How Can a Los Angeles Truck Accident Lawyer Help Me?

How can a Los Angeles truck accident lawyer help me? That is an important question if you or a loved one has been affected by a truck accident in which you were the driver or victim. Compensation can help you cope with the aftermath, and this can be extensive. Without a vehicle accident lawyer experienced in handling truck accident claims managing your case, you are unlikely to be fully compensated. We look at how a truck accident injury lawyer can assist you with your case.

 

The Role of a Truck Accident Attorney

It is a serious accident when someone is hit by a truck because these vehicles weigh so much compared to a normal car. An incident can cause anything from mild to severe trauma and injuries, even leading to wrongful death. You will need the expertise and resources of the best wrongful death lawyers in California for such cases.

It is important that you collect detailed information and proof to use in your claim case. This must be supported by a legal team comprising a road accident lawyer with decades of experience in such matters. Your accident injury lawyers will undertake the following steps on your behalf:

  • Analyze how severe the case is
  • Work out how much you should be compensated for all aspects of the claim
  • Undertake negotiations with the other party
  • Defend your rights

Determining How Severe a Case is

Factors that road traffic accident lawyers use to determine how severe a case is include the following:

  • The party who is liable for the traffic accident
  • Any negligence on the part of the truck driver
  • Compliance with the safety standards that the truck driver’s company failed to uphold
  • Any other contributions to the cause of the accident

Where more than one party is responsible for the crash, this can push up the amounts that can be claimed, and your accident injury lawyers will be in the best position to determine this and carry out the calculations. You will need to have substantial proof of liability to make your claim against the guilty party/parties.

Under no circumstances should you accept a preliminary settlement from the insurers of the truck driver and the company they work for before the claim for restitution has been made. This may make you appear guilty, and your road accident lawyer will warn you against this. Always be guided by your road traffic accident lawyers in every aspect of the case. The same applies if a loved one was killed in the accident and you and your wrongful death lawyers are fighting this on behalf of the deceased person.

 

Calculating the Cost of Damages

A claim for damages after a truck accident includes economic items and non-economic damages like pain and suffering, which can be harder to calculate. In the case of a fatality, a wrongful death settlement lawyer is essential to getting the best possible settlement for the bereaved family or partner of the deceased. Either way, your road traffic accident lawyers will do the necessary calculations and file a claim for you.

The economic charges that result from a truck accident are:

  • Lost wages. If you have a permanent or temporary disability, you will need to recover future earnings as well.
  • Medical Expenses. This includes both past and future medical expense for potentially the rest of your life.
  • Property Damage. Your own vehicle and other property might have been damaged in the crash and needs to be paid for.
  • With the likelihood of your or a loved one having physical injuries, you will have to pay medical expenses for tests and treatment, such as by medical practitioners, specialists, physiotherapists etc., as well as an account for hospitalization and occupational therapy in a special clinic.

Non-economic damages include:

  • Mental suffering
  • Physical Pain
  • Loss of Enjoyment of life
  • Physical disfigurement
  • Anxiety
  • Grief

You are entitled to claim for all these damages. How they are calculated may differ from state to state. This is another reason that you need the expert help of a road accident lawyer California. They will also advise you on timeframes within which a claim must be lodged.

 

Negotiating the Full Value of Your Compensation Claim

You will be up against the legal team for the trucking company. It is essential that you refrain from making any statements or offering information if they contact you. Remember that they are experts in getting the opposition to implicate themselves or getting the claim amount reduced.

It is also necessary for your own legal team to negotiate your compensation and keep the focus on the facts and the claim amount they have calculated for you.

 

Fighting for Your Rights

Once your accident injury lawyers have accepted your case, they will fight for your rights. It is important that you listen to their legal advice and act accordingly. Remember that these are legal instructions provided by road traffic accident lawyers and not just ‘good advice’ offered by a friend.

Your vehicle accident lawyers must be experienced attorneys in truck accident cases and competent in every way to take on your case. They will know how the state operates and what the deadlines are for each stage. This will enable them to submit the necessary documents in time, and in doing so, this will prevent the case from being dismissed.

