Accepting a Truck Accident Settlement Offer
If you are reading this, you may have been seriously injured in a truck collision here in Georgia. The insurance company may have already called you and even offered you some money to settle your claim. You may be wondering whether you should accept it. The answer to that is definitely no. Insurance companies are not in business to pay you the amount you really deserve. They are in business to make profits for themselves, their shareholders, just like any other big corporation. If you have received an offer for some amount of money, you can bet that that’s not the full and fair value of your claim. Our truck accident attorney can help you get that fair value.
Common Mistakes After a Truck Accident
There are several mistakes people make early on in truck accident cases. One is not calling an attorney right away. If you or a loved one are injured, your first consideration is your health or your loved one’s health, and that’s the way it should be. You do, however, want to call an attorney as soon as possible. The truck company will have people working on that case right away and response teams going out to the scene. Their goal is to gather evidence to defend that case from day one. The longer you wait, the more evidence may go missing.
A second mistake often made in these cases is calling the wrong attorney. Many people have never had to use an attorney, especially a personal injury attorney. If people need an attorney, they call a lawyer that they may know or a friend of a friend who does not do trucking accidents. Those attorneys do not know to get an accident reconstructionist out to the scene right away to measure skid marks, take photographs of the scene, interview witness and speak with the State Troopers who responded. Hiring the right type of lawyer means getting the right work done, right away.
A third mistake is talking to the insurance company for the truck company. What you need to know is that insurance company is not on your side. Insurance companies do not make money by looking out for the interests of the people who have been, and they
do not have your best interest in mind when they call you. What they’re trying to do is minimize the amount that they may ultimately pay you. Instead of giving a statement, call an attorney. An attorney who is experienced and knowledgeable in prosecuting truck wreck cases in Georgia will look out for your interests when speaking to the insurance company.
Hiring a Truck Accident Attorney
First of all, you want a lawyer who does personal injury cases, not someone who practices in another field of law. Secondly, you want a lawyer who knows truck wrecks and knows the laws that go into prosecuting a truck wreck case. There are multiple federal regulations involved that are very complicated. You also want a lawyer who knows about the different types of evidence that he or she needs to look for, including electronic data that can be downloaded from tractor trailers and other commercial vehicles. Inexperienced lawyers may not be familiar with the intricate details that go into prosecuting a trucking collision case.
You also want a lawyer who has the resources to prosecute these cases. Truck wreck cases are different than regular automobile accident cases. They can be a lot more expensive to prosecute. For example, a case may require hiring experts to go out and reconstruct the accident. Does the lawyer you’re talking to have the resources to hire all those experts and bring them to bear right off the bat? These are questions you want to ask.
Finally, you want a lawyer who tries cases and goes to trial, not a lawyer who handles multiple cases at once and just turns them over and settles them. Consider whether a lawyer is going to be someone who will fold and take a cheap settlement or will take your case to trial and get the true value of your case.
How Long Will a Truck Accident Case Take?
People often ask, “How long is it going to take to resolve this case?” Truck collision cases in Georgia, on average, take about 17 months to resolve. Each case, however, is going to be different. The length of a case depends on your injuries, the medical treatment you need, the damages involved, and the facts of the collision that caused your injuries.
In trucking collision cases, there are potentially multiple defendants, including the driver and the company that owns the tractor. This adds more layers to the issues that we are going to need to investigate. All of that may take more time to get you the full compensation that you deserve. Again, every case is different, and it’s going to depend on that facts of your case. If you have any questions, please give us a call and we’ll be happy to discuss the specific facts of your case with you.
Speaking to an Insurance Adjuster After a Truck Accident
Oftentimes, clients ask whether they should speak to the insurance company and give a recorded statement. In general, the answer is no. The insurance companies are not there to help you. The insurance company is in business to make money. Before speaking to the insurance company, hire a lawyer who’s experienced and knowledgeable in handling truck wreck cases in Georgia, and let that lawyer speak for you. He or she knows how to deal with the insurance companies and can look out for your interests. If you’re thinking about whether you should speak to an insurance company, if you’ve been involved in a serious truck wreck here in Georgia, give us a call; we’ll be happy to speak with you and talk to you about your case.
Were you involved in a truck accident? Read these 6 truck accident tips. Then contact our experienced Georgia truck accident attorneys.