Filing a Truck Accident Claim

Big truck crashes account for 3 percent of all traffic accidents on the roads of the United States and are responsible for 5,000 deaths and 130,000 injuries on the roads each year. As important as trucks are to the country’s economy they are just as dangerous to smaller vehicles on the roads. If you or a loved one has been injured in a truck accident, contact a semi accident attorney immediately for expert legal advice regarding your case. Truck accident attorneys will be able to help the plaintiff file a claim regarding a truck accident with the proper parties.

Do Not Lie on the Claim

When filing a truck accident claim the plaintiff should be completely honest in all areas of the claim. Lying on an accident claim does not provide any added benefit to the victim because insurance companies will perform background checks on the plaintiff that includes the seizure of medical records and other financial records to double check the facts presented on the claim.

Do Not Downplay the Extent of an Injury

If a victim is filing a truck accident claim against a truck driver or a trucking company, the victim of the accident should not downplay the extent of his or her injury. No matter how severe or mild your injury is, report it to the insurance company on the claim. Some injuries can come and go over time so make a record of every bump or bruise sustained during the accident. If you leave an injury off the claim and begin to suffer terrible symptoms from the injury down the road, the insurance company likely will not believe your claim.

Consult a Truck Accident Lawyer

When filing a truck accident claim with an insurance company the insurance company will ask the plaintiff to sign a release for any and all claims submitted with their company. Make sure you do not sign any release with an insurance company until it is read by your lawyer and you understand the terms of the release. If you are not completely satisfied with the terms of the release, you do not have to sign the form.

File the Claim Quickly: Statute of Limitations

Do not wait a couple of months to file the claim or come up with a truck accident settlement against the truck driver or the trucking company. Instead, file the claim as soon as possible so that you will be compensated quickly by the insurance company involved in the claim. As long as you wait to file your claim the longer, it will take to receive money from the insurance company.

Additionally, each state has a statute of limitations for filing a big rig accident claim. Usually, this is between one to three years, so consult with a lawyer in your state.