Wilmington Personal Injury Law Blog

Suddenly losing a loved one can flip a family's life upside-down. They may lose the emotional love and support they need, and their finances may be thrown into disarray. Although it may be difficult to think about in the aftermath of a loved one's passing, surviving family members may want to consider their legal rights, particularly if the death was caused by the negligence of another. After all, a successful wrongful death lawsuit may provide the sense of closure and financial stability that a family needs during such a difficult time.

It may be difficult to think of a lost loved one's life in terms of compensation, but surviving family members must do so when pursuing damages through a wrongful death lawsuit. To determine the value of a wrongful death claim, an individual can look at many factors, all of which will be considered by the judge and jury. Amongst those factors is the loss of economic support provided by the deceased individual.

It may seem unbelievable, but it actually doesn't take much for an individual to be left with a traumatic brain injury. One driver's moment of inattentiveness can lead to a victim's life-long struggle to recover, or a tired doctor's inability to think clearly during one operation can affect a victim and their family for years, even decades to come. The fact that 2.5 million individuals suffer traumatic brain injuries each year highlights just how easy succumbing to one of these injuries can be for people who were at one moment just living their normal lives, and the next found themselves forever changed.

And, suffering a TBI really does change who an individual is and how they act. An injured brain can affect the way an individual feels emotionally, how they move their body, and even how they think. For some, these changes are temporary while the brain recovers. But, for others, the damage is permanent.

Last week on the blog, we discussed the regulations imposed by the federal government on trucking hours. Adherence to these rules is critical to help prevent truck accidents, as overtired truckers may fail to drive under the speed limit, maintain their lane, and yield to oncoming traffic when appropriate. Truckers who nod off behind the wheel can also fail to brake for slowed or stopped traffic, and they may blow through red lights, stop signs, and crosswalks. Tragically, these instances occur all too frequently, and many innocent individuals suffer serious injuries as a result.

As we have discussed previously, recovering in the aftermath of a truck accident can be challenging. The physical pain and suffering, the lost wages, and the medical expenses can leave a victim stressed and overwhelmed. Although they may think about pursuing a personal injury lawsuit, these individuals may not know how best to go about trying to recover the full extent of their damages.

Many truckers are hard workers. They are often asked to drive long hours on tight deadlines, as well as help load and unload the cargo they are carrying. They also have to ensure that they are cognizant of the regulations that apply to them.

These regulations, many of which have been implemented by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, seek to ensure the safety of truckers as well as other motorists. These regulations can pertain to cargo securement, truck maintenance, and weight limits. One of the most important regulations, though, pertains to trucker driving hours.