When Should One Seek a Truck Accident Attorney?
Accidents involving trucks with passenger cars often involve serious injuries. But from a legal perspective, they’re not as simple as car accidents involving two regular passenger cars. In this article, we will cover technicalities in a truck accident and when to seek a truck accident attorney in case a FedEx truck hits your car.
The Defendants in a Truck Accident Claim
A collision with another passenger car can take up legal claims which involve the two drivers and your insurance companies. But, this is different in the case of the Truck Accident.
The truck driver might be an independent contractor of a company that employs and manages truckers to a truck company. If the collision includes a commercial truck, there might be many more parties involved such as In this case, here are our potential defendants:
- Driver
- Hiring company that contracts with the driver
- The trucking company that contracts with the hiring company
But then, depending on the facts of the accident, we might be able to add these defendants:
- Truck manufacturer
- Shipper or manufacturer of loads on the truck
Each of these entities will also be represented by its own insurance company, so you might even be dealing with five different insurers adding your very own insurer.
The Liability in the Truck Accident Cases
The main thing to remember is that how liability is assessed will depend on what state the accident took place in. Missouri recognizes the legal doctrine of ‘comparative negligence’ where the compensation is allocated according to the fault ratio one has procured.
If you think you’re at fault for the accident, consult a truck accident lawyer immediately. our lawyer can analyze your case and defend a claim against you by the trucking company’s insurer and negotiate for the lowest possible settlement for your responsibility.
The trucking company’s insurer handles these kinds of accident claims every day. They would pay out as little as possible, and they also equipped with their own attorneys ready for exactly the situation you’re in. The insurance companies usually try to find a loophole in your accident case and deny you the allowance you deserve by devaluing your loss.
If you have experience in negotiating with the highly trained insurance adjusters, you may win or else, it’s advised to seek a St. Louis MO trucking accident attorney to represent you before the insurance company which will have a compelling impact.
Your attorney will do the job of negotiating with the insurance adjuster, take care of the details of your claim, and assist you in preparing a clear statement carefully tailored to favor you.
On the other hand, your insurance adjuster isn’t permitted to give legal advice.
Your insurance company’s objective is to pay out as little as possible to clear your claim — they’re not there to make sure that a settlement covers everything you need for medical expenses, lost wages, pain, and suffering, or other expenses associated with the accident.
A Quick Accident Zone Tip to follow: If you are involved in any kind of road accident, do not share the photos and details of your state with your friends and family through social media.
In case you procure any late effect of an injury, the post you shared via social media stating that you are ‘fine’ can work against you in court.
How can a truck accident attorney help you with your case?
The above-given information is the basics one should acknowledge when dealing with a truck accident. You might have figured out the severity of your case by now. A truck accident case can twine up complicated no matter how simple it may seem. Here are the ways an attorney can help you at handling and guiding you through the case.
Analyzing your case thoroughly
An attorney analyzes the case beforehand, determine the fault ratio, convey to you the options even if it is negative and all these without drawing cash from your pocket. Sometimes the case may not be in your favor, it may be better to accept the offer of the insurance company rather than to take up the case to the court.
An attorney will lay out all the possibilities so that you can get the best out of the situation.
Awareness of all the possible claims you can make
A truck accident victim should be compensated for all the damages made by the defendant. The victim may suffer emotional distress, physical impairment, pain and suffering, property loss, medical bills, and so on. An experienced attorney will investigate the case thoroughly enough to come up with a good legal strategy so that you can be assured of the maximum compensation.
Complete knowledge of the legalities
Managing a truck accident is not only recovering from the injuries you sustained. A collision can leave you bankrupt if you are not aware of the legalities your case owns.
A competent attorney will sort out who to sue when to file a suit and guide you by tailoring an efficient legal strategy. Moreover, most of the attorneys prefer the contingency fee payment method.
With this method, the attorney is paid only if you are compensated. Some attorneys claim a part of your compensation.
It is better to opt a professional help that can guide and support you all the way through your hard times.
