Tractor-trailer accidents: What you need to know if you are injured in a semi-truck crash
Tractor-trailer accidents cause some of the most devastating injuries of any vehicular collisions. Recovery from a semi-truck accident can take weeks, months, and years. Some people never fully recovery from a truck accident. There are many complexities that an injury victim needs to know before talking to any insurance claims adjuster. First, understand that every interstate commercial trucking company in the U.S. is required by federal law to carry at least $750,000 in bodily injury insurance. Why are the minimum insurance limits so high for a commercial motor carrier? The primary reason is because truck accidents cause traumatic injuries. Negligent truck drivers can crush a car or SUV to the point that the brand of the vehicle cannot be identified.
When you are dealing with these amounts of insurance coverage, there is lot of exposure for the insurance company. Because of this exposure, insurance claims adjusters use every trick in the book to minimize or deny bodily injury claims made in a tractor-trailer accident. Claims adjusters will ask you to consent to release of every medical record dating back to birth and request a recorded statement. Our Missouri truck accident injury lawyers have even discovered claims adjusters videotaping our clients from unmarked vehicles in front of a client's home or place of work. The list of tricks goes on and on. If you are not careful and fail to seek representation from an experienced semi-truck accident injury attorney.
If a careless truck driver causes an accident and you are injured, don't leave compensation to chance. These cases require preservation of evidence that you can bet will be destroyed unless secured by a lawyer. Data from the truck's Electronic Control Module, aka "black box", is critical in understanding what the driver was doing with the rig at the moment of impact. Truck driver log books and maintenance records may be lost, destroyed, or altered when the financial stakes are high.
It is smart for truck accident victims to do their homework after a serious accident. Research the claims process and contact a Missouri personal injury lawyer who specializes in semi-truck accident claims. Get a free consultation and know your rights. Don't be bullied by a claims adjuster or pressured into a settlement that you do think is fair. Never sign any settlement "release" or give a recorded statement. Interview potential lawyers and ask lots of questions. Call (866) 840-3636 for a free conversation with a knowledgeable and skilled truck accident injury lawyer.