You suffered injuries in a semi-truck accident, and you deserve to get compensation for your injuries. Despite how clear the cause of your injuries may be, getting the money you deserve can still mean a fight with the person who hit you, their employer, and the insurance company. One of the most important questions is: how do you get what you deserve in a semi-truck accident?
Truck accident attorneys can help you get what you deserve after an accident. You can rely on the skill, knowledge, and experience of an experienced semi-truck accident attorney to help you get the money you need to recover fully after an accident. Contact a semi-truck attorney in your area if you suffered an injury in a semi-truck accident.
How Do I Get Paid After a Semi-Truck Accident Claim?
If you get into an accident with a semi-truck driver, you will need money to pay for your medical care and property damage. However, getting the money you deserve can be difficult. Accidents with semi-truck drivers may involve suing the driver and the company that employs them. These cases are tricky because you may need to pursue both the driver and the company to get the compensation you deserve.
You can take your power back after an accident by taking some of the following steps. Do not risk being revictimized after a semi-truck accident. Contact a semi-truck accident attorney in your area immediately after a semi-truck accident. Take the following steps to increase your chances of getting paid after a car accident.
Hire a Car Accident Attorney
After a semi-truck accident, you need legal representation as soon as possible. An experienced semi-truck accident attorney will work as the leader of your legal team to ensure that you put your best foot forward after an accident to receive the most from your accident claim.
If you hire a car accident attorney after an accident, you can rest assured that your interests are protected and that you will not lose your case on a technicality or leave money on the table when negotiating with the insurance company. Your attorney will speak to insurance companies, defense attorneys, debt collectors, and sometimes medical providers on your behalf so that you can focus solely on recovering from your injuries.
Avoid Speaking to the at-Fault Driver’s Insurance Coverage
Do not speak to the at-fault driver’s insurance company before speaking to an attorney. Keep in mind that the insurance company is a for-profit business concerned with protecting its bottom line. An insurance company may ask you to give a statement after an accident. Whatever you say may be used as evidence against your claim. To maximize your chances of recovery after a semi-truck accident, you need to remember that the more you talk, the more money you can lose.
Do Not Agree to Anything Without Speaking to an Attorney
It is a mistake to accept a settlement offer without first speaking to a semi-truck accident attorney. You may aim to settle quickly after a semi-truck accident, but you may not get the money you need to treat future medical care. Contact a semi-truck accident attorney in your area to learn more about the recovery you are entitled to after a semi-truck accident.
Get Medical Attention Immediately
See a doctor immediately after a semi-truck accident. You must prove that the accident caused your injuries, and getting prompt treatment for your injuries will help build that case. If you put off getting medical attention for your injuries, connecting your harm to the accident will become more difficult.
Stay off Social Media
Avoid social media after being involved in a semi-truck accident. Even if you do not make a statement to the insurance company, you may still sabotage your claim if you recklessly make statements on your social media platforms. The opposing insurance company will scour your social media accounts looking for statements about the accident. You may lose your claim if you downplay your injuries or other damages. Keep in mind that the insurance company will use anything you say on social media at trial.
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What Damages are Available in a Semi-Truck Accident?
Semi-truck accident victims’ injuries are usually more severe than in other traffic crashes. Because of how significant the potential injuries are, medical care is usually much more expensive. To get what you deserve in a semi-truck accident, you should understand how much money it may take to cover your damages. Examples of potential damages available in a semi-truck accident include some of the following.
Medical Bills
Your semi-truck accident settlement’s value is increased depending on the amount of your medical bills. You should keep an accurate account of your medical records and bills. This will provide tangible proof of your injuries.
Your medical expenses may include:
- Ambulance transport and emergency room treatment. If you get into an accident with a semi-truck, you will likely need emergency medical care. Ambulance and emergency department care is expensive, even with medical insurance. A full physical examination may include extensive tests like a CT scan, MRI, X-rays, blood tests, etc. Having an experienced semi-truck accident attorney working on your team can help you ensure that you get the money you deserve.
- Surgery. Your injuries may require you to undergo surgery. Your surgery may require an extended stay in the hospital. This causes the medical bills to stack up quickly.
- On-going medical treatment. Your injuries may require long-term medical treatment. Physical therapy is an example of long-term medical care that may be necessary after a semi-truck accident. You may want to settle quickly with the other driver’s insurance company, but you should never do so without speaking to a semi-truck accident attorney about what you may need for long-term care.
Lost Income
If your injuries after a semi-truck accident cause you to lose time at work, you deserve to receive compensation for your loss. Lost income damages include current and future lost income. You may also be entitled to loss of earning capacity damages if you can continue to work after an accident, but not at the same rate or in the same industry you worked in before the accident.
