If you are injured in a commercial truck accident, a knowledgeable truck accident attorney can help you get the money you need to heal from your injuries. To do this, they will work to build your case by demonstrating that you suffered damage and deserve an appropriate payout. This involves meticulous attention to detail, including reviewing medical records and accident reports. It also requires familiarity with trucking regulations, including driver qualifications, vehicle maintenance and cargo loading.
Table of Contents
Getting Started
Your lawyer will assess the monetary value of your damages, identify the at-fault party, build a strong evidence file, and handle all communication with the insurance company. They will also prepare for trial if necessary.
A thorough investigation may uncover violations of Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations by the truck driver or trucking company involved in your crash. They could also have violated traffic laws or negligently by neglecting truck maintenance, overworking their drivers, and failing to vet applicants properly.
Look for a lawyer with a lot of experience handling cases similar to yours, focusing on truck accidents. They should be transparent in their fees and offer a free consultation. You want a truck accident Mckinney attorney who puts you at ease and explains legal processes in a way that is easy to understand. They ought to be easily accessible as well. In addition to your medical expenses and the physical anguish and suffering you experienced as a result of your injuries, your attorney will assist you in obtaining compensation for any property damage the accident may have caused.
Collecting Evidence
Your truck accident attorney will gather evidence on whether you want to settle out of court or go to trial. This includes reviewing all available medical records, police reports and other relevant accident documentation. They will also likely request data from the truck’s Event Data Recorder, or black box, and interview eyewitnesses.
Witness statements can be incredibly valuable, as they can offer insight into how the accident occurred and how you might have been affected. Sometimes, your attorney may need to call on expert testimony from trucking or crash reconstruction experts. They can help to prove any potential negligence on the part of the truck driver or their employer. Your attorney must identify and preserve any evidence quickly. Trucking companies often try to destroy or spoliate evidence, such as clearing the black box or falsifying documents, and your lawyer will fight to prevent this from occurring.
Negotiating with Insurance Companies
When you’ve been hurt in a truck accident, you are dealing with not only one but often two insurance companies. These companies are in business to make a profit and are not interested in paying fair compensation for your losses.
They will try to get you to admit things during a phone call that could damage your claim. Even the most innocuous statement you make could be used against you later by the insurer to devalue your claim.
An attorney specializing in truck accidents will be able to identify these strategies and counter them. They will also have the experience of determining the value of your losses, which are called compensatory damages. These may include medical bills, loss of wages and future earnings, emotional trauma, and the loss of enjoyment of life. They will also know the amount of insurance coverage from the liable party and be able to compare it to your accident-related losses and expenses.
Representing You in Court
Your truck crash attorney can file a lawsuit and pursue your case in court if the insurance companies involved in your accident decline to offer you a reasonable settlement. They are skilled negotiators and know how to argue your case to maximize your chance of receiving fair compensation for your damages.
This involves collecting a wide variety of evidence, including medical records and prognosis, correspondence with your employer regarding lost wages, photos or video footage from the crash scene, maintenance and black box information on the at-fault truck, and more. Most of this evidence is difficult for injured victims to obtain independently.
Your lawyer will also review the insurance policy to ensure that it accurately accounts for all of your damages and then work to negotiate a truly fair settlement amount. Your lawyer might also assist you in obtaining compensation from other parties accountable for your accident, depending on the details of your particular case.
