When Should You Hire a Truck Accident Attorney?

The vast majority of our clients injured in a truck accident have zero experience with serious accidents and zero experience with the civil justice system.

Meanwhile, trucking companies and their insurance companies handle serious injury cases and claims every single day. Within hours (if not minutes) of a serious semi-truck crash, insurance companies dispatch claims personnel to the scene to investigate the accident.

Unlike crash investigations by law enforcement, these insurance company claims investigators do not aim to learn the “who, what, when, where, whys” of the truck accident.

Instead, they conduct their own investigation with a single goal: Limit the trucking company’s liability. In layman’s terms, they aim to keep as much money as possible in their coffers and out of the hands of injured people.

The short answer: You should hire a lawyer soon after a truck accident

The unfortunate reality is that most truck accident victims start off behind the eight ball. A good trucking insurance company begins the defense of its case before the injured party emerges from surgery.

That is why you must hire an experienced trucking attorney as soon as possible after a serious crash. You need to level the investigation playing field by hiring an experienced truck accident lawyer.

How does a truck accident lawyer help my case?

Whenever we sign up a truck crash case, we send out spoliation letters to the trucking company, driver, and insurance company within 24 hours of signing up a case. These spoliation letters advise the trucking company of potential litigation and trigger their obligation to maintain any evidence that may be related to the crash.

Unfortunately, we have seen it all over the years. From refusing to turn over company safety manuals to destroying all telephone call recordings from the company’s recorded dispatch line, these companies will sometimes stop at nothing to protect their bottom line.

Hiring a lawyer protects you from unwanted calls from insurance adjusters

Another reason it’s essential to hire an attorney as soon as possible following a truck accident crash is that the trucking insurance companies involved in the crash will attempt to draw damaging statements out of you right away.

Oftentimes, they will ask you for information about the crash or your medical treatment. When all is said and done, your situation is your business! Not the business of the negligent trucking company.

They are not asking for this information because they’re trying to help you. Rather, they’re looking for any piece of information that will limit the amount of money that their company has to pay you.

Adjusters have been known to advise injured victims against hiring an attorney, or recommend that you sign a release absolving them.

When you hire a truck accident lawyer, you will not have to deal with any insurance companies or their attorneys. Instead, your attorney will shoulder the stresses and burdens of your litigation so that you can focus on what’s most important: recovering from your injuries.

Experienced truck accidents lawyers will file your case ASAP

Lastly, hiring a lawyer right away following a truck accident helps ensure that your case is filed on time. There are time limitations to bring lawsuits against certain parties.

Too many times over the years, we have had clients come to us long after a violent collision. Sometimes, we have had to turn down accepting a prospective client’s case because the statute of limitations (the period of time to file a lawsuit) has already expired.

Consulting with a truck accident attorney as soon as possible costs nothing, and it can save you a lot of time, money, and headaches that come if a deadline is blown.

Injured in a truck accident? Contact us today. We’re ready to help you.

If you have any questions about whether to hire an attorney or how to hire the right attorney following a truck accident, please feel free to call our office to set up a consultation. You can call us at (312) 578-9501 or message us here.

You are also welcome to download a copy of my book on truck accident lawsuits: Avoiding a Trucking Nightmare. The book contains answers to a lot of our clients’ most frequently asked questions.