Pittsburgh Truck Accident Lawyers

If you have been injured in a truck accident, we firstly want to offer our deepest sympathies. It is a truly traumatic experience that very few people can say they’ve experienced. Your injuries could range from severe to catastrophic. You deserve compensation for these injuries and we know how to get it for you. If you call our Pittsburgh truck accident attorneys today, we can schedule a free consultation. Your compensation is our priority. Don’t let the insurance company talk you into a lowball settlement. We will fight to get you full compensation.

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Getting the Compensation You Deserve

Pittsburgh Truck Accident LawyersWhile it is hard to say right away how much compensation you are entitled to, we can determine benefits that are available. There will always be the same aspects that you can receive compensation for.

You can get compensation for the following things:

  • Medical bills
  • Lost wages
  • Pain and suffering
  • Loss of normal life

The reason why we cannot tell you a number right away is because we need to see how bad your injuries are and get an idea of how you are going to be in the future. Your medical bills are all considered in this number and we want to make sure that we are accounting for your recovery timeline.

When you finally have a number determined with your attorney, we can hold the insurance company to it. In Pennsylvania, we follow the rule of modified comparative negligence. If you are determined to be at fault for the accident, you can still receive compensation so long as you’re not determined to be 50% or more at fault.

The downside to being pinned for some fault of the accident is that you will have to have your award reduced. If, for instance, you are determined to be 10% at fault for the accident, and you have been awarded $10,000, that ten percent gets taken right out of the award. You would barred from $1,000 or it, leaving you with $9,000. We want to avoid getting anything reduced, so it is so important that you are careful. If the insurance company calls and asks you for a statement, do not give them one. Tell them they can take any questions they have to your attorney. That will help you avoid getting blamed for any part of the accident because they tend to ask you loaded questions with the intent of incriminating yourself.

Types of Truck Accident Injuries

As stated, these accidents can be catastrophic and entirely life-changing. You may need to be hospitalized and you’re most likely going to have to get some treatments. That might involve getting a cast put on, having a surgery, or requiring chiropractic care.

  • Injuries from a truck accident might include:
  • Traumatic head injuries
  • Concussion
  • Spinal cord injuries
  • Broken bones
  • Cuts and lacerations
  • Organ damage

This list is not comprehensive. If you have any injuries at all resulting from your truck accident, you can seek compensation for that damage. The worst thing you can do after an accident is ignore any possible injuries you might have. We want you to seek medical attention and follow up with your doctors. Not only will be get an idea of what your compensation should be, but you need to get better. You deserve to put your health as a priority.

Pennsylvania Statute of Limitations

In Pennsylvania, you will only have two years from the date of your truck accident to get to the claim brought. If it is a government that you’re bringing the claim against, you only have 6 months to put them on notice. If it is brought after that timeline, your claim will be denied by the insurance company. It is of the upmost importance that you do not delay in bringing your claim to the attorney. You should get started as soon as possible. That way, you can collect evidence in a timely fashion and go through the discovery phase with time to spare. If you wait, there are a number of consequences you may be facing. Firstly, witnesses’ memories may fade and they might not clearly remember the incident. That could be a detriment to your case. Secondly, if you are waiting until the very last minute, your attorney may not be able to get your claim through discovery in time to bring it before the statute of limitations runs out.

Frequently Asked Truck Accident Questions

What Are the First Steps After an Accident?

If you’ve been involved in a truck accident in Pennsylvania, there are certain steps that need to be followed before your claim can be resolved. First and foremost, you need to see a doctor right away. and be sure you follow that doctor’s protocol. Second, hire an attorney who is very experienced in truck accident claims as they are different than car accident claims. There are things that need to be investigated that you don’t investigate in a regular car crash and there are certain regulations involving trucks that are not involved in private passenger cars. Your attorney needs to know that.

The attorney that you hire should be a personal injury lawyer. They should prepare your case for trial from the first day moving forward, be familiar in presenting claims to the insurance companies, and advise you during a dependency of the claim as to what’s going on and what needs to be done. Once you’re done treating, your attorney will then prepare a settlement demand, enclosing documents that support your injuries and the compensation that you’re requesting.

There will be a negotiation period. Once that period is concluded, you will have the insurance company’s best offer. At that point, you can either accept it or reject it. You will talk more about that with your attorney and they will recommend what to do at that point. If the claim cannot be resolved at that point, a lawsuit will need to be filed and it will probably be a year to two years before a lawsuit will be resolved.

