Pursuing financial compensation after a truck accident isn’t easy or straightforward. Without legal guidance and support, it can be difficult to understand all the elements of your case. You should hire a lawyer for a truck accident case to ensure you don’t accept a settlement offer that is insufficient. Your lawyer can deal with the insurance company and accurately assess your current and future financial needs.
When you choose to work with a lawyer, they will investigate the cause of the accident and collect evidence that proves your right to compensation. They will help you recover the costs of your medical care, lost wages, and more while meeting all of your notification and filing deadlines. Without an attorney, it’s possible for a mistake to completely derail your case and jeopardize your right to compensation.
Know When to Hire a Lawyer After a Truck Accident
According to Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) research, there were 108,000 injury-only accidents and 4,842 fatal accidents involving large trucks in 2020. Only a percentage of these victims opted for a lawyer, meaning that many of them didn’t have an advocate with the insurer in their time of need.
Hiring an attorney as soon as possible after your accident gives them time–time that they need to conduct a comprehensive investigation. They may need to canvass the accident scene and surrounding area for available video footage. With the time you give them, they will strengthen your case and prepare you for every eventuality. These are valuable resources in a civil case. The longer you wait to hire an experienced truck accident lawyer, the more of a chance that valuable evidence will disappear or be destroyed.
Here are some other benefits of hiring a lawyer soon after a collision:
Your Lawyer Can Gather Time-Sensitive Evidence
The evidence in your truck accident case tells the story of the accident. The lawyer you hire will build an evidence file that identifies all potentially liable parties. The evidence they compile on your behalf can include:
- Medical records and bills
- Employment records
- Official accident report
- Injury photos
- Accident scene photos
- Witness statements
- Trucker logbooks
- Trucker license history
- Truck maintenance records
- Cargo loading records
Understanding and collecting evidence after a car accident can be difficult. It can also be emotionally challenging. When you hire a lawyer for your truck accident, they will take care of evidence collection for you.
Your Lawyer Can Identify All Negligent Parties
Truck accident cases are complex because there can be one or multiple negligent parties. Your lawyer will prove the following four elements of negligence:
- Duty of care: The responsibility to take reasonable measures to ensure your safety
- Breach of duty: Failure to meet their duty which can include reckless driving, faulty manufacturing, faulty repair, or improperly loaded cargo
- Causation: Proof that the accident would not have happened without the at-fault party’s actions or inactions
- Damages: The injuries and financial damages caused by the accident including medical bills, property damage or destruction, and income loss
The evidence will show whether negligence falls to the truck driver or his employer. Other liable parties can include the manufacturer of the truck or its parts. The companies responsible for repairing and maintaining the truck and loading its cargo could also be liable if their actions contributed to the accident.
Your Lawyer Can Deal With the Insurance Company
Because a truck accident can lead to costly damages and involve multiple at-fault parties, it might involve dealing with one or more insurance companies. When you hire a lawyer for your truck accident, they will:
- Obtain and complete insurance claim forms
- Handle all case-related communication
- Present your evidence in an organized way
- Field and weigh all monetary settlement offers
- Negotiate the best possible financial outcome
Leave the insurance companies to your lawyer. They will also make sure you receive regular updates when any developments occur and as your case progresses.
Your Lawyer Can Assess Your Recoverable Damages
A collision with a large truck can lead to life-changing and life-threatening injuries and significant medical expenses. Medical care throughout your recovery can include medications, assistive medical devices, and physical and occupational therapy. Other damages your lawyer can recover include:
- Economic damages including past and future lost wages, loss of future earning capacity, treatment-related travel expenses, and property damage or total loss
- Non-economic damages including lasting physical impairment, disfiguring injuries, physical pain and suffering, mental and emotional anguish, and diminished quality of life
If the accident led to the loss of a family member, our wrongful death lawyer will fight to recover damages for eligible family members or their personal representatives. These can include the loss of your loved one’s financial and domestic contributions.
Your truck accident attorney will make sure your case receives an accurate value and is not underpaid. They will also remove the risk of an expired statute of limitations by preparing your case for litigation if the need arises.
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Contact Our Case Review Team Today
You should hire a lawyer for a truck accident so you can focus on getting better or on helping a loved one with their recovery. While you do, our lawyer for truck accident victims will fight for the best possible financial compensation for you.
Learn more about our client-focused approach to personal injury law by contacting our case review team at Domingo Garcia today.
