Television and movies show lawyers often in criminal contexts. Helping accused criminals in interrogations and in the courtroom makes for great drama, but it hides a lot of things that all lawyers do to help their clients, including truck accident lawyers.
What does a truck accident lawyer do for their clients, and why should you get one for your truck case? Let’s start by looking at what can happen to you if you don’t have a lawyer on your side.
Your Situation After a Truck Accident
Let’s assume you have a valid claim and the driver or the trucking company has insurance. You can get compensation through the insurance company, but the insurance company has its own interests. They want to pay as little as possible within the limits of the law and the policy to keep their profits up.
Insurance companies have armies of lawyers advising them how to handle cases to minimize payouts. These companies also have many tactics at their disposal to put pressure on you to take a lower settlement, from rushing you to sign documents accepting an early settlement, to delaying your case until your money runs out and you’re forced to take one.
You’re at a significant disadvantage, even if you have a powerful claim. They know all the rules and you don’t, and they’re not shy about twisting them to their advantage. You could end up with a settlement far less than you need or deserve, or even get your claim dismissed.
Truck Accident Lawyers Protect You
A lawyer is your legal representative and advocate. Their job is to protect your interests and get the results you desire within the limits of the law. Truck accident lawyers help their clients get compensation that’s much closer to the actual value of your damages.
As soon as you hire one, insurance companies are forced to communicate with them for all further negotiations, and your lawyer will give you instructions on what to do if they reach out to you after you have representation. This is an immediate burden off your shoulders and protects you from saying something they can twist later.
If you’ve felt like you only have one option in your claim, lawyers give you options. There may be routes to compensation you have no clue about. For instance, there could be multiple insurance policies you could claim against so you can raise your level of compensation.
What Truck Accident Lawyers Have to Prove
To win your case, all truck accident lawyers have to prove four things. Without these, you have no case. Before they negotiate with insurance companies about how much you’re owed, they need to build your case by showing:
- A duty of care
- A breach of that duty
- Causation of your injuries by that breach
- The damages caused by the breach
The first is easy in truck accident cases. All drivers have an automatic duty of care for other drivers by law. Breaching that duty is any act that a reasonable person would avoid, like driving drunk or running a red light. Basically, anything that could cause a collision.
Negligence alone isn’t enough for truck accident cases. There has to be an accident where you are injured because of the negligent act, and it has to cause your injuries. The last thing to prove is the ways you were damaged and how much they’re worth.
Truck Accident Lawyers Gather Evidence
After you hire a truck accident lawyer and receive initial advice, their first order of business is to gather all the evidence they can to prove the four things above. They’ll get documents like medical records and police reports, and speak with witnesses to get a complete picture of the situation.
That’s just a small picture of what they might do to gather evidence for your case. A strong case is necessary to get a solid settlement or to pursue a claim in court. The Buzbee Law Firm is an aggressive law firm that has gone to court many times for clients across the nation. We are not afraid of pushing a case that far.
Solid cases depend on solid evidence, and once your lawyer has it, they can make a much more accurate estimate of how much your case is worth. Negotiation is the next step.
Truck Accident Lawyers Negotiate for You
Remember that insurance companies want to settle for as little as possible, but it’s a calculated risk. Once you have a lawyer, insurance companies risk expensive litigation. The risk of trial, plus the strength of your case, is the leverage your truck accident lawyer needs to get you a fair settlement.
Your case may not need to go to trial if they balk and offer a proper settlement. Our firm is not afraid to go to trial, and you should choose a truck accident lawyer with trial experience. We’ve called the bluff of insurance companies many times, and they’ve paid for it many times.
Truck accident cases often involve significant injuries and policies are large enough to get big settlements. Don’t be afraid to pursue as much money as you truly need with the help of a lawyer.
Good Truck Accident Lawyers Fight
Finally, if your case goes as far as trial, then they fight for you in the courtroom and do their best to win your case. In hard cases, this could even happen multiple times through the appeals process.
There are also many, many smaller tasks that lawyers do for you, like filing paperwork on time for the court, enforcing settlement collection, and more. Truck accident lawyers do a lot more than you might think, and if you didn’t have one, you’d have to figure all this out yourself. Contact a lawyer today to learn more.
