Will My Truck Accident Lawyer Deal with the Insurance Companies for Me?

Truck accidents can lead to significant physical harm and property damages for passenger vehicle drivers and occupants. These cases are often more complex than most car crashes. When a collision involving a commercial vehicle results in injuries, you may need to deal with more than one insurance company.

No one enjoys filing a claim or negotiating with insurance companies. While it may seem reasonable to settle for the quick compensation they offer, the insurance companies are not looking out for you. When you’re trying to heal and get your life on track, it can help to have someone on your side to deal with the insurers. Mike Morse Law Firm attorneys step in for you so that you can focus on recovery.

Why You Might Not Want To Deal With the Insurance Companies Alone

In Michigan, you must have personal injury protection as part of your auto insurance policy. The state legally requires you to file a claim through your insurance provider if you sustain injuries in a traffic accident. It doesn’t matter who is at fault in the crash. If the truck driver is liable for the collision, you will also file a claim for property damage with the trucker’s provider.

In a fairly straightforward case, you may be dealing with two insurance companies. Neither of these is in business to protect your interests and ensure you receive a settlement that adequately compensates you for your economic losses, not even the company you pay a premium to for protection. Insurance companies answer to their shareholders rather than their customers. They are in the market to make a profit.

Quick Settlement Offers

Though the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services regulates and oversees the state’s insurance industry, companies understand how to operate within the law while reducing how much money they pay customers. One of the first steps they often take is to offer a quick settlement. These offers are designed to tempt you to accept less money than you deserve to get cash in your hands quickly.

They know that if you have a stack of hospital bills piling up and haven’t been able to return to work because of your injuries, you may be willing to take them up on their offer. However, once you do that, you won’t be able to pursue any additional compensation later. If your expenses continue to add up, you will pay for them using your own funds. Filing a civil suit isn’t an option either.

Complex Cases

Truck accident cases are often complex. The laws governing the trucking industry outline responsibilities for trucker safety across the entire industry. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration regulates and oversees commercial motor vehicles that travel on federal highways or interstates or do business across state lines. Individual states can impose additional regulations.

In a crash involving two passenger vehicles, the drivers involved typically are liable for the accident. In a collision with a truck, more than one party in the trucking industry may be legally liable. Depending on the facts surrounding the accident, the following parties may be responsible for the accident:

• Motor carrier
• Truck driver
• Parts or truck manufacturer
• Contracted mechanic
• Truck loaders
• Shipping companies

Each of these entities and individuals may have liability insurance, but they aren’t going to step forward to offer you compensation. If you don’t know how to prove fault in these cases, you may not receive a settlement that pays you for your losses.

How a Truck Accident Lawyer Can Help

A truck accident lawyer does more than deal with the insurance companies for you. While handling communications and negotiations is likely a significant weight off your shoulders, the steps an experienced attorney takes can improve your chances of receiving a fair settlement.

Building Your Case

Your lawyer will help you build a solid case. When you file with an insurance company, they will look for any opportunity to reduce compensation. They send out a claims adjuster to investigate. Still, this individual is not looking for proof that the insurance company should pay for the damages your policy or the trucker’s insurance covers.

A truck accident attorney helps you gather the evidence you need to support your insurance claim. The lawyer’s team may call on an accident reconstructionist to evaluate the crash site and reconstruct the events leading up to the crash. The legal team may also:

• Contact witnesses
• Obtain available videos and photos from multiple sources
• Consult with doctors and other professionals about potential future health issues
• Calculate current and anticipated losses

Using the evidence, the lawyer builds a case that represents and provides evidence for the full extent of your losses.

Establishing Fault

Establishing fault is a critical aspect of the research involved in building your case. A truck accident lawyer understands the evidence needed to determine liability in a commercial vehicle collision. The lawyer digs deeper to uncover whether multiple parties may be responsible. If more than one party holds liability, your attorney can help you pursue claims through various insurers, as none will likely pay for the total damages you sustained in the accident.

Communicating With Insurers

Talking to insurance companies is often worth hiring an attorney for. Not only can the experience be unpleasant, but often claimants respond to the leading questions insurance representatives ask in a manner that puts their settlement in jeopardy. If you phrase your answers in the wrong way, the insurance company can use your responses against you. Your truck accident lawyer knows how to talk to insurance providers while protecting your rights.

Negotiating Your Insurance Settlement

No matter how solid your case is, the insurance company will not likely agree to the total amount of your claim. Negotiations are usually a necessity. Your truck accident lawyer has practice and skills in handling auto insurance claims negotiations. The attorney can stand up for your rights and is not intimidated by pressure from insurers. Your lawyer won’t settle for less than you deserve.

The insurance companies understand Michigan’s comparative negligence rule and will utilize the law to negotiate a lower settlement. When you have an attorney on your side with an in-depth understanding of the law, you can be assured that the insurance company won’t be able to deny or reduce your settlement unfairly.

What Your Options Are When You Don’t Reach a Satisfactory Settlement

If the insurance company does not agree on sufficient compensation, you may be able to file a legal claim. The state allows you to pursue a personal injury lawsuit when you suffer from a severe injury. You may also need to file a legal claim if the at-fault parties’ insurance limits are too low to cover the full extent of damages you sustained in the accident.

Who You Can Call for Help With Your Truck Accident Insurance Claim

At Mike Morse Law Firm, we assist our clients throughout the claims process. If you sustained injuries in a collision involving a semi or commercial vehicle, we could help you deal with the insurance companies to receive the compensation you deserve. We provide individualized and personalized attention, beginning with a thorough and honest case evaluation.

We understand how financially and emotionally devastating a truck accident can be, and we support you in any way we can. Mike Morse Law Firm does not collect any fees until we win your case. Get in touch with us today for a free case evaluation. You have nothing to lose, but you may have much to gain.