Armed with this information, you can obtain the best truck accident or wrongful death lawyers California if the victim perished due to the accident. Alternatively, if you are the victim, you need the best truck accident lawyers to ensure that deadlines in court and the legal process are complied with, that you get excellent advice, and that you achieve a settlement which is a fair and just compensation for your suffering and expenses. Most truck traffic accident lawyers will not charge you for the initial appointment and usually only once the settlement has been upheld in court so that you need not worry about legal fees while the case is being heard. This makes it vitally important that you choose an attorney with the willingness to fight your case on your behalf.

Here at Karns & Karns Personal Injury and Accident Attorneys, we have the experience and expertise necessary to take on your truck accident claim. With the right backing, you can take comfort that you are receiving the best legal care.

What to Say to Your Insurance Company After a Car or Semi-Truck Accident

After being involved in a car accident, you might experience a whirlwind of emotions and it can be quite terrifying. Even if you are lucky enough to not be seriously hurt, the stress, worry and anxiety after a car accident feels awful, and could lead you to act or speak in a way that might compromise your best interests when it comes to your case.

In fact, your insurance company or that of the other driver might be waiting for you to say the wrong thing. For example, apologizing at the scene might feel natural to you if the other driver has been hurt or their car is wrecked. But while you might be saying sorry just to be nice, insurance companies might take this as an admission of fault and hold you liable for the accident, even if you weren’t at fault.

 

What to Say to the Insurance Company After an Accident

You will likely get a call from the claim adjuster from your insurance company around a few days after the accident, in which they will want to get more information on the details of what happened. It’s important to bear in mind that insurance companies are looking out for themselves rather than you. Because of this, you need to be prepared for them to be looking out for any reasons to reduce your payout as much as they can. The best way to avoid giving them anything to use to do this is to say nothing at all and hire an experience personal injury attorney.  If you find that you must provide a statement keep your conversation as short and to the point as possible. Some tips to keep in mind include:

Give General Information

When speaking to your insurance company, you are only obligated to provide general or basic details about the accident. This includes personal information about yourself such as your name, the type of car you were driving when the accident happened, the other cars involved, the names of other people involved in the accident, where the accident happened, when it happened, and information on the other driver’s insurance company.

 

Don’t Provide a Recorded Statement

You are not under any legal obligation to provide a recorded statement to your insurance company. It is important to avoid recording a final verbal statement, without consulting a good car accident or personal injury lawyer beforehand, who can help you do this in a way that is in the best interests of your case.

 

Don’t Be Too Specific

Even if you have got medical attention after being involved in the accident and are aware of the extent of your injuries, it is important to avoid giving a detailed description of them or providing a final statement regarding your injuries to the insurance company. This is because after a car crash, injuries may appear later down the line, especially if you have internal injuries that are not always obvious. Along with this, there is also the risk of your current injuries escalating into something more serious.

 

What You Should Never Say After a Car Accident

Whether you are talking to the insurance company, the other driver involved, or witnesses at the scene, it’s important to choose your words carefully after a car accident. The vocabulary that you use could lead to problems with your case after a car accident, even if you said them innocently or meaning well. Some things that you should always avoid saying after a car accident include:

Sorry

Even if you are simply the type of person who apologizes a lot and you feel bad for the other driver involved, apologizing to them is always a bad idea. Even if you think that you might be at fault for the accident, don’t say sorry to the other driver. This is because any witnesses to the interaction might see this as an admission of guilt or taking responsibility for the accident.

 

That You Don’t Have an Attorney

If you are contacted by your insurance company before you have had the chance to get in touch with us here at Karns & Karns Personal Injury & Accident Attorneys, the last thing you should do is admit to them that you don’t have a lawyer yet. If your insurance company knows that you do not have any legal representation, they might try to reduce your compensation. For example, they may offer a quick settlement, which will typically be significantly lower than the amount you could have received.

 

Let’s Handle It Ourselves

You should always tell your insurance company about any car accidents that you are involved in. It’s not uncommon if you have a minor crash that only causes a little bit of damage to your car, and has not led to any serious injuries, to consider simply not telling your insurance company about it, getting the cars fixed and getting on with your life. However, it’s important to resist the urge to avoid reporting a car accident, especially if it was only a fender bender. The truth is that you may be due compensation for any crash, and not reporting a car accident to your insurance company will only make it harder to receive the payout you are owed.

If you’ve been involved in a car crash, then it’s important to carefully choose the words you use at the scene and when talking to your insurance company. Get in touch with our experienced lawyers today if you need advice on what to say. Call us at 877-557-4221.