Truck Accident Lawyer

Unfortunately, if you become injured in an accident involving a large truck, it will likely take your lawyer longer – perhaps substantially longer – to settle your case than if you had been injured in a car accident. As a truck accident lawyer can explain, there are several reasons a truck accident can be more challenging. Here are just a few:

Severity of Your Injuries

Given that a semi truck is far larger and heavier than your vehicle, you face a higher risk of sustaining serious injuries when one hits you. The more severe your injuries, the longer the settlement process will likely take. While the insurance company may offer you a settlement soon after your accident, it is never in your best interests to accept such an offer. Why? Because it will undoubtedly be a lowball offer that the company wants you to accept in exchange for signing a legal document releasing them from all further liability.

As your truck accident lawyer can tell you, you should not settle until you know for sure how serious your injuries are and how much, if any, continuing medical and rehabilitative care and treatment you may need in the future. Nor do you need to fear declining the insurance company’s initial settlement offer. The longer your lawyer aggressively negotiates with the company, the higher the settlement offers generally become.

Full Liability Investigation

Another reason why truck accidents take longer to settle is that your lawyer needs to conduct an extensive investigation regarding the following:

• Did the truck driver follow all federal and local laws, rules and regulations?
• Did the trucking company for which he or she works follow all federal and local laws, rules and regulations?
• Did the trucking company properly maintain the truck?
• Was the driver distracted or under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of the accident?
• Were any other vehicles and drivers partially at fault for the accident?
• Did the truck have a defective part for which the manufacturer or installer was responsible?

Multiple Insurance Policies

Trucking companies are required by law to maintain insurance on both their trucks and their drivers. Consequently, it’s very likely that your lawyer can look to more than one policy for payment of your compensation. This, in turn, can lengthen the time it takes to settle your case.

While no lawyer can tell you at the time of your initial consultation exactly how long it will take to settle your case, an experienced local truck accident lawyer can assure you that he or she will do everything in his or her power to get you the maximum compensation possible in the most expedient fashion.