Every year there are far too many deadly accidents on roadways across the country. A significant number of these fatal accidents involve commercial trucking vehicles. These trucks pose a higher risk to motorists than other vehicles due to their disproportionate size and weight.
If you have been involved in an accident with a large truck, it is critical to recover fair compensation to pay for your damages. Even if nobody was killed, there is a high chance that occupants of any other vehicle sustained significant injuries, to say nothing of the damage done to the smaller vehicles.
Filing a Lawsuit or an Insurance Claim with a Mount Pleasant Truck Accident Lawyer
The decision of whether to file a personal injury lawsuit against an at-fault party or a claim with their insurance company will depend on several factors. If the insurance coverage level of the responsible party is exceeded by the damages you have suffered, you will need to file a lawsuit to recover full compensation for your claim.
Before deciding the path you will take to compensation, you must first identify who was at fault for the accident. Determining fault in a truck accident case is often challenging because several parties can potentially hold a level of liability. Some of the parties who may be liable for your truck accident include:
- The truck driver
- The trucking company that employs the driver
- The company that manufactured the truck
- The maintenance company responsible for the upkeep of the truck
- The shipping company that loaded the truck
- A third party driver whose actions initiated the accident
All of these parties are likely to attempt to shift blame around. Fortunately, an experienced truck accident lawyer will be able to sort through the mess and help to identify who is truly responsible for the accident in question.
A Truck Accident Lawyer in Mount Pleasant Can Take Over Your Case
Whether you are trying to recover compensation from an insurance company or file a lawsuit against an at-fault party, recovering fair compensation after a truck accident is a difficult job. When recovering from injuries, the last thing you need to worry about is attempting to mount a legal case.
Hiring a professional truck accident attorney can help relieve your stress and let you focus on your physical and emotional recovery. Your lawyer will take over all aspects of your legal case and help ensure that you receive fair compensation so that your financial situation is not damaged by your accident.
Your Steps to Compensation
Your lawyer will take several steps to ensure that you get the money you need. Once hired, a truck accident attorney will begin an investigation into your case to determine who is liable for your damages and build your compensation claim.
Once your attorney has completed their inquiry, they will calculate the full value of your claim based on the damages you have suffered. They will then file all the necessary paperwork with the appropriate entity, depending on whether you are filing an insurance claim or a lawsuit.
If you are pursuing a lawsuit, your attorney will go through the pre-trial process and argue your case in court if necessary.
Is It Better to Settle?
The majority of truck accident cases end in a settlement agreement rather than a court verdict. This is because it is generally in the best interest of all parties involved to avoid a trial.
One of the main reasons that both sides typically prefer a settlement is speed. The process of fighting a personal injury lawsuit in court can be a lengthy one. By settling out of court, an accident victim can get the money they need quickly, and the liable party can put the accident behind them and attempt to move on.
Settling out of court also protects both sides from the unpredictability of a courtroom trial. Even a seemingly airtight case can end up going the other way, and the compromise of a settlement is certainly far better than a total loss.
However, you should always be prepared and willing to go to court if necessary. If the opposition knows that you will not take your case to court under any circumstance, they will be in a far better position to negotiate, and the compensation you receive will be minimized.
How Much Does a Mount Pleasant Truck Accident Attorney Charge?
The good news when it comes to hiring a truck accident lawyer is that anyone can afford to do so. Personal injury lawyers typically do not receive payment from their clients unless they are able to secure compensation. This payment structure is known as a contingency fee.
If your lawyer does win you money, their fee will be taken directly from your compensation package as a predetermined amount. You will never pay your attorney a single penny out of your own pocket.
Hiring a truck accident lawyer will almost always result in better financial standing for an accident victim. Those who hire attorneys typically walk away with such significantly higher compensation packages, that even after a lawyer has taken their fee, the client has substantially more money than they would if they had represented themselves.
File Your Lawsuit on Time
If you are considering filing a personal injury lawsuit after a truck accident, you need to be aware of the fact that you have a limited window in which to do so. After a truck accident in Mount Pleasant, you will have three years to file a lawsuit. If you miss this window, your options for recovering compensation will disappear.
Even if you file on time, your case could still be hurt by any delays. You need to ensure that all evidence is gathered as soon as possible in order to preserve it. Any witness testimony you rely upon will also be far more valuable closer to the date of the accident. Your lawyer will be in the best position to argue your case if they can get started immediately.
Choosing the Right Truck Accident Attorney in Mount Pleasant
When fighting for fair compensation after a truck accident, it is essential that you hire an attorney with a proven track record of winning significant payouts for clients in similar situations to yours.
Contact the law offices of Miller, Dawson, Sigal & Ward to schedule a free case review today. An experienced attorney will look over your case and answer all of your questions. They will offer advice on your case and let you know the steps we will take to get you the money you need should you retain our services.