Category: truck accident

You Shouldn’t Feel Guilty About Asking for a Fair Outcome After a Truck Accident

Sometimes, it’s pressure from the insurance company that is making you feel a little guilty—or even accusations that you did something wrong before, during, or after the truck wreck that should reduce the amount of your claim. Sometimes, it’s just the shock of seeing the true “price tag” on the full extent of your injuries and losses. Either way, you shouldn’t feel guilty about asking for what you legitimately deserve from the insurance company for what you’ve been through because of the accident.

You have a legal right to recover financially when you are hurt because a negligent trucker or trucking company caused an accident. Realize that:

• You were hurt because of someone else’s negligence. You didn’t ask to get hurt, and you are suffering life-changing injuries because someone else made a bad decision or didn’t follow through with their responsibilities.
• Your injuries could affect you and your family for years to come. The injuries caused by an 18-wheeler or other large, commercial truck are often very serious and disabling. Your injury claim should account for the care you will need over your lifetime because of the accident.
• You may have lost more than the cost of your medical bills. A serious truck accident can affect your ability to work, take care of your family, and participate in day-to-day activities. It can also leave you in severe, long-term pain. This is part of the reason why the law allows the victims of truck accidents to recover for less obvious costs, like pain and suffering.

Don’t accept less for the painful experience you’ve been thrown into by a negligent truck driver or trucking company. You can get the help you need to fight for your rights by contacting our law office today at 312-332-1400 or starting an online chat with one of our live operators.

Insurance Companies Don’t Always Act Reasonably When Working With Truck Accident Victims

You’re angry about how the truck accident happened. You’re in pain from your injuries. You’re worried about how much your medical care costs and how long you’ve been unable to go back to work. Your life feels like a mess, and you’re hardly looking forward to fighting with the insurance company for the compensation you deserve—but you know it’s the only way to hold a negligent company responsible for the accident and get the financial help you need. So you decide you’re just going to put your emotions aside, go through the formal steps, and be as reasonable as possible while you wait for a decision from the insurance company.

Unfortunately, it’s not always enough.

How Insurance Companies’ Unreasonable Behavior Becomes a Weapon Against You

When people get very seriously hurt in accidents with commercial trucks, insurance companies and the trucking companies they work with have a lot to lose. Although it seems to clear to you that the driver or company was to blame for what happened, it’s unlikely that the insurance company will simply pay you the full value of your claim and send you on your way. It’s not fair, but most victims and their families have to fight for the financial help they deserve—and being reasonable is only one part of the burden.

While it’s true that you should always be polite when speaking with representatives of the insurance company or trucking company, you shouldn’t get too comfortable. It is the insurance company’s job to pay you as little as possible for your injury claim. And while you should be realistic and reasonable about what you expect from a claim, you shouldn’t be too quick to accept the first settlement or assume you’re being told the whole story about your rights.

Being polite and doing everything the insurance company wants you to do probably won’t help you get the results you need from a truck accident case. Learn more about your rights and how to protect yourself by contacting our law office at 312-332-1400.

Children Are Vulnerable to Long-Term Physical and Emotional Difficulties After a Truck Wreck

A child’s mind and body are still developing, so an impact with a heavy commercial truck at a young age can have a long-term effect on his or her wellbeing. While the injuries are not always visible or obvious immediately after the wreck, a serious collision can leave “hidden” injuries that can cause problems as a child ages. This includes both:

• Physical injuries. While a child’s body is more flexible than an adult’s body, it is also smaller and still developing. While children may be resilient in some respects, the impact of a truck accident can cause damage to bones, muscles, organs, and nerves in ways that aren’t easily detected or repaired. The effect an injury may have on a child’s physical health over time can be unpredictable, even when injuries seem relatively minor at first.
• Emotional injuries. Being hit by an 18-wheeler is a terrifying experience for anyone, but it can be especially traumatic for children. The trauma of the accident, adjustment to their own injuries, and coming to terms with the injuries of family members can be very hard on kids—and these kinds of emotional injuries can persist long after physical injuries have healed.

