A Step wise Guide to Truck Accident Claims
After being injured in a truck accident case, many claims are involved. Especially when there is an involvement of huge commercial trucks like 18-wheelers, the damages are huge and lead to dreadful injuries. Usually, the foremost thing you must do after an accident is visit the hospital and take precautions immediately.
The next major step is to partner with Houston 18 Wheeler Accident Lawyers to stand for your rights. It is difficult to get back your claims without having a good understanding of them. Anyhow, you need a good lawyer to guide you in the process. After you make a decision, here are the steps to follow to file personal injury claims after a truck crash.
Sign a written agreement with a truck accident lawyer
The first step is to start a professional relationship with the lawyer by signing a written contract with the right terms and conditions. Before the agreement is made, make sure to do the necessary review and negotiations. From here, the confidential lawyer-client relationship started. The agreement must involve a contingent fee percentage. It should also have other fee details and compensation for recovering and not recovering damages. Go through the conditions involved in cancelling the agreement.
Understand the timelines involved in personal injury claims. Check out how the Houston 18 Wheeler Accident Lawyers handle the case, aid in negotiating medical expenses, conduct investigations, and other processes. Remember that every law firm will have their style of contract.
Communicate with the help of your lawyer
After the legal process has begun, limit your communication to your lawyer only. The lawyer should be your medium of communication with third parties. The 18-wheeler truck crashes are handled with great care. The 18-wheeler accident case is completely different from other passenger-style vehicles. The crash is severe; in this case, many additional parties are involved and liable for the cause.
Below are the guidelines the victims should be aware of:
- Report the accident to your insurance company
- Don’t sign or answer any questions which you are not sure about
- Let your truck accident communicate with the insurance companies
- Avoid answering claims-related questions to the insurers.
- File a police report.
- Doctor’s visit and diagnosis should be conducted after the accident.
- Avoid sharing the details of your case with anyone outside.
Evidence collection and investigation
Have a preliminary discussion of evidence with Houston 18 Wheeler Accident Lawyers. State them about your personal loss in the accident, submit your medical visits and physical therapy reports, police reports, etc. These pieces of evidence will let the law firm move forward to take legal action. Put all the possible details to help your claims. The supporting documents or reports needed are:
- Reports of investigators after they visit the accident site.
- Police reports
- Medical records
- Accident reconstruction reports
- Evidence of meeting insurance agents
- Evidence collected from a traffic camera
- Reports from eyewitnesses
- Copies of documents and evidence
Proceed to send your personal injury demand letter
It is the biggest step to move forward with your claims. After the legal team of Houston 18 Wheeler Accident Lawyers collected the evidence, it’s time to proceed further. The lawyer should draft and send the personal injury demands to the insurance service providers. The claims should also be sent to the business parties liable for causing the truck accident injuries. After the insurance company gets the claim, they may try to reduce expenses to stay profitable. The lawyer will put their efforts to stand with their words to protect your rights.
Later, when the insurers accept the financial payment amount, the victim will get justice. With the help of the demand letter, trucking companies and insurers know they will only get away from the liability following the certain terms highlighted in the letter. So, they have to pay the victim the necessary amount.
Demands End with Settlement or Move Forward with Trial
After your demands are placed in front of the trucking company and their insurers, they have a chance to review and state their own views. Based on different circumstances, the next move or decision of the insurance company can be anything. Below are the possibilities:
- Settling things without going for a trial and accepting the demands.
- They may also proceed to negotiate and go for a counteroffer. The settlement can move forward or result in moving to the courts.
- There will be a necessity to file a lawsuit when there is no settlement or deal fixed with the trucking agency. If you still believe your demands need justification based on the insurer’s response, it is better to go for a court trial.
Final Thoughts
These are the legal steps to claim for personal injuries after a truck accident. In every step, you need the help of Houston 18 Wheeler Accident Lawyers. Make sure you reach the right law firm to proceed to recover your claims.