How Should I Select an Attorney?

If you’ve been involved in an accident involving a truck in Pennsylvania, there are some things that you need to consider when you’re hiring an attorney. Truck accident cases are different than cases involving private passenger cars. Truck drivers are regulated and their trucks are inspected on a regular basis. The attorney that you hire needs to know what to look for.

In addition, the attorney that you hire should also practice personal injury on a regular basis and should be experienced in making claims to insurance companies. Those types of attorneys will prepare your case from the outset. Here at Accident & Injury Law Group, we are personal injury attorneys only. Your case will be prepared for trial from the first day that you come to our office.

Should I Make a Statement for the Insurance?

If you’ve been involved in an accident involving a truck in Pennsylvania, one of the things that may happen is the insurance adjuster or an attorney from the trucking company will contact you to take a statement. Never give a statement to either the insurance adjuster or the attorney for the trucking company. They will ask questions in a way that will force you to give an answer that will be beneficial to them and not you.

What Mistakes Should I Avoid Making?

There are some common mistakes that we’ve seen regularly from people who have been involved in a truck accident. One is not seeking medical treatment or not seeking medical treatment right away. Another mistake is not following a doctor’s treatment plan or protocol. If your doctor prescribes physical therapy for you three times a week for six weeks, make sure you go to every single visit.

Another common mistake we see is people hiring the wrong attorneys. You need to hire an attorney who’s experienced in personal injury and insurance claims, because truck accident cases are different than car cases. There are different things that need to be requested, different things that need to be investigated. It’s very unique and you need to hire an attorney who is going to prepare that case for trial from the get-go. You also need to document the truck accident at the time of the accident. Nowadays, people have cell phones; there’s no reason not to snap a few pictures of the accident scene. Also, make sure you call the police, so they can prepare a police report as well.

Should I Take a Settlement Offer?

If you’ve been involved in a truck accident in Pennsylvania, an insurance adjuster may reach out to you within days after the accident and they may present an offer to you, which you may think is pretty fair. Our recommendation is never to accept that offer without seeking advice from a personal injury lawyer. The insurance company’s initial offer will always be low. They’re making that offer to you to save them money. Consult with an attorney and be sure you tell them all the facts involving the accident and they can advise you as to whether or not you should accept that offer.

How Long Will This Take to Resolve?

Some of the questions people ask me after they’ve been involved in a truck accident is how long it’s going to take to resolve. That’s one of those questions that no attorney can answer right away. It all depends on how long you treat and how reasonable the insurance company will be in offering you money. For instance, if you’re involved in an accident and you treat for seven to eight months, it’ll take probably two to three months from that point for an insurance company to make you an initial offer. That offer can be fair or it can be unfair, and then you’ll enter into a negotiation phase. You will eventually get the insurance company’s top offer, and at that point you can decided to accept or reject it, and your attorney will advise you as to what to do. If you reject it, then you’ll file a lawsuit, and from that point it’ll be at least a year or two before your case will be resolved.

How Long Do I Have to Bring a Claim?

If you’ve been involved in an accident involving a truck in Pennsylvania, you have two years from the date of the accident to file a lawsuit. It’s recommended that you see a lawyer much earlier than the two years though. In fact, you should see a lawyer as soon as you can after you’ve sought medical treatment. If you wait too long, evidence will be lost, witnesses will forget what happened, and it’s going to be much more difficult to prove your case.

How Much is My Case Worth?

Sometimes people come to my office after they’ve been involved in a truck accident in Pennsylvania and they ask me what their claim is worth. It’s impossible to answer that question right off the bat. There are too many variables. One of the things that need to be considered are the severity of your injury, and you won’t know that until you’re done treating. We look at the amount of medical bills you’ve incurred, missed time from work, and out-of-pocket expenses. These are factors that nobody has the answer to at the outset.  As time develops, and as you’re concluding treatment, an attorney will have a better understanding of what your claim is worth and may be able to give you an approximation at that time, but never at the beginning when there are just too many variables.

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Call Our Pittsburgh Office Today

If you have been involved in a devastating truck accident, please call our Pittsburgh truck accident attorneys today for a free consultation. We will walk you through this complicated legal situation and help you get the fullest and fairest compensation that you deserve. Don’t fall to the mercy of the insurance company or you will be dealing with a lowball settlement that you should not settle for. Let us fight to get you justice.