Your family’s health is always your priority. Don’t hesitate to talk to your child’s doctor about follow-up care and immediately report any changes or concerns as your child recovers. If your family needs additional support and answers about your rights after a collision with tractor-trailer or commercial truck, you can also reach out to our experienced legal team at 312-332-1400 or toll-free at 312-332-1400.

Three Things You Shouldn’t Give to the Trucking Company’s Insurance Adjuster

Before you understand your rights as the victim of a truck accident, it’s easy to make serious mistakes that might threaten your ability to recover financial compensation for what happened. If you have recently been hurt, here are three things you should avoid giving the insurance company until you’ve had a chance to talk with your own attorney:

• A written statement. Outside of the initial police report, you should be wary of filling out or signing any documents you receive from the trucking company or its insurer. The written statements you submit can be twisted out of context and used to minimize your claim, so it’s important to look over each and every document you receive with an attorney of your choice.
• A recorded statement. You may be asked to give a statement about the accident and your injuries—whether over the phone or in person—that will be recorded. You should never do this without understanding your rights and talking to an attorney first, and in most cases, these statements aren’t even necessary to resolve your claim.
• Access to your medical records. The insurance company may ask you to sign a form that releases all your medical records to them for the purposes of resolving your claim. While that may seem innocent and reasonable enough, you should realize that the insurance company almost never needs access to your entire medical record. Instead, you can work with your legal representative to make sure that your medical privacy is protected and only relevant records are released.

Do you have questions about what to do after becoming the victim of a negligent truck driver? Don’t hesitate to contact our law office at 312-332-1400 for help—or even just request a free copy of our book, The 8 Steps to Follow After Your Illinois Car Accident.

Who Are All These People Contacting You After Your Truck Accident?

You’ve been hit by an 18-wheeler, tractor-trailer, or commercial truck. While you’re at home recovering from your injuries—or even while you’re still in the hospital receiving treatment for the accident—you start getting all kinds of phone calls from different people who want to “help” you with your potential insurance claim or “just get a little information.” They may even contact your spouse or other family members, especially if you’ve been very badly hurt. But who are all these people—and what do they want?

Numerous Insurance Adjusters and Company Representatives May Try to Contact Your Family After You’ve Been Hurt

Victims of major truck accidents are often completely unaware that the trucking companies and insurance companies involved in the accident immediately spring into action to manage—and minimize—your injury claim. As these companies prepare to defend against any potential claim of negligence, victims might be contacted by insurance adjusters from:

• The trucking company’s insurance company
• The commercial driver’s insurance company
• Insurance companies for other driver who were also involved in the wreck

In some cases, you or your family may even be contacted by company attorneys or representatives of the trucking company. However, no matter who contacts you about a truck-accident claim, remember that anything you say could be used to minimize your claim later on—so it’s important to know your rights.

If you are being contacted by insurance adjusters and aren’t sure what to do, don’t hesitate to contact our law office at 312-332-1400 for immediate help—or even just take a moment to learn more about your rights by reading through a free and informative copy of our book, The 8 Steps to Follow After Your Illinois Car Accident.

Medical Orders Play a Big Part in Victims’ Claims for Lost Wages After a Truck Accident

Although records from your workplace and other evidence of your wages are key parts of the documentation needed to prove a claim for lost wages after a truck accident, don’t overlook the importance of your doctor. As you follow orders and get the treatment you need for your injuries, make sure you are communicating with your physician about your limitations and your ability to work.

While insurance companies, attorneys, your co-workers and boss, and even your friends and family may have opinions about when you should return to work or the kinds of activities you can participate, the truth is that it really comes down to you and your doctor. Medical documentation not only helps to establish your accident-related injuries, it helps to show when and why you were away from work. Your doctor is the person who makes recommendations about whether you should try to work during your recovery, when you might be able to return, and what your long-term limitations may be—and all of this documentation can help you support your claim that you lost wage income because you were hurt.

Your health and wellbeing should be the priority after you’ve been hurt in an accident with a commercial truck, but the future of your financial wellbeing matters, too. Be honest with your doctor about your limitations, and don’t be afraid to ask a doctor or an attorney about how to document the time you take off work due to an accident.

Do you have questions about proving lost wages after a truck accident? Contact our law office directly at 312-332-1400 to speak with an experienced attorney about your situation and concerns today.