Collecting scrap metal is a good way to make extra money. When operating your truck, it's easy to pick up pieces of scrap metal and bring them to a salvage yard to collect money. If you're involved with an accident in your truck, then your ability to collect scrap metal will drastically change. Not only will you have a lot of medical bills to pay, but there are other financial impacts to go along with the accident. Instead of losing out on money or paying out of pocket expenses, you can hire a truck accident attorney to represent your case. As a possible settlement case moves forward, there are three financial impacts to consider. Each one of these impacts can make a big difference on the compensation you receive.
Scrap Metal Equipment
When your truck is involved in an accident, a lot more than just the vehicle may be damaged. Your truck may be used to store a lot of your scrap metal equipment. If this equipment gets damaged, then you can seek compensation for the replacement of various equipment and tools. For example, two of the main tools you may use when collecting scrap metals are large magnets and a grinding wheel. Both of these tools are used to help identify different types of metals. If they were destroyed in the crash, then you can use pricing estimates or new purchase receipts as pieces of evidence in your settlement case.
Additional pieces of equipment may include any type of cargo net or organizational accessories that are in your truck. For example, you may have had large truck bins installed to hold smaller pieces of scrap metal like car parts and silverware. These bins can cost a lot of money and should be included as part of your settlement case.
Future Scrap Metal Earnings
Collecting and cashing in on scrap metal is a business that varies on the types of metal you are able to collect and find. This can make it hard to determine your exact loss of income while dealing with your truck accident injuries. As you move forward with a case, it's important to include as much lost income as possible. There are multiple methods you can use to help with this. One of the easiest ways to prove your lost scrap metal income is to use payment receipts from scrap yards. An attorney can gather the receipts and determine an average amount that you earned on a weekly or monthly basis. When calculating these averages, it's important to go back through a full calendar year. For example, you may make more money scrapping in the spring and summer months rather than the colder months when less items are available.
You can also determine lost income based on specific locations and areas where you collected scrap from. For example, if you advertised your scrap metal business, you can keep a call log of people who have requested scrap metal pick-ups. For each missed load, you can estimate a value and include this amount within your settlement case. These missed loads can quickly add up over time and create a lot of lost income.
Adaptive Equipment
Once you get a new truck and start to heal from injuries, you may be ready to return to scrap metal collecting. As this transition process occurs, you may not have the same strength and flexibility that you used to. If this is the case, then you may have to purchase adaptive equipment that will help you transport metals and carry items onto your truck. Basic pieces of equipment that may need include body braces. Depending on where the car accident occurred, you may need a back brace or elbow brace to lessen the strain on lifting. These pieces of equipment would not be needed if it wasn't for the car accident, so your attorney can seek compensation from the person liable for the accident.
Pieces of truck equipment may also be needed to help with lifting. This includes electric lift gates or stepper bars. If you already purchased the equipment, you can use receipts as evidence. Otherwise, your attorney can use pricing estimates to represent your case.
Consulting with a truck accident attorney is the first step in moving forward with your case. It can make a big difference in the compensation you receive and allow you to transition back to your normal life a lot easier.
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