Posted in Personal Injury on July 13, 2023
Every year, there are more than 300,000 semi-truck accidents in the U.S. that result in property damage. There are also more than 100,000 semi-truck accidents that result in drivers sustaining injuries and about 5,000 semi-truck accidents that lead to fatalities.
If you were recently involved in an accident involving a semi-truck that left you with injuries, you might be able to file a semi-truck injury claim. Doing this could put you in a position to collect compensation that you can use to pay for medical costs, auto repair bills, lost wages, and more.
Recovering from a trucking accident won’t always be easy. But you can make it a little less challenging by taking a truck accident case to court. You’ll just need to make sure you work your way through the semi-truck injury claim filing process in the correct way.
Here is a guide on how to file a semi-truck injury claim.
Locate a Great Truck Accident Lawyer
If you’re going to attempt to file a semi-truck injury claim, you won’t want to do it alone. It’ll help to have a truck accident lawyer guide you down the right path.
Fortunately, you shouldn’t have too much trouble finding one. There are thousands of lawyers operating throughout the country who can assist you with a truck accident case.
With that being said, you shouldn’t simply Google “truck accident lawyer near me” and hire the first option you can find. You should do your research on truck accident attorneys in the Billings, Montana area and look for one that has all the right attributes.
A great truck accident lawyer will have a wealth of experience and a wonderful reputation to boot. They’ll also have enough time to devote to your truck accident case at the moment.
Ask a Truck Accident Lawyer to Evaluate Your Case
Once you locate a truck accident lawyer you like, you should arrange to meet with them to discuss your truck accident case. They’ll be able to evaluate your semi-truck injury claim to see whether or not they would suggest you try to pursue it further.
First and foremost, they’ll make sure your claim hasn’t gone beyond the claim filing deadline that’s in place in Montana. They’ll also ask you questions about your truck accident to see if they believe your case would be strong enough to stand up in court.
Finally, they’ll look at some of the specific evidence from your case to get a better feel for it. It’ll give them all the information they’ll need to decide if they would like to take you on as a client and represent you in your legal battle.
Collect Evidence for Your Semi-Truck Injury Claim
If you and a truck accident lawyer decide you’d like to move forward with a semi-truck injury claim, you’ll begin working together to gather evidence for your claim. There will be quite a bit of evidence you’ll be able to collect to create the most compelling truck accident case possible.
Some of the evidence you’ll need to obtain with help from a truck accident lawyer will include:
- Police reports
- Witness testimonies
- Surveillance footage
- Dashcam videos
- Medical records
- And more
The more evidence you’re able to provide to a truck accident lawyer, the easier it’ll be for them to build an iron-clad case for you. You should be prepared to get down to business from the second you first sit down with them to discuss your case.
Let a Truck Accident Lawyer File Your Claim
After you and your truck accident lawyer have gathered enough evidence to create a strong case, your lawyer can work on actually filing your semi-truck injury claim in an official capacity. They’ll need to file certain semi-truck injury claim documents to let your local courts know you’ll be bringing a case against a particular entity.
You can file a semi-truck injury claim against a trucking company, a truck driver, an insurance company, or any number of other parties. Your lawyer will help you decide who you should file a claim against to give you the best chance of collecting the necessary compensation.
Allow a Truck Accident Lawyer to Negotiate a Settlement
Truck accident cases can get very complicated. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise if your case does end up playing out in a courtroom.
But prior to taking your case to court, a truck accident lawyer may choose to try to negotiate a settlement with a trucking company, a truck driver, an insurance company, etc. If they’re able to reach a settlement, it’ll help you collect compensation without having to set foot in court.
You don’t necessarily need to agree to a settlement offer if you don’t think it’s fair enough. But it would be worth exploring the idea of settling your truck accident case out of court to avoid the headaches that can sometimes come along with these cases when they reach a courtroom.
Take Your Semi-Truck Injury Claim to Court
If your truck accident lawyer isn’t able to negotiate a fair settlement for you, it’ll then be time for you to head to court to present your truck accident case. Your lawyer will do a lot of the heavy lifting when it comes to building your case and fighting on your behalf.
You will, however, need to be available to make court appearances related to your truck accident case. You might also need to explain what happened during your truck accident and talk about the impact it had on you.
Be sure to bring the right truck accident lawyer on board to help you make it through this part of the process. As long as everything goes according to plan, they should be able to position you to collect the compensation you deserve in the end.
Contact Us to Discuss Your Truck Accident Case
Are you interested in filing a semi-truck injury claim in the aftermath of a recent truck accident? Heenan & Cook would be more than happy to help you do it.
Before becoming a lawyer, attorney John Heenan was an over-the-road truck driver. As a lawyer, John and the attorneys at Heenan & Cook have successfully prosecuted numerous truck accident claims. Touch base with us today to learn more about how we can assist you with a semi-truck injury claim.