Damages: an important aspect of motor vehicle accident litigation

Motor vehicle accidents can involve some pretty serious accidents, particularly when large vehicles are involved.

When a large truck or other commercial vehicle crashes into smaller vehicles at high speeds, the costs can be great. Although sources do not tell us the extent of the injuries, a Jefferson County woman is reportedly suing for injuries he suffered in a collision with a dump truck last month.

Both the employee driving the dump truck and his employer have been sued for damages. The employee is being sued on grounds of negligence and gross negligence, while his employer is being sued on grounds of vicarious liability.

The suit aims to collect between $200,000 and $1 million in compensation, a fairly wide range. The reason for the wide range of requested damages could be that the plaintiff’s attorney wants to hold out the possibility of obtaining as much in damages as possible. As the litigation process continues and more evidence is gathered, that amount will have to solidify, but leaving the damages request unspecified or within a wide range gives the plaintiff some to feel things out in a case where more evidence is needed to make an accurate request for compensation. In some cases, it may not be exactly clear at the time of filing what the extent of damages really is.

Building a strong damages case is obviously important in personal injury litigation, and it is important to work with an attorney who understands the process and how to provide solid advocacy for an accident victim. Working with such an attorney helps ensure the best possible outcome in the case.

Source: The Southeast Texas Record, “Rush Waste Services, employee sued after dump truck accident,” Whitney Brakken, April 29, 2014.