24 Mar 7 Tips For Hiring A Truck Accident Attorney
Getting adequate compensation for your injuries after a truck accident can be a complicated and challenging endeavor. Attaining the settlement you deserve won’t happen by accident.
A truck accident attorney’s experience and resources can make a significant difference in the outcome of these cases.
Finding the right truck accident law firm to represent you can be simple if you know what to look for. A truck accident attorney should be able to understand the complex nature of accidents with commercial vehicles, accurately calculate your damages, and be fully prepared to pursue fair compensation from insurers and responsible parties in the courtroom or through a settlement.
Trucking accidents account for over 4,800 road fatalities per year, along with countless injuries for those involved. If you or a loved one have sustained injuries in a trucking accident, do not attempt to pursue compensation on your own. Use these tips for hiring a truck accident attorney who will vigorously fight for your rights.
1. Seek a Professional Who Can Understand the Complexities of Truck Accident Cases
Any motor vehicle accident can be a complicated affair, and trucking accidents are no exception. With truck accidents in particular, there may be several responsible parties who are liable for injuries and property damage. These parties can include the truck driver, their employer, any employees or outside parties who packed the trailer, or even the mechanic who maintained or serviced the truck.
With truck accidents, there is often considerably more evidence to collect and evaluate. This may include evidence found at the accident scene, post-accident photos, and witness statements, but also the trucker’s driving logs and records, the truck’s event data recorder, and camera footage from inside and outside the truck.
Failing to appreciate how complicated these accident events are can lead to missed opportunities to strengthen your case. This may keep you from obtaining all of the compensation to which you may be entitled.
Through a comprehensive investigation and research, your truck accident lawyer can help you to understand the many moving parts in your case and how those various pieces fit together in a coherent strategy to pursue compensation.
Beware of attorneys who over simplify a truck accident lawsuit or settlement negotiation. While you won’t want an attorney who is overly negative in their outlook, an attorney who dismisses or glosses over questions about the challenges you may face may not appreciate how much work these cases can require.
2. Look for Someone with Experience in Investigating Truck Accidents
Another one of several tips for hiring a truck accident attorney who is equal to the task is to look for a trucking accident attorney who has the resources to conduct a thorough investigation.
The more evidence that your attorney can gather to show that the truck driver was at fault in the crash, the greater the chances are that you will obtain a fair verdict or settlement.
Your truck accident attorney should not only interview witnesses and involved parties, but they should also gather all available records and evidence from the trucking company. This includes the driver’s log books, medical certificates, performance reviews, and bills of lading.
Maintenance records should also be examined, along with any digitally stored information about the truck’s operation prior to the crash.
Your truck accident lawyer should have the experience and resources necessary to locate these important items of evidence and preserve them for later use in your case.
By quickly preserving crucial evidence and witness testimony, your lawyer can help to ensure that you are in a strong position to demand a fair settlement or take your case to court.
3. The Best Truck Accident Lawyer Will Have the Right Resources to Deal with Insurance Companies
Truck accident lawyers can help you by handling communications and negotiations with insurance companies on your behalf after a truck crash.
The truck driver and their insurer may ask you to give one or more statements about the crash, submit to evaluations, or allow access to your medical records. They may also approach you soon after the crash and pressure you to accept a quick settlement to resolve your claim.
Your future depends on your ability to obtain fair compensation for your losses, a concern that these insurance companies do not share with you. A truck accident lawyer can act as an intermediary for you, standing between you and insurance companies that are only looking out for their own best interests. Your attorney will be your advocate, arguing for fair compensation and preventing the insurance companies from taking advantage of you in a stressful time.
4. Make Sure Your Semi Truck Accident Attorney Is Adequately Calculating Damages
If the truck driver caused the crash that injured you, they may be liable for your past and future damages. It is up to your attorney, however, to identify the specific amount of financial compensation you will need to address these costs.
It can be extremely difficult to try to anticipate your future medical needs and the cost of treatment. Unfortunately, asking or accepting too little compensation is an error that cannot be fixed once your case is over.
While your past medical bills and expenses you have already incurred might be easy to quantify, it is more difficult to consider the future impact of your injuries. It is also challenging to quantify the psychological and emotional trauma you may have suffered in your trucking accident.
