What Are Damages In Truck Accident Cases? (2026)

Types of Economic Damages in Truck Accident Cases

Commercial trucks are often many times the weight of most passenger cars, so truck accidents are uniquely destructive. You may be able to recover economic damages to cover these types of losses after an accident:

Medical Costs

Truck accidents often cause devastating injuries. The good news is that you may be able to recover compensation for your medical bills and rehabilitation costs. If you have a major spinal cord injury or other injury that requires ongoing care, you could recover compensation for future medical care as well.

Lost Income

If you’re unable to work while you’re healing, you may be able to recover compensation for your lost wages.

Loss of Earning Capacity

You could be compensated for your inability to earn future income if your injury leaves you with a permanent disability.

Property Damage

After a truck accident, you may also recover funds to repair or replace your vehicle and any other damaged property.

Non-Economic Damages You Can Recover

So what are damages in truck accident cases meant to address as far as non-economic losses? Non-economic damages compensate you for intangible losses like these:

• Pain and suffering
• Psychological trauma
• Emotional distress
• Loss of enjoyment

Calculating non-economic damages isn’t as straightforward as calculating economic damages, but your attorney should be able to accurately value your case.

When Punitive Damages Apply in Truck Accidents

Punitive damages are additional damages intended to punish the at-fault party. They’re rarely awarded, and when they are, it’s usually because the defendant did something unusually irresponsible or malicious.

Understanding Future Damages and Long-Term Compensation

In some truck accident cases, plaintiffs are just trying to recover medical bills and other losses they’ve already suffered. However, if your injury led to a permanent disability or other long-term consequences, you may need to pursue the trucking company for future losses, too.

These losses may include ongoing medical care, the cost of making your home accessible, and diminished earning capacity. Proving them can be a complex process, and attorneys often call on labor market experts, medical professionals, economists and other experts to do so.

Loss of Consortium and Family Impact Damages

In many states, you may file a claim for loss of consortium if your spouse is seriously injured or killed in a truck accident. Some states also allow parent-to-child or child-to-parent loss of consortium claims.

Loss of consortium claims are meant to compensate spouses or other family members for the damage to, or loss of, their relationship. These claims are technically separate from personal injury or wrongful death claims.

Proving Liability to Recover Damages

Proving liability is an important part of any truck accident case. Many different parties may be liable, and a skilled attorney should be able to determine who is at fault. It’s not unusual for several parties to share fault for the crash.

These are some of the most commonly liable parties in truck accident cases:

Truckers

If the truck driver was at fault for the crash, you may be able to sue them directly.

Trucking Companies

Under the principle of vicarious liability, trucking companies may be held responsible for the conduct of their employees. In some cases, negligence on the trucking company’s part contributed to the crash.

Other Drivers

The truck driver may not always be at fault in the crash.

The Truck Manufacturer

If a defect in the truck itself led to the accident, the manufacturer could be liable.

Cargo/Loading Companies

Poorly balanced loads may lead to accidents. When this happens, cargo and loading companies may be liable.

How Insurance Coverage Affects Your Damage Recovery

In accidents with passenger cars, your recovery is often limited by the driver’s insurance policy. However, trucking companies tend to have substantial insurance policies, so their policies can typically cover even very serious injuries.

Because of their high policy limits, trucking companies often have very aggressive insurers that will do whatever they can to minimize payouts. It can be an uphill battle to get even legitimate claims approved.

Truck accident lawyers are very familiar with the tactics trucking insurance companies use to avoid paying claims. When you have strong legal representation, you can level the playing field between you and the insurance company.

Get Legal Help to Maximize Your Truck Accident Compensation

Trucking companies are frequently represented by skilled lawyers and aggressive insurance companies. If you’ve been hurt in a truck accident, the best way to maximize your chances of securing compensation is to consult a truck accident lawyer as soon as possible.

However, if you’re like many people, you may be unsure of where to find your attorney. That’s where we come in. ConsumerShield matches people all over the country with vetted attorneys nearby. Fill out our easy contact form to get started with a free consultation today.