Three Reasons to Be Patient in the Truck Accident Injury Settlement Process
A serious truck accident can leave a person with immense damages. There is a natural instinct to want to move past the accident, get a settlement, and start putting the pieces back together. At the same time, rushing through the personal injury claims process could be a serious mistake in a truck accident. Trucking companies and their insurers are aggressive. They fight hard to settle claims for less. A quick settlement is too often a lowball settlement. In this article, our West Palm Beach eighteen wheeler accident lawyer highlights three reasons why it is so important to take a patient approach to the settlement process.
#1: You Need to Reach Maximum Medical Improvement to Know the Value of Your Damages
If you were seriously hurt in a truck accident in Florida, you have the right to seek compensation for the full extent of your damages through a fault-based personal injury claim. A truck accident claim should not be settled before there is a reasonably clear understanding of the victim’s medical prognosis. Maximum medical improvement (MMI) is the point at which a condition has stabilized and further significant recovery is not reasonably expected. Settling too early creates a serious risk that future losses will be underestimated. Once a release is signed, additional compensation is generally unavailable.
#2: Insurance Companies Often Lead With a Lowball Settlement Offer as a Strategy
Trucking companies and their insurance companies are not on the side of injured victims. When liability is clear, they want to settle for less. Remember, a fast settlement offer is not necessarily a fair settlement offer. Commercial trucking insurers may make an early proposal before the injured victim has completed treatment, calculated future losses, or obtained evidence establishing the full scope of liability. The insurer may be attempting to resolve a potentially high-value claim before costly damages become documented. A West Palm Beach semi-truck accident lawyer can help you negotiate for the maximum settlement.
#3: A Proper Truck Accident Investigation Can Take Time
Commercial truck accidents are complicated. A number of different parties may potentially be liable for a crash. Indeed, truck accident liability may extend well beyond the individual driver. Depending on the facts, potentially responsible parties may include the motor carrier, vehicle owner, maintenance contractor, freight broker, shipper, loading company, or manufacturer. Determining responsibility can require review of electronic logging device data, driver qualification files, dispatch communications, maintenance records, inspection reports, onboard video, event data recorder information, and federal regulatory compliance records. Beyond that, multiple insurance policies may also provide overlapping or excess coverage. All of these issues should be assessed before your claim is settled.
Speak to Our West Palm Beach Truck Accident Lawyer Today
At Pike & Lustig, LLP, our West Palm Beach semi-truck accident attorney is standing by, ready to help. If you have any questions or concerns about settlement negotiations, we are here to help. Give us a call now or connect with us online to set up a no cost, no strings attached case evaluation. Our firm handles semi-truck accident claims throughout South Florida.
