What Is the Truck Accident Claim Process?
If you are involved in a truck accident, you could get seriously injured, and your car could get totaled. A semi-truck is over 26 times as heavy as a sedan. Although car accidents can result in severe injury, truck accidents often result in death, leaving families devastated emotionally and financially. If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident, you should file an insurance claim to get compensated for your accident. According to lawyers Hipskind & McAninch, there are certain steps that you should take to ensure that you get the compensation you deserve.
What to Do At The Scene
When you get into any kind of car accident, you should call the police and trucker law firm and wait for them to arrive. You should tell them what happened when they got there, but you should never admit guilt. You may not be aware of many factors right after a crash. Chances are, you will be in shock after a collision and may not have the best judgment.
You should get the name and insurance information of the truck driver. Ask if they are independent or work for a company. Get the name of the company if you do not know it, the names and numbers of any witnesses, and take pictures if you can.
If an ambulance shows up at the scene, you should let the EMTs treat you. If they tell you to go to the hospital, do not argue with them. Even if they tell you, you are fine, you should still see a doctor as soon as possible. Some injuries are not immediately apparent.
Document Your Expenses
Any insurance company is going to want you to document your medical expenses. You should save all of your accident-related medical bills. Also, save any bills you have for alternative treatments such as cryotherapy or massages. Save the receipts from all of the medicine you take, whether prescription or non-prescription.
Ask your employer to write you a letter documenting the hours that you miss from work. You should save a copy of the bills if you need assistance around the house.
Filing an Insurance Claim
Once you have collected your documentation, you are ready to file an insurance claim. It can be difficult when you are dealing with a trucking accident. The trucker that hit you may be an independent contractor. That would mean they have their own insurance. If they did not have insurance, you would have to sue the trucker directly. If the trucker worked for a company then you would file a claim with the company’s insurance. Big companies often use more than one company for liability insurance.
When you contact the company, you will give them some basic information about the accident. They will tell you to send in your documentation, and your case will be assigned to an adjuster. The adjuster will investigate the case and approve or deny your claim. They will call you to ask some questions. Most attorneys will tell you that you only have to answer basic information about your policy and the time and date of the accident.
If they approve your claim, they will make you a settlement offer. You should never accept an insurance company’s settlement offer until you speak to a personal injury attorney. If your claim was denied, you should talk to an attorney as well.
An attorney will have years of experience negotiating with insurance companies. They will be well-versed in personal injury law and should be able to get you the money you deserve.
Wrongful Death
If you have lost a family member to a truck accident, you can sue for wrongful death. Truckers are held to a higher standard than other drivers. They must have a commercial driver’s license and cannot drive over 11 consecutive hours. They are also required to have a certain amount of rest. If they do not, they violate rules set forth by the Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration. These rules are strictly enforced, and trucking companies know that. If a trucking company has violated this rule, you will have an excellent case.
A trucking accident can be devastating, but getting an insurance settlement can help you move on with your life.
