When heavy commercial trucks are involved in accidents, the chance for harm, injury, and death is far greater. Few things in your life are more dangerous than when a car rams into your small vehicles, and you may be left with enormous property damage and physical injuries. If you or your relatives one has been injured in a truck crash, trying to navigate filing a truck accident claim filing process on your own can be a daunting task. In this article, I will discuss the main steps of the truck accident claim process and the vital of having an experienced accident attorney by your side every step of the way.
Hiring an Accident Attorney
After a truck crash, turning to your insurance agency for help often seems like your best option. You might be thinking that is your insurance agent can settle everything for you, so why do you need an attorney?” However, even if your agent seems sympathetic to your situation, it’s important to remember that their goal is to ensure their company’s profitability, not your fair compensation.
Therefore, hiring an experienced accident attorney should be your first step in filing a truck accident claim, and only he can do something exceptional for you. Your attorney works for you and has only your best interests in mind. In the next few articles, I will explain how an accident attorney can help you at every step along the way — from preparing your claim to negotiating a settlement to taking the guilty party to court.
Evidence and Investigation
Evidence is one of the most vital steps in your truck accident claim process is collecting evidence and conducting further investigation into the accident. This evidence falls into a few different categories, which are outlined below.
Crash Report
Some evidence is found at the scene of the truck crash and will appear in the police report for your accident. If possible, it is also useful to collect this information yourself in addition to obtaining a copy of the police report.
- Truck driver’s license number and personal information
- Truck driver’s company and insurance information
- Witness testimonies
- Pictures of property damage and the scene
Medical Records
One of the most significant things to remember after an accident is to seek medical treatment, even if you do not realize your injuries are severe. Because of that, Medical records that prove you were injured and found treatment will be actively supporting factors in filing a successful claim. An attorney can help you organize this evidence and work with your doctors to collect additional medical information to present.
Truck Driver Risk Factors and Company Negligence
An accident lawyer is essential for obtaining additional information on the truck driver and freight company involved in your crash. After collecting all this information, it will help prove the driver and their company are the negligent parties responsible for your accident and that they owe you compensation for your injuries and suffering. An attorney’s investigation may turn up information about whether the truck driver was:
- Driving while panicked
- Driving under the impact of alcohol or drugs
- Suffering from chronic fatigue, migraines, vision impairments, or other conditions making him or her not medically fit to drive.
- Involved in previous crashes
- Written up for work-related infractions
Filing Your Claim
If you are submitting your claim, the process for submitting your truck accident claim will depend on the insurance agency with whom you are filing, meaning you will need to research the specific legal distinctions involved in your truck wreck case. Accident lawyers have significant experience navigating the claim process and can examine all the pertinent information about the insurance companies and claims for you. Working with a lawyer will save you a great deal of time and trouble in addition to increasing the strength of your request.
Discovery Process and Trial
If your once settlement negotiations have failed, don’t worry, there is still a chance of resolving your case before going before a judge. Once you have to file the details of your case with the appropriate courts, the process of discovery will begin. During this step, witnesses provide statements under oath and documents are subpoenaed by both sides to discover additional evidence. Sometimes this evidence will prompt one party to agree to a settlement pre-trial.
When all else fails, there is an option till a life your case will go before a judge and jury. Your attorney will then present all the information and records collected during their investigation to support him a lot.
