Getting into an accident with an 18-wheeler or commercial truck is terrifying. Because of the size difference, the injuries and property damage are often severe. After you get medical help, your mind naturally turns to money: How will you pay for everything? You want to know, “What is the average settlement for an 18-wheeler accident in Nevada?”
The truth is, there is no single average number we can give you. Every crash is different. However, based on data and experience, most truck accident settlements in Las Vegas generally fall between $100,000 and $500,000. Minor accidents might settle for less, maybe $30,000 to $75,000. But if your injuries are serious or permanent, the final amount can easily reach $750,000 or more. The wide range depends on the unique facts of your case, which we will break down for you.
Why Truck Accident Settlements Are Usually Higher
If you compare a settlement from a minor car accident to one involving a large truck, the truck settlement is almost always much higher. Why does this happen? The difference comes down to basic physics and insurance coverage.
A fully loaded commercial truck can weigh up to 80,000 pounds. This is about 20 times heavier than a typical passenger car. When an object that heavy hits your car, the force of the collision causes devastating damage. This means truck accidents frequently result in severe injuries like traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, and internal organ damage, whereas car accidents might result in more soft tissue damage.
More severe injuries lead to much higher medical bills and a longer recovery time, directly increasing the compensation needed.
Additionally, commercial policies are required to carry much higher insurance limits than regular auto policies. Most commercial truck insurance policies range from $750,000 to $1 million or more. This higher coverage means that more money is available to pay out a settlement to injured victims. Since the potential financial recovery is higher, the settlements naturally follow suit.
Another reason settlements are higher is that truck accident cases are more complex and often involve violations of federal regulations. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) sets strict rules for trucking companies and drivers, covering everything from how long a driver can be on the road (hours-of-service rules) to how cargo must be loaded and secured. If the trucking company or driver broke any of these rules, it strengthens your legal case by showing negligence, leading to higher liability and a higher final settlement.
Key Factors That Affect Your Final Settlement
The final settlement amount in your case depends on several critical factors. A successful case involves proving and documenting every single one of these factors to ensure you get full compensation.
Severity of Injuries and Damages
The type and severity of your injuries are the biggest drivers of the settlement value. A broken arm will result in a much smaller settlement than a traumatic brain injury (TBI) or permanent spinal cord damage. Permanent disabilities that stop you from working or enjoying your life will result in the largest settlements.
But it’s not just about the medical costs. The law allows you to recover for pain and suffering, which are the non-economic damages. This covers physical pain, emotional distress, anxiety, and the general loss of quality of life you experience. In cases with severe injuries, the amount awarded for pain and suffering can sometimes be even higher than the actual medical bills. We make sure these non-economic losses are properly valued.
Lost Income and Future Earnings
If your injury keeps you from working, you deserve to recover all of the income you have already lost. This is called lost wages.
Even more important is the consideration of future earnings loss. If your injuries cause a permanent reduction in your ability to earn money, the settlement must account for that loss over the rest of your career. For example, a 35-year-old worker who can no longer do physical labor will receive far more compensation for future income loss than someone who was nearing retirement age. An experienced lawyer will use economic experts to calculate these long-term financial damages accurately, sometimes adding hundreds of thousands of dollars to the total settlement.
Medical Expenses
This category includes every bill related to your care, both immediate and long-term.
Immediate costs include:
- Ambulance fees
- Emergency room visits
- Initial hospital stays
- Surgery costs
But the financial impact doesn’t end when you leave the hospital. Truck accident injuries often require extensive long-term care. This can include rehabilitation, physical therapy, prescription medications, or special medical equipment needed for home care. These future medical expenses can pile up quickly, potentially costing hundreds of thousands of dollars. It is important that your settlement includes enough money to cover every medical need you will have in the future.
Property Damage and Other Costs
Your settlement will include the cost to repair or replace your vehicle. This is known as property damage. While important, these costs are typically small compared to the compensation for your injuries. Other small expenses are also included, such as:
- Rental car fees while your vehicle is being fixed or replaced.