With this in mind, one of the tips for hiring a truck accident attorney is to look for a lawyer with significant experience in representing injury victims who have suffered catastrophic injuries.
Even if your injuries are not permanent, a lawyer with this background will be able to appreciate the specific types of harm you can suffer in a truck accident and will better understand the amount of compensation that you can reasonably expect in your case.
5. Seek an Attorney Who Knows How to Hold Trucking Companies Accountable in California
Trucking companies, like other for-profit businesses, are primarily concerned with their bottom line. If they can escape liability for their drivers’ negligence or offer you a low ball settlement, they will generally attempt to do so. Even if they believe that the evidence of their liability is strong, they will attempt to settle your case for as little as possible.
In short, truck companies and their insurers are committed to protecting themselves from accountability when their employees and drivers act carelessly on the road.
When you and other truck driver accident victims go up against trucking companies, it can seem intimidating. These companies may try to play on your fears of missing out on compensation to encourage you to settle on terms that are favorable for them.
Truck accident attorneys help to level the playing field, giving you access to the same legal tools and knowledge that trucking companies and their insurers possess. An experienced attorney will be able to give you an honest evaluation of your case so that you can make informed decisions about your legal options.
When you and your attorney decide on a course of action, your attorney can get to work countering the efforts of the trucking company and their insurers. As your advocate, your attorney’s representation relieves you of the responsibility to hold the negligent driver and their employer accountable for their actions.
6. Search for an Attorney with Extensive Experience Representing Clients in CA Courtrooms
When settlement talks fail, you may need to proceed with a lawsuit in a California civil court. The civil justice system is not user-friendly, though, and it can require a sharp learning curve for truck injury victims who want to represent themselves. After all, the court system has requirements for forms and pleadings to be filed and strict deadlines for when certain actions must take place.
Court staff members are not permitted to assist you in completing the tasks you need to do to file your case or advance it through the court system. The judge overseeing your case is not permitted to step in to assist you in making arguments, admitting evidence, or questioning witnesses.
Truck accident lawyers with experience in court can make a significant difference in the outcome of your case. Truck accident attorneys will explain the process for obtaining compensation and demystify the intimidating and unfamiliar steps in the civil justice system.
By partnering with the right law firm, your attorney can help you feel more involved and in control of what is happening with your case.
7. The Right Truck Accident Lawyer Will Fight to Pursue Fair Compensation
Ultimately, your goal in filing a claim or truck accident lawsuit should be to obtain justice in the form of a fair settlement or verdict. You should look for an attorney who shares these goals and is committed to helping you maximize your compensation.
When you and your attorney are aligned on this common objective, it becomes easier for you to trust and defer to your attorney’s judgment and strategic choices.
With this in mind, the next of our tips for hiring a truck accident attorney who is suited to your case is to avoid lawyers who seem to only be out for your money. If they promise you big rewards that far exceed your losses or make other wild guarantees about the size of recovery you could receive, then you should proceed with caution.
These lawyers may be capable of handling your claim, but they may end up over promising and under delivering if they aren’t being realistic.
Because many lawyers who handle trucking accident cases do so on a contingency fee basis and obtain a percentage of the compensation they attain for you, they are encouraged to fight for the largest possible settlement for you. However, if a lawyer is unable to support your claim with the right evidence, you may not attain the promised results.
That’s why it’s important to partner with an experienced truck accident attorney who can show their history with similar cases and talk through the results you can realistically expect.
Contact a Truck Accident Lawyer Today for Help with Your Case
Being involved in a trucking accident can be a traumatic experience, one that leaves you feeling vulnerable and uncertain. You do not need to let these feelings prevent you from taking advantage of your legal rights, though.
With the help of an experienced truck accident attorney, you can pursue a claim for compensation and seek redress for your injuries through a settlement or verdict.
Your chances of a successful outcome improve when you seek out a lawyer or law firm that has significant experience in trucking crash victims. Your attorney should also demonstrate an appreciation of the complexity of truck accidents.
At The Law Offices of Steven Gimblin, our team has years of experience successfully obtaining compensation for trucking crash victims and others harmed in motor vehicle crashes throughout California. Through skilled and tenacious advocacy, we will fight for your right to recover the compensation you need and deserve. This can include compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, emotional trauma, and other harm.
Contact The Law Offices of Steven Gimblin today if you or a loved one have been hurt in a California trucking crash.
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