To prove your lost income damages, keep track of the days you missed at work. Your boss or co-workers may serve as witnesses to help prove your lost income damages. With people working from home or doing gig work like Uber Eats or DoorDash, proving lost income damages may be difficult. You need a semi-truck accident attorney to help you prove your lost income damages.
Pain and Suffering Damages
Getting hit by a semi-truck is obviously tragic physically, but there can be severe mental and emotional trauma. You deserve to get payment for your pain and suffering damages as well as your physical harm.
Pain and suffering damages refer to the intangible harm you suffered after a semi-truck accident. You may be entitled to pain and suffering damages if you have extended harm from your injuries. For example, if you suffer psychological damage, like Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), after an accident, you may be entitled to pain and suffering damages.
How Long Does a Semi-Truck Accident Settlement Take to Conclude?
Every semi-truck accident claim is unique, and there is no official timeline for concluding a settlement.
Generally, most semi-truck accidents go through this process before they settle.
- Get complete medical treatment. After a semi-truck accident, the goal for an injured person is to get maximum medical improvement. Your semi-truck accident attorney will help you know what a good settlement is after your injuries begin to improve. There is not a huge rush to improve completely - if your injuries take a long time to heal, your case can remain open.
- You need available witnesses, especially your expert witnesses. In most states, lay witnesses can testify at trial under a subpoena, so your legal team has a little more control over the timeline, but that is not the case for expert witnesses. Usually, expert witnesses are more difficult to work with, so your legal team must work around their schedules.
- Negotiating your claim may take time. Every semi-truck accident settlement begins with settlement negotiations with the insurance company. Insurance companies are not usually willing to write a check that meets all your current needs and anticipates your future injuries. As your claim ages, you may need to file a lawsuit. If that happens, you can count on more time spent pursuing your semi-truck accident claim.
How Can a Semi-Truck Accident Attorney Help Me?
Your semi-truck accident attorney will help you at every stage of the settlement, including if your case must go to trial. You can trust that your semi-truck accident attorney will use their knowledge and experience to ensure you get the money you deserve after a semi-truck accident.
Your semi-truck accident attorney will ensure that your case complies with all applicable procedural rules to protect your right to sue. The procedural rules that you must follow vary from state to state. For example, semi-truck accident victims must comply with the statute of limitations, or the court will dismiss their case.
Failure to follow the applicable procedural rules will have fatal consequences for your case. If you hire a semi-truck accident attorney, you will take the burden of learning these rules and following them off yourself and place them in the hands of a qualified semi-truck accident attorney.
A semi-truck accident attorney will also help you avoid nefarious tactics of the insurance company and avoid common pitfalls that many unrepresented semi-truck accident victims fall victim to, and ensure that you maximize the amount of compensation that you deserve after a semi-truck accident attorney.
What if I Cannot Afford a Semi-Truck Accident Attorney?
If you have a potential car crash claim, do not worry if you cannot afford an attorney. Most semi-truck accident attorneys work on a contingency fee basis.
A contingency fee agreement is a payment structure that allows a semi-truck accident client to pay for legal services after a settlement is reached. This agreement is advantageous for semi-truck accident victims that think they might have a case but are worried about how much legal services will cost.
The terms of a contingency fee agreement must be reduced to writing and signed by the client and attorney. Like any other contract, the parties can agree to any detail and include them in their agreement. Two common terms of contingency fee agreements describe litigation costs and the percentage for payment.
Litigation costs are expenses that arise during a lawsuit. Examples of litigation costs include money for expert witness testimony, filing fees, payment for copies, and postage costs. A semi-truck accident attorney and their firm may agree to prepay for litigation costs. If your semi-truck accident attorney and their firm agree to pay upfront for litigation costs, they will likely require you to reimburse them after the case concludes. A semi-truck accident client can also choose to pay for litigation expenses as the case unfolds.
Contingency fee agreements must specify how much the attorney gets paid. Specifically, the lawyer should be clear about what percentage of your settlement they will take as their fees. They might take more if a case requires litigation instead of settling directly with the insurance companies. It all depends on the complexity of the matter and how much work the attorney will put into your case. However, remember that a lawyer will also maximize your compensation, even after fees.
Contact a Semi-Truck Accident Attorney Today
You cannot easily get the money that you deserve after a semi-truck accident without an experienced lawyer’s help. Take advantage of the skill and experience of a personal injury attorney. Contact a professional in your area to pursue the compensation you deserve after a semi-truck accident.