- Towing and storage fees after the accident.
- Travel expenses related to medical appointments.
All these costs are factored in to ensure a comprehensive final settlement.
How Fault and Liability Affect Your Compensation
In Nevada, determining who is at fault is key to determining your settlement amount. This state uses a rule called comparative negligence. This means that your settlement can be reduced by your percentage of fault in causing the accident.
For example, if the court determines you are 20% responsible for the crash and your total damages are calculated at $200,000, your final settlement would be reduced by 20% (or $40,000). You would only receive $160,000. Under Nevada law, if you are found to be more than 50% at fault, you are barred from recovering any compensation at all.
This rule is a major reason why truck accident cases involve complex investigations. Truck drivers and trucking companies will always try to shift the blame to you, the victim. A thorough investigation is needed to prove all the fault lies with the trucking company.
Finding the responsible parties goes beyond the truck driver. We investigate factors like:
- Driver Fatigue: FMCSA data shows that approximately 30 to 40 percent of all commercial truck accidents involve fatigue or drowsy driving. Driver logbooks are critical evidence here.
- Poor Vehicle Maintenance: If the trucking company failed to inspect or repair the vehicle correctly, they can be held responsible. Maintenance records are used to prove this.
- Improper Cargo Loading: If the cargo was loaded incorrectly, causing it to shift and lead to an accident, the company responsible for loading can be held liable.
- Black Box Data: We retrieve electronic data from the truck’s “black box,” which contains important information about speed, braking, and other actions right before the crash.
By gathering this evidence and working with accident reconstruction specialists, we can pinpoint all responsible parties—the driver, the trucking company, and potentially a separate maintenance company—and shift the blame away from you, protecting your settlement amount.
The Truck Accident Settlement Timeline
One of the most common questions is, “How long will this take?” Truck accident cases are rarely settled quickly.
Most truck accident cases settle within 12 to 18 months.
However, the timeline can vary:
- Quicker Settlements: A case might settle faster if the fault is crystal clear (for example, the truck driver ran a red light) and your injuries are simple and well-documented.
- Longer Settlements: Complex cases involving multiple injured parties, disputed liability, or extensive, permanent injuries that require years of treatment can take longer, sometimes over two years.
It is important not to rush the process. Insurance companies know you are struggling financially, and they often start with lowball settlement offers hoping you will take the quick money. Also, your injuries might not be fully apparent immediately after the crash. Some injuries, like certain soft tissue or internal problems, can take weeks or months to be properly diagnosed. Settling too soon means you cannot go back and ask for more money later if your condition worsens.
Truck Accident Statistics You Need to Know
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) keeps important statistics that highlight the dangers of these large trucks. Understanding this data shows why these cases are so serious:
- Nearly 5,000 people were killed in accidents involving commercial motor vehicles in a single year.
- There were 112,000 injury accidents involving large trucks during that same time period, which represented a 5% increase from the previous year.
- More than 80 percent of fatal and nonfatal truck accidents occurred on weekdays.
- Accidents happen most frequently at night. 36 percent of all fatal truck accidents occurred between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m.
These statistics underscore the severity of the danger on the road and why strong legal action is often necessary to recover fully.
Get Legal Help With Friedman Injury Law
Truck accident cases are not like regular car accidents. They involve mountains of evidence, specialized federal regulations, and large commercial insurance policies. Dealing with powerful trucking company defense teams alone puts you at a huge disadvantage.
To get the full settlement you deserve, you must prove both the defendant’s negligence and the full extent of your financial and personal losses. This involves gathering driver logbooks, maintenance records, black box data, and collaborating with specialists to properly calculate your future needs.
If you have been hurt in a truck accident in Las Vegas, you need a personal injury lawyer who knows how to handle these complex cases and fight the big insurance companies. We understand the unique challenges of truck accident cases and are dedicated to ensuring you receive fair compensation that covers all your injuries and losses.
If you’ve been injured in a truck accident, call us at (702) 970-4222 to discuss your case and learn about your legal options.
