Truck accidents are notorious for taking longer to settle than other types of accidents. Waiting for your settlement can be nerve-wracking, especially when you have costly injuries. Not knowing why your claim is taking so long to settle can also be a stressful situation.
Knowing the factors that impact how long your case takes to settle is vital information. Our lawyers at the Buzbee Law Firm will discuss them so that you can be aware of potential setbacks. Read on to learn how a Texas truck accident lawyer can help you avoid setbacks and get you the compensation you deserve.
Determining Liability in a Truck Accident Takes Time
To hold the truck driver and other parties that may have contributed to the accident accountable, you must be able to prove that they are liable for your injuries. A lawyer can help you prove the elements of negligence to hold the right parties responsible.
If there is more than one party at fault, the most common is the driver, the insurance company will assign the percentage of fault to each party based on how much they contributed to the accident. Your lawyer and the insurance company will investigate the details of the truck accident once you file your claim.
While this should be an easy process, establishing liability in truck accidents can be difficult. One of the reasons for this is because insurance companies often try to turn the blame back onto truck accident victims even if there is clear evidence of the truck driver’s fault, just to benefit themselves.
Waiting for Injuries to Heal Can Delay Your Claim Settling
How long you take to recover is one of the most important factors in how long your truck accident claim takes to settle. It’s important to heal as fully as you can before you and your lawyer attempt to calculate damages. Some common medical damages you may receive from a truck accident include:
- Room co-pays
- Prescriptions
- Surgeries
- Physical therapy
- Future medical costs
- Cost of transportation to medical treatments
If your injuries are severe, you may require a lot of treatment like surgeries and physical therapy. Unfortunately, the longer it takes you to recover as best as you can, the more time your case will take to settle. But after your doctor discharges you, you’ll have the most accurate estimate of how much your damages equal.
With this estimate, you have the best chance of getting the compensation that you deserve. Your truck accident lawyer can answer any questions you have about how your recovery can affect your settlement.
The Negotiation Process Can Drag On
After you file a truck accident claim, the insurance company may offer you a settlement. They will almost always give you a lowball settlement that isn’t even close to what you deserve. While the offer may seem good at the moment, because you are strapped for money, it will not benefit you in the long run.
Insurance companies offer these fast and low settlements to only benefit themselves by not having to pay out the full amount you deserve. This is when having a truck accident lawyer who knows how to negotiate quickly and effectively comes in handy. We know how insurance companies think, and we don’t let them get away with their tactics.
With experienced truck accident lawyers, it’s possible to speed up the negotiation process. Another factor that determines the length of the negotiation period is the severity of your injuries. If you have serious injuries, the negotiation phase will be shorter because it’s evident that the accident impacted you.
The Average Settlement Time Frame for a Texas Truck Accident Claim
While we cannot give you a specific amount of time of how long your case will take to settle, most truck accident cases settle within about 6 months. This includes the time from when you contact your lawyer to when your case settles. To be able to get a quick settlement, there must be enough evidence to be able to do so, as well as a short and effective negotiation process.
While it’s best to avoid going to court, there can be a long waiting period if you do end up having to go. During this time, we understand that you may be overwhelmed with bills, but our lawyers will do everything we can to speed up the process.
Get the Settlement You Deserve and Work with The Buzbee Law Firm
If you were in a truck accident in Texas, our attorneys at the Buzbee Law Firm are ready to pursue the negligent parties aggressively. Our negotiation skills and eagerness to fight for our clients’ rights have resulted in over $10 billion worth of compensation for our clients.
If you’re ready to get the compensation you deserve, we’re waiting to hear from you. Call us or fill out the form on our contact page to get a free consultation today.
