When you’re injured in a truck wreck, you might think that recovering injury compensation simply entails submitting an insurance claim. Unfortunately, it’s rarely that easy.
If you want to recover the money you qualify for after a truck driver’s actions leave you injured, you need to call a truck wreck lawyer and have them handle the claims process for you.
Some people make the mistake of only calling a lawyer once their claim has been denied or they’re offered a low payout. A truck wreck lawyer can still help in those situations, but the best way to protect your finances is to have a legal professional on your case from the start.
Gathers Evidence to Support Your Claim
Recovering truck wreck injury compensation usually requires first proving you weren’t responsible for the crash.
The first thing a lawyer will do is review the facts surrounding the accident. Their goal is to identify whether they can successfully build an argument showing that the truck driver was at fault for the accident. If a lawyer thinks they can achieve this goal, they’ll offer to take on your case.
Once a lawyer begins working on your case, they’ll collect as much evidence as they can to prove the trucker caused the crash. This process usually involves collecting evidence like:
- Police reports
- Eyewitness testimony
- Accident reconstruction specialist testimony
- Traffic and dash cam footage
- Drug and alcohol testing results
- Background information on the truck driver and company
- Inspection results checking the state of the truck’s maintenance
Exactly how a lawyer proves fault depends on why and how the truck wreck occurred. Truck drivers are expected to follow many industry regulations, like taking breaks and not driving with overloaded cargo. When a trucker drives recklessly or breaks a regulatory rule, they can be held responsible for any resulting accidents.
Negotiates and Advocates on Your Behalf
Once your truck wreck attorney has built a case, they’ll submit an insurance claim on your behalf. Depending on policy limits and the employment status of the trucker, injury compensation might come from the truck driver’s insurance policy, the trucking company’s insurance policy, or a combination of the two.
Your lawyer will do the work of identifying which policy should pay, submitting a claim, and negotiating a settlement on your behalf. Most truck accident claims end at this stage, with the truck wreck lawyer successfully negotiating a settlement.
In some cases, an insurance company might refuse to adequately compensate you for your injury costs. When this happens, your truck accident lawyer may recommend filing a lawsuit and taking the case to court for a judge’s ruling.
Helps You Determine the Compensation You May Be Eligible For
Truck accident compensation is different in every case. That’s because every individual suffers unique injuries. In turn, those injuries lead to different costs. A truck wreck lawyer considers all aspects of how your truck wreck injuries have affected your life. Your overall truck wreck compensation will include expenses like:
- Medical bills
- Therapist and specialist costs
- Ambulance bills
- Lost wages and benefits
When a smaller passenger vehicle collides with a truck, the result is often catastrophic. When a truck wreck leads to death or life-altering injuries, you need a truck wreck lawyer who has experience handling wrongful death or catastrophic injury claims.
These types of claims are more complex because they usually involve seeking compensation for anticipated future expenses and costs related to the crash. Common examples of these include future medical procedures, attendant care costs, or expected lifetime wages.
Takes on Corporations and Insurers to Fight for a Fair Outcome
Insurance companies have a bottom line, and it isn’t to help you with your injury expenses. Insurance agents and the corporations they work for only care about how much money they can save, and they achieve this by lowballing or outright denying the claims of truck wreck victims most in need of injury compensation.
Even a simple phone conversation with an insurance agent can significantly harm your chances of recovering the compensation you need. Insurance agents are trained to ask leading questions that can legally be used against you to ascribe fault and limit your payout.
Truck wreck lawyers are well-versed in these insurance tactics. When you allow a lawyer to handle your claim from the start, you know your finances are protected, and you won’t accidentally fall prey to the unfair tactics used by insurance corporations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I Need to Hire a Truck Wreck Lawyer to Recover Injury Compensation?
At a minimum, you should always at least attend a free consultation with a Texas truck wreck lawyer before seeking compensation. In most cases, a lawyer can help you walk away with far more compensation than you’d recover by handling the claims process yourself.
When Should I Call a Truck Wreck Lawyer?
You should call a truck wreck lawyer as soon as possible after you’ve been involved in a truck accident. Your first step after a wreck should be to call the police and see a doctor. The sooner you can involve a lawyer, the better your chances of recovering the injury compensation you need.
How Long Will It Take to Recover Truck Injury Compensation?
Every truck accident case is unique. Many factors go into determining how long it takes to resolve a case and receive your payout. A lawyer can give you a better idea of the timeframe during your free consultation.
Call Our Truck Accident Attorneys Today
If you’ve been injured in a truck accident in Texas, Dunn Sheehan can help. Our experienced personal injury lawyers carry a long track record of successfully recovering multimillion-dollar compensation for clients injured in trucking accidents.
Call Dunn Sheehan to learn more about how one of our experienced truck wreck lawyers can help with your case.