When To Hire An Attorney For A Truck Accident

After a truck accident, you may be wondering if you should hire an attorney. Not every personal injury case requires one, but many truck accident claims are incredibly complex, and an attorney’s resources can significantly increase your chance of success. Here are a few situations when it is in your best interests to have legal representation.

Injuries Are Severe

Truck accidents often cause devastating and life-changing injuries, which is why in most cases, hiring a trucking accident attorney is the right choice. Severe injuries mean extensive current and future medical bills, current and future lost wages, and property damage. Many victims are also unable to earn income at the same level as before the accident. With so much on the line, you cannot risk settling for lower than the amount of compensation you need to recover and remain financially secure.

An attorney will be able to accurately estimate the value of your case and how much compensation you will require for future needs. If necessary, they have the resources to hire experts who can testify to the extent of your injury, injury prognosis, the treatment you will need, expected length of recovery, and how your life will be impacted to validate your case’s worth. However, there are cases when accidents result in a temporary disability or mild injury that will still benefit from hiring a personal injury attorney. They will make sure you get the compensation you need.

Multiple Parties are Liable

If liability may fall on multiple parties, you may have to file several claims. Unfortunately, that also means dealing with multiple insurance companies. In this situation, an attorney will be critical to help you investigate your accident to determine the extent of each party’s liability and gather evidence to prove it. They will also help you navigate the claims process and handle all communication with the insurance adjusters, including negotiations for fair settlements.

Liability is Disputed

If the responsible party denies liability, contact an attorney. If they can successfully place blame on you, Nevada’s rule of “modified comparative negligence” will reduce your compensation. Under this law, each party is assigned a percentage of fault for their contribution to the accident, and lowers their compensation accordingly. For example, if you are awarded $100,000 and found 30 percent to blame, you will only receive 70 percent of the award or $70,000. If you are found to be more than 50 percent to blame, you cannot recover any compensation. When fault is disputed, you will need strong evidence to support your claim. An attorney can help you preserve vital evidence that quickly disappears after an accident, for example:

• Photos and videos of the accident scene and the damage to each vehicle
• Available surveillance footage
• The truck’s black box, which contains critical data on the vehicle prior to the accident, such as its speed, whether brakes were applied, daily or monthly engine activity that shows if the truck driver’s hours spent on the road exceeded federal regulations, steering angles, following distance, the force of impact, maintenance issues, and more.
• The truck driver’s logbook that documents their hours of service and whether they violated federal laws that dictate how often breaks must be taken.
• Eyewitness statements
• Results of the driver’s toxicology report
• Truck maintenance records
• And more

An attorney will ensure an in-depth investigation is completed so that liability falls on the appropriate parties.

Your Claim Gets Denied

If the at-fault party’s insurance company denies your claim, consult an attorney as soon as possible. Insurance adjusters are known for using tactics to devalue or deny valid claims. A lawyer will look over your case and advise you on the best course of action. It is important to note that you are not required to talk to an at-fault party’s insurance company at all and should never make a recorded statement before first consulting an accident attorney.