A truck accident lawyer can help you navigate the insurance claim procedures, deal directly with the insurance company’s claims adjuster on your behalf, negotiate for a settlement, and file a lawsuit, if necessary, to seek compensation for your injuries.

How Truck Accidents are Different From Car Crashes

It can be hard enough to try to handle a car wreck case without the help of a lawyer, but because truck accidents involve more issues than most other motor vehicle incidents, a lawyer can be extremely helpful in these cases. Here are some of the differences between an ordinary two-car fender-bender and a crash involving a large truck:

  • A large truck loaded with cargo can weigh many times more than a passenger vehicle. When a heavy truck hits someone, a person can sustain more grievous injuries than would typically occur in a lighter vehicle.
  • Because of its height, length, load, weight, and proportions, a large truck will often behave differently than a car when in a crisis. Accident reconstruction experts can evaluate and prove what caused the wreck.
  • The length and weight of a large truck can mean that the vehicle will need more distance to come to a stop and avoid hitting a car.
  • State and federal laws regulate the trucking industry. An experienced truck accident lawyer will know how to find out if the truck driver or freight company violated any of these rules. Failure to obey the regulations can affect the defendant’s liability for harm that results from the conduct.
  • In a typical two-car crash, you usually only have to deal with the insurance company of the at-fault driver. In a truck accident, there might be several liability insurance carriers–for the truck driver, the trucking company, the cargo owner or loader, and other parties. It can be tricky to sort out which insurers have to pay in these situations.

These examples are just a few of the differences between car and truck accidents.

Pitfalls That a Truck Accident Lawyer Can Help You Avoid

You have heard the maxim, “Ignorance of the law is no excuse.” The courts do not care that you are not a lawyer. It can hurt or destroy your claim for money damages if you make a mistake after a truck accident. Here are some of the common situations that you should try to avoid.

Navigating Georgia’s Statutes of Limitations

Georgia, like every state, sets a limit on the amount of time you have to file a lawsuit seeking compensation for your injuries and other losses after a truck accident. No matter how severe your injuries, if you miss the deadline, the law can bar you from ever getting to take your case to court.

Linking Your Injuries to the Accident

You should seek medical attention immediately after a truck accident. Prompt medical care will give you the best chance for optimal recuperation. Also, some injuries do not always show signs right away, even though you might be experiencing harm to your body. You might have internal bleeding or a head injury without realizing it until you are in critical condition.

Another reason that you need to see a health care provider right after a truck accident is to protect your right to financial compensation for your losses. Your medical records can provide an essential link between your injuries and the crash. If you wait a day or two or longer to seek medical care, the defendant will likely allege that you were hurt from something other than the truck accident.

Obtaining Full Compensation

Getting a lawyer on your side at the beginning can remove the likelihood that the insurance company will be able to convince you to accept less money than you deserve. Claims adjusters sometimes make quick settlement offers to injured people early on in a claim. People often find out later on that they could have received more compensation but are barred from renegotiating for more.

A written statement given absent a lawyer helps the insurance company, not you. The adjuster can use your statements to justify paying you less money than you deserve or even denying your claim.

Do not settle your truck accident case without first completing all of your medical treatment. Until your doctor says that you have healed up as much as you are going to, you do not know what loss of function and other future problems you might experience. If you settle with the insurer and your doctor later tells you that you need surgery, you cannot obtain more money from the insurance company to pay for the operation.

S. Burke Law Wants to Help You

If you want caring, responsive legal services for your truck accident case, contact S. Burke Law. We treat our clients like family, and we work hard to get you every dollar that you deserve. Call us today at (404) 842-7838 for a free consultation.