Will My Truck Accident Lawyer Deal With My Insurance Company For Me?
Your truck accident lawyer will deal with your insurance company for you. After an accident, you will have to report it to your insurance provider, but you should reach out to an experienced attorney prior to making this report. The insurance company will record your phone call, so be careful what you say.
Never admit fault to your insurance company. Your words can be used against you later and may prevent you from seeking damages. We can represent your best interests, allowing you to focus on your recovery.
How We Can Handle Your Claim or Lawsuit
If you were involved in an accident with a truck, you may face significant expenses for medical bills and property damage. Your injuries may also require a long recovery period during which you are unable to work. A personal injury lawyer with our firm can help you recover financial compensation known as damages for these expenses and more.
We can also handle all aspects of the insurance process for you. Here are some of the ways we can help:
Communicate With the Insurance Company
Once you are working with our truck accident lawyer, they can take over all communication with the insurance company. If the company calls you, simply refer them to your lawyer. If you receive written notices, pass them along to your lawyer.
You should never feel pressured to speak with your insurance company about your accident, a settlement, or any other details of the case. Speaking under pressure could lead you to say something that could jeopardize your case.
Investigate the Accident
Your insurance company and truck driver’s insurance company will investigate the truck accident to determine who was at fault. We can independently investigate what happened.
Identify the Liable Parties
Both insurance companies and your lawyer will work to determine who was negligent, and therefore liable, for the accident. In terms of a truck accident, negligence refers to the party that failed to provide the same level of care as a reasonable person in the same situation. A driver can be negligent with his driving behavior, such as falling asleep at the wheel, texting while driving, or driving under the influence.
In some cases, the negligent party is not directly involved in the accident. For example, a parts manufacturer who sold defective parts or a mechanic who performed shoddy repairs can also cause an accident through negligence.
Promote Your Best Interests
The negligent party can be held liable for the accident, which means that they are financially responsible for it. When handling accident cases, the insurance companies do not always have your best interests at heart. We can represent your best interests after a truck accident.
Estimate Your Damages
A Long Island truck accident lawyer with our firm can estimate the value of your damages, gather evidence supporting this estimate, and submit it to your insurance company. You should have no issues in seeking economic and non-economic damages via an insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit if you provide your attorney with all the documents related to your case. It could include post-accident therapy appointments and bills, a personal journal, altered travel plans, etc. You may be entitled to compensation for expenses such as:
- Medical bills, including emergency room visits, doctor’s appointments, X-rays, surgeries, hospital stays, medications, and rehabilitative therapies
- Future medical bills, if you will require ongoing care or surgeries in the future
- Property damage to your vehicle, including auto body and mechanical repairs
- Lost wages if you miss work while recuperating
- Future lost wages if you cannot return to work because of your injuries
- Pain and suffering if you face a long or difficult recovery, develop mental health conditions such as insomnia, anxiety, or depression, or lose your enjoyment of life because of your injuries
We can collect evidence such as medical bills and records, prescription receipts, vehicle repair bills, and past earnings statements to support the estimate of your damages. If you lost a loved one in a truck accident, we can file a wrongful death action on your behalf to recover compensation for your damages.
Negotiate a Settlement With the Insurance Company
Your insurance company may offer you a settlement, but you do not have to accept it. A lawyer with our firm can evaluate the settlement offer to make sure that it is fair. If not, they can try to negotiate a settlement that accurately reflects your true damages.
File a Lawsuit
If negotiations with the insurance company fail, your lawyer can file a lawsuit on your behalf.
You Have a Limited Time to File a Lawsuit For a Truck Accident
In New York, Civil Practice Law and Rules (CVP) §214 allows you three years to file a personal injury lawsuit. Estates, Powers, and Trust Law (EPT) §5-4.1 allows only two years if you are filing a wrongful death lawsuit. Once the statute of limitations has passed, you could find it difficult to recover the compensation you need from the truck driver and his insurance company.
Call us for help
Do not wait too long to pursue damages after a New Hyde Park truck accident. Your lawyer at the Law Office of Cohen & Jaffe, LLP can deal with the insurance company for you. Call us today at (866) 878-6774 for a free consultation.
