How to Get a Fair Settlement in Your Semi Truck Crash Case

Somehow, you survived a terrible crash with an enormous, fully loaded semi-truck. You submit an insurance claim, expecting to be fairly compensated for your medical bills, lost income, destroyed property, and all the anguish the crash caused. But that’s not what happened.

The company offered you an astonishingly low number that doesn’t even cover your existing medical bills. It starts making excuses and blaming you for the truck wreck. You feel cheated, sad, and afraid. Sure, you need the money, but it’s not a fair offer. What should you do next?

Insurance companies often bully innocent crash victims into accepting low settlements. In this blog, the Andy Citrin team outlines strategies for calculating your claim’s value and getting the compensation you deserve.

Insurance Companies Are More Concerned About Profits Than People

After a crash, the trucking and insurance companies will do their best to ensure you walk away with the smallest settlement possible. While they might seem nice, the insurance adjuster has one job: to settle your case as quickly and cheaply as possible.

Sometimes, the adjuster will offer you a quick settlement and suggest that hiring a lawyer is a waste of time and money. Or, they will drag your claim out, hoping that you’ll give up and accept a tiny payout. Other times, the adjuster insists that your case is worth much less than the trucking company’s policy limits.

If you don’t know the real value of your case, it’s hard to fight back.

Steps You Can Take to Make Sure You Get a Fair Settlement

When lawyers and the insurance company calculate the value of your case, they look at a variety of factors, including:

• Your medical expenses
• Lost income and wage-earning capacity
• Pain and suffering
• The strength of your evidence
• The trucking company’s defenses
• The insurance policy’s limits

Some of this analysis is difficult, unless you’re an experienced injury lawyer or insurance professional. However, there are some simple things you can do to regain control. Here are four things victims can do to help add up the value of their case.

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1. Collect All of Your Medical Bills

Medical bills are essential to calculating the value of your personal injury settlement. Keep track of everything you have to pay out-of-pocket, including co-pays, mileage to and from appointments, prescription medications, and medical care not covered by your insurance.

We suggest keeping all of your medical bills, receipts, and health insurance notices in a folder. That way, you won’t have to go hunting for information when it’s time to calculate your losses.

2. Talk to Your Doctors About Your Limitations

Many survivors need to change their lifestyle after an accident. You may not be able to work right away, or at all. Or, you may find it challenging to take care of your house, animals, or family. If your injuries may result in permanent or long-lasting disabilities, your doctors can help you understand what that future might look like, including your ability to work.

3. Assess Your Need for Future Medical Care

Many injuries require long-term care, like physical therapy, additional surgeries and testing, prescription medication, and nursing care. If your injuries need ongoing attention, you should take these costs into consideration while negotiating a settlement. You or your lawyer should talk to your doctor about your future medical needs and ask about the potential cost of this care.

4. Evaluate Your Living Situation

If you need to use a wheelchair or other mobility device after a crash, your house may need to be updated to accommodate your new reality. Write down every change your home needs to be safe and usable, including adding a ramp, an accessible shower or bathtub, and cupboards you can easily access from a chair or walker. Consider getting estimates from contractors, so you know what these projects will cost.

Truck Wreck Attorneys Can Help Victims Get Fair Settlements

When you’ve survived a terrible truck crash, you should focus on your healing, not litigation. At Andy Citrin Injury Attorneys, we’ve seen firsthand how the stress of handling your own case is often too much for victims who are trying to put their lives back together. If you’re struggling to understand your case’s value, get your life back together, or move forward, it’s a sign you should consult with an experienced truck crash attorney who can help you get justice, compensation, and closure.

RELATED: 5 Reasons to Call a Personal Injury Lawyer

If You’ve Been Hurt in a Crash, You Need a Lawyer Who Can Win for You

At Andy Citrin Injury Attorneys, we’ve been fighting for truck crash victims like you for years. We understand how hard it is to stay strong through such a difficult time, which is why we pride ourselves on our incredible tenacity, grit, and quality of representation. Thanks to our no-nonsense, hard-working approach, we’ve won over $500 million for victims in Alabama, Mississippi, and along the Gulf Coast.

If you or someone you love has been hurt in a crash and it wasn’t their fault, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We’ll meet with you in a free, private consultation to discuss your case. In that consultation, we’ll help you understand your claim’s value, and offer you down-to-earth advice about what to do next. To schedule an appointment, simply give us a call at  251-888-8888 or fill out our simple online contact form.

We look forward to hearing from you!

The content provided here is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice on any subject.