Can Injured Truck Drivers Receive Compensation in North Carolina?
In addition to helping truck accident survivors and their families, the attorneys at Riddle & Brantley, LLP also help injured truck drivers. Our law firm has overseen workers’ compensation and third-party cases involving truck drivers who were injured on the job. You may have one or more options for compensation if you were injured in the course of your work as a commercial truck driver.
Workers’ compensation: You may recover workers’ compensation benefits if you suffered an injury on the job. These benefits can pay for medical bills and some lost income. You may also be able to receive other benefits through the workers’ comp system. Although this blog is primarily discussing injuries, there are also benefits for family members of truck drivers who are killed on the job. Workers’ comp death benefits may cover future lost wages, funeral expenses and medical bills.
Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI): You may be able to receive SSDI and workers’ comp simultaneously, but there are limits. The combined amount of SSDI and workers’ comp cannot exceed 80 percent or more than what you earned before your disabling injury. You would also have to meet specific criteria for these benefits.
Compensation from a third-party claim: Depending on the circumstances of your accident, it may be possible to recover damages from a third-party. A third party is a person or business who is separate from your employer. An example of a third party may be a drunk truck driver employed by another company.
Unlike workers’ comp benefits, third-party claims pay compensation for pain and suffering damages (also called noneconomic damages). Therefore, the compensation from a third-party claim can be much higher than what is allowed under the workers’ comp system. We have a video where Gene Riddle, one of the founding partners at our firm, explains third-party claims in more detail.
Questions About Truck Driver Compensation? Contact Our North Carolina Injury Lawyers
It is very difficult to determine which types of compensation you may be able to pursue without the help of an experienced disability lawyer.
Your ability to recover compensation will depend on the circumstances.
For instance, it may be more difficult (or even impossible) to recover workers’ comp if you are working as an independent contractor. However, other options could also be available in such cases.
Riddle & Brantley, LLP has attorneys that cover personal injury claims, workers’ compensation benefits and Social Security disability benefits. We could walk you through which options you may pursue after an accident and then help you obtain the benefits you need to recover.
If you have more questions about legal rights as the driver after a truck accident, then we encourage you to contact us online or give us a call at 800-525-7111 to speak with one of our truck accident attorneys.
