining what someone can recover, a skilled attorney will usually look at the limits of an insurance policy. However, if a case is particularly extreme involving paralysis and 24-hour care for the rest of one’s life, Florida law accounts for these situations and allows individuals to pursue as much coverage as they need.

The Role of a Professional Injury Attorney

If you wish to learn more about West Palm Beach trucking accident wrongful death cases, a dedicated injury lawyer could help you understand what damages you are able to pursue depending on the circumstances involving your case. While no form of compensation can bring a loved one back, it can aid families in lessening any new-found financial burdens following a death. Reach out to a determined attorney today to schedule your initial consultation.