After a car crash, you may have injuries and personal expenses to recover. The worse the crash is, the more bills you may have to pay and the longer you may go without any household revenue because of your injuries.
A collision involving a large commercial truck might leave your vehicle unsafe to drive, forcing you to look for a replacement. It could also leave you with debilitating, permanent injuries or claim the life of someone in your family. You would reasonably expect that insurance will compensate you for the financial consequences you suffered because of the crash.
Especially when the commercial driver was the one who caused the wreck, you anticipate receiving appropriate reimbursement for your losses. Unfortunately, many people trying to negotiate insurance claims after a commercial trucking crash realize the process is anything but easy.
Insurance companies fight harder when they have more to lose
Every insurance company hopes to take in more in premiums than it pays out in claims. Large policies, like those required for heavy commercial trucks, could mean six or seven-figure crash settlements. Obviously, insurance providers would prefer to minimize their losses and avoid paying the maximum amount possible given the policy limits.
Offering low settlements and employing aggressive negotiation techniques are both tactics that insurance adjusters use when communicating with someone hurt in a commercial truck collision. When you consider the fact that you already have painful injuries or grief to cope with, you may not be in the best position to advocate on your own behalf.
Professional support can make a big difference
Insurance adjusters are less likely to try to manipulate or trick someone who comes to the table with a lawyer. Beyond that, you can depend on someone else to make sense of the policy itself, the law that applies and the settlement offer submitted by the insurance company. If you have to counter the initial offer and negotiate, you won’t have to stress about that process.
A lawyer can handle all of those frustrating meetings and messages on your behalf so that your main focus is your recovery or the stability of your family. Kelly A. Sheets, an attorney with Theodoros & Rooth, P.C., has experience handling complex trucking accident claims. She can help answer your questions about insurance and civil lawsuits. Recognizing that a commercial insurance claim will be a challenge to handle could help you get the help you need after a commercial trucking collision.