These 5 Factors Can Influence Compensation in Truck Accidents
Truck-related accidents often have more devastating effects compared to car-on-car ones. It’s common for crashes between cars and trucks to leave behind significant emotional and financial damage. These collisions leave car passengers with severe injuries or even cause death.
When involved in these accidents, it’s wise to take legal action and claim compensation with a truck accident attorney. No two truck accidents are similar; hence compensation differs depending on the accident’s severity.
Here are five key factors that can influence compensation in truck accidents.
- The Time You Initiate Your Claim
One key factor determining the amount of compensation you receive, and the sooner you do, the better, is the time you initiate your claim. It’s essential to file your claim as soon as the accident happens.
This makes discovering evidence easier and with less effort. If you let time pass, the memory of the accident fades, witness statements lose accuracy and clarity, and the tangible evidence at the scene may lose credibility.
The sooner you start, the sooner your claim process begins, and you can get compensated. You will likely build a strong case with fresh evidence and receive your desired compensation.
- Are You Working With An Attorney?
Most people assume that they can handle the entire claim process on their own without the help of an expert. However, there are a lot of technicalities and stages in these cases that require you to hire professional legal services.
If you want compensation matching the severity of your damages, it’s best to work with an attorney. Hiring a personal injury lawyer eases the process and helps focus on nursing your injuries.
Personal injury attorneys have experience and know their way around personal injury claims. They will assist in moving your claim through the insurance provider, get your compensation, and help protect you.
- Is Liability in Your Truck Accident Clear?
For most truck accidents, it’s easy to determine who is at fault. You can recognize a drunk or distracted driver as the apparent cause of the accident. In such accidents, the entire liability is on the truck driver, and you are entitled to compensation.
However, in other cases, the balance of liability might change. For example, in accidents where a truck driver takes a turn too fast and loses control of the vehicle, it may be challenging to prove and determine liability. Typically, the driver could not bring back control of the car. Losing control may be due to various technical reasons.
In these cases, multiple factors could shift liability to other parties involved. Compensation will depend on the liability percentage each party bears.
- Current And Future Medical Expenses
Healthcare expenses are a significant factor when determining the compensation you should receive. Estimating your overall medical expenses may be challenging until you fully recover.
Truck accidents cause much physical damage, leading to lengthy and costly medical processes. Some of the most severe injuries include spinal cord injuries and brain damage. With the help of your attorney, all the expenses you incur must be calculated and included in your demand package.
Other out-of-pocket expenses, such as transport and mileage, are also considered when determining compensation.
- Negotiation
Immediately after your truck accident, it’s typical for the responsible party’s insurance company to approach you with a settlement offer. This offer may seem promising initially, but waiting until your attorney can advise you on the best way forward is advisable.
The settlement offers compensation for physical and financial damages in the least possible time. However, you need more time to calculate all the potential expenses and the extent of the damage.
After consulting with your attorney, you can decide to negotiate the offer. The negotiation process involves several stages and may take a while. If you agree, you can get compensation on both parties’ terms.
Wrap-Up
Truck accidents are traumatic experiences and bring along complex legal aftermath. Hiring a personal injury attorney will help you understand the claim process. They also ensure you get the compensation you deserve.
