No matter how careful and safe you try to be when you are driving on the road, some road traffic accidents can’t be avoided. If you were completely sober and alert, paying attention to the road ahead, following the road rules, and driving within the speed limit and have still been involved in an accident with a truck on the road, you may be eligible for compensation and a good accident attorney can help.
If you have been involved in an accident with a truck that was not your fault, there are many reasons to consider hiring a truck accident attorney to help you out. They can help you in several ways, including:
Filing a Personal Injury Claim
If you were injured as the result of the collision that you were involved in with a truck, a good accident attorney can help you with filing and being in with the best chance of winning a subsequent personal injury claim. Check oreskylaw.com for more info about this. A personal injury claim is most commonly filed in order to gain financial compensation for any medical bills, loss of income, and other problems that you have suffered as a result of the accident taking place. However, since insurance companies will usually always try to get away with paying out the lowest settlement amount in these types of claims, it’s not advised to do it alone.
Understanding the Legal Stuff
Most people who do not have a professional education in the law will find the legal aspects of making insurance claims or filing a personal injury claim quite confusing. And, trying to make sense of all the legal jargon might be the last thing that you want to spend your time doing if you have just been involved in a road traffic collision with a truck. Working with a good accident lawyer can make the whole process less overwhelming and help you make sense of the situation and what is likely to happen in the future. Since truck accidents can often have liability that is shared between different parties including the driver, their employer, and even the manufacturer of the truck, these claims are often much more complex and there’s often more at stake.
Reduce Claim Time
A truck accident claim can often take a long time to process, especially in situations where it may be unclear exactly who is at fault for the collision. The process of a traffic accident claim is rarely ever easy especially when you are in a situation where you might have to prove that somebody other than the driver is actually responsible such as their employer or the truck manufacturer. It may be several months or even years before you see any compensation, which can be a frustrating situation to be in. A good lawyer will understand the claim process thoroughly and will be able to help get it moving faster so that you can get your compensation and get on with your life with it behind you.
Being involved in a truck accident can happen to any driver. Working with a good attorney after the fact can help you get the best result from your claim.
What should you do after a Truck Accident?
After a truck accident, you must follow the steps mentioned below:
- Call for medical help immediately.
- If the property damage exceeds $1000, call the insurance company and the police at the site of the accident.
- You must also call your truck accident lawyer to help you understand all the legal formalities. You might not know, but you will need to obtain the footage of the duration when the accident occurred if you are claiming that it wasn’t your fault to obtain the necessary claim from the company.
- You must also take the insurance details from the other party and, if they are at fault, call their company’s representatives for inspection.
- It is recommended that you do not post anything on any social media platforms. You might not know what can be used against you in court by the rival parties.
How can you determine liability in a Truck Accident Case?
You can determine the liability in a truck accident case by understanding the parties involved in the accident. Some of the potential defendants in a truck accident case may include:
- The driver
- The company to which the truck is operating for
- Truck manufacturer
- The shipping company that may have employed the truck for transporting the cargo.
- Insurance companies of the respective parties involved
- Any government entities or authorities accountable
However, if the truck driver is an independent contractor, the liability is determined by how much supervision the company exercises over their contractors. The FMCSA (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration) executes control over the commercial trucks on U.S. roads.
How can you build a compelling case?
It doesn’t matter whether you need to submit your claim to an insurance company or present your case in front of a jury; you will need a lawyer to connect all the dots while you can focus on the damage inflicted on your vehicle during the accident. Here are some of the steps you must follow to build a compelling case.
- You must investigate and gather all the evidence that can help support your case. The evidence includes all the videos, photos, police reports filed at the time of the accident, insurance information from both parties, eyewitness statements, expert testimony, among other things.
- You must also compile all your medical bills and expenses you incurred at the time of the accident. According to the CDC or Center for Disease Control and Prevention, it is required for the driver to obtain emergency medical care in a hospital.
- Identify the parties involved and decide where the liability lies.
- The parties involved must also work out fair settlement terms with their respective insurance companies.
- However, you should take the case to trial if the insurance carriers refuse to settle.
You should hire an attorney after a truck accident since there are several legal formalities that an individual must fulfil after an accident. You won’t be able to manage everything with an accident at your hand. Therefore, let a professional handle everything while you focus on recuperating from the losses.
