When a large truck collides with a smaller vehicle, the outcome can be catastrophic. Victims may face serious injuries, long recovery times, and financial stress. Understanding how 18-wheeler accident compensation works is essential to protecting your rights and securing the help you need.
Insurance companies that represent trucking corporations work quickly to limit their financial exposure. Victims are left confused about what their case is worth and how to move forward. This Deldar Legal guide answers the most common questions about 18-wheeler accident compensation and explains why working with a qualified injury lawyer is the best way to protect your future.
What Happens if an 18-Wheeler Hits You?
Accidents that involve large commercial trucks are far more damaging than the average car crash. A fully loaded 18-wheeler can weigh up to 80,000 pounds, which means even a low-speed collision can cause life-changing harm. These cases entangle different parties, which complicates the situation. For example, there’s the driver of the car, the driver of the truck, the trucking company, the company who owns the cargo inside the truck, and the insurance companies on both sides.
How Much Are Truck Accident Settlements?
Calculating 18-wheeler accident compensation is something your attorney must be able to do. This means reviewing medical documentation, accident reports, and witness statements. How serious were the injuries? What type of medical treatment did you receive? Your lawyer will also consult professionals such as physicians and industry experts to determine the full financial impact of your injuries. Every case is different, but data and statistics will tell you it’s not likely your settlement will be below $100,000.
What are some Challenges of 18-Wheeler Accident Compensation?
Truck accident cases present a number of challenges that make them more difficult than standard car crashes. For starters, multiple insurance policies from different providers can create confusion about who is responsible for the accident. Each side is going to try and persuade the other to believe they weren’t responsible. Think about it, you have disputes between drivers, employers, and cargo companies about who’s at fault.
These problems compound when parties delay releasing evidence or accident reports. Maybe the truck that hits you has a dashcam video that clearly shows wrongdoing. Your attorney needs to apply pressure to the trucking company to release the footage as evidence. If nobody does that, why would the company hand over the video and admit fault? It doesn’t work in their best interest.
Also, drivers need to be suspicious of quick settlement offers. If the insurance companies are eager to settle fast, it probably means your case is worth more money. Their goal is to get you to take the first offer so they can be done with it. An experienced attorney knows how to overcome these tactics and will work to secure fair 18-wheeler accident compensation that reflects your true losses.
What Steps Should I Take After an 18-Wheeler Accident?
The actions you take after a collision can have a major impact on your claim. Here is what you should do to protect yourself:
1.) Call emergency services and seek medical attention right away.
2.) Take photos of vehicles, injuries, and road conditions.
3.) Exchange information with the driver and obtain the trucking company’s details.
4.) Avoid speaking with insurance representatives before consulting an attorney.
5.) Contact a lawyer as soon as possible to begin preserving evidence.
Insurance adjusters are paid more to settle accident claims for less than true value. Their goal is to lock you into a story so they can come back later and say your injuries weren’t as severe, and you don’t deserve as much compensation as you need. Instead, you should call an 18-wheeler accident attorney to negotiate on your behalf.
Benefits of Hiring a California Truck Accident Lawyer
Trucking companies and their insurers are highly organized. They have investigators who arrive at crash scenes immediately to collect evidence and shape the narrative in their favor. Without a lawyer, it is easy to feel pressured or confused by their strategies. Hiring an attorney changes everything. Your lawyer will secure important evidence such as driver logs, black box data, and maintenance records.
They will communicate directly with the insurance companies, protect your rights, and work to maximize your 18-wheeler accident compensation. Most importantly, your attorney’s goal is to recover the full value of your claim, not just what an insurance adjuster thinks your injuries are worth. Trucking companies have teams of attorneys protecting their interests, so you deserve the same level of attention.
Choose Deldar Today
At Deldar Legal, we are committed to justice and to standing up for those who have been wrongfully injured. Our team takes an aggressive, compassionate approach, always keeping the focus on helping our clients. From the very first call, we take care of everything so you can concentrate on your recovery. Need a rental car? Doctor appointments? Transportation to treatment? We handle your case, deal with the insurance companies, and manage the paperwork so you can focus on healing.
Whether you’ve been hurt in a car accident, truck accident, motorcycle accident, Uber or Lyft accident, dog bite incident, pedestrian or bicycle accident, or a wrongful death case, our firm will get you help. Call today at (844) 335-3271 or contact us online to get the help you deserve. With Deldar Legal, you’ll receive the maximum amount of compensation. Let us fight for you while you focus on moving forward.