Legal Help: Getting Hurt on the Street

If you have been in a serious injury accident with a semi-truck, you should always consult with a personal injury attorney, especially one that has a lot of experience in dealing with insurance representatives for truck fleets. The following are just a few reasons why this is true.

The settlement offer will seem very good for medical expenses

The trouble with this is that although the offer seems more than fair, it will also probably be very low. The medical expenses alone for a victim in a truck accident will likely be much higher than a typical car accident. You are likely to suffer long-term injuries from this truck accident, which will translate into higher medical costs, especially for physical rehabilitation. An insurance company can estimate these costs based upon your medical condition after the accident and then offer a much lower amount.

The settlement offer will likely ignore time lost from work

You will likely not get the amount of money that you will be entitled to for loss of work. They may include time lost from work in the short term, but that is all. Even your doctor may be able to determine when you are likely able to get back to work. However, you may not be able to work full time, and you may find that you are not able to do your work as you once did because you didn't heal the way you thought you would. Insurance companies know all of this, and they will come in with a lower offer, even though this lower offer will seem more than fair to you.

The settlement offer will reflect a desire to stay out of court

Claims adjusters understand that when they go to court, juries are likely to be sympathetic to the plaintiff. Even when they can put up a good defense, they could still lose just because the jury empathizes with the victim. In addition, an attorney who has truck accident experience can convince a jury of the fault of the truck driver. This ability is the leverage that a lawyer has over the insurance company, and they will use this leverage to get you the full amount of compensation you are entitled to under the law.

If you get into a serious injury accident with a semi-truck, you need to consult a personal injury attorney who has experience with semi-truck accidents. This is because an attorney will understand the medical costs associated with your injuries, as well as the time you will miss from work. Although the settlement offer will seem fair and higher than you anticipated, an insurance company is simply distracting you from contacting an attorney while offering you less than what you are entitled to. Remember to not sign any paperwork, and contact a truck injury attorney as soon as possible.