The Most Important Things to Do After an Elgin Truck Accident
If you were injured in a truck accident and someone else’s carelessness caused or contributed to the collision, you might be eligible to seek damages to cover your related losses. You do not have to deal with the insurance company or the responsible party on your own. An Elgin truck accident lawyer can help so that you can focus on getting better.
The Kryder Law Group, LLC, can start the process of building a case designed for success. Our dedicated injury attorneys can investigate the reason for your accident, estimate the value of your losses, and negotiate for a fair settlement offer. Call us today to get started.
How We Establish the Liability of the At-Fault Party
To get you the financial recovery you need to move forward, your legal team must establish that negligence played a key role in causing your injuries.
We have to be able to prove that four factors were present in your collision:
Duty of care. Usually, it is a simple matter to show that a driver owed you a duty of care. Everyone who operates a car, truck, or another motor vehicle on public roads has an obligation to exercise caution and comply with traffic laws.
Breach of duty. When someone’s conduct violates their duty of care, it is negligence. Let’s say that a truck driver was driving over the speed limit. This action breaches their duty of care because speeding places others at risk of harm.
Causation. The other driver’s breach must be the element that caused or contributed to the accident that harmed you. If the truck’s excessive speed made the driver unable to stop in time to avoid a collision or caused the trucker to lose control of the vehicle and crash into you, their negligence caused the accident.
Measurable damages. If the truck driver had somehow been able to avoid the collision, there would be no quantifiable damages. You need to have tangible losses to pursue a personal injury claim, such as property damage or medical expenses. Simply being frightened while on the road is not grounds for moving forward with litigation.
We can pursue legal action against the responsible party if we can prove that all four of these factors were present in your truck accident.
Three Things to Avoid Doing After a Tractor-Trailer Accident in Elgin
You might have a clear case against the at-fault driver, but sometimes things happen after the accident that can impact your ability to seek compensation.
You should always do what makes sense under the circumstances, but in general, it is best to avoid these elements after an accident:
Do Not Wait to Get Medical Attention
You might want to try to “tough it out” and heal at home after getting hurt. If you suffered harm in a truck crash, you should get medical attention immediately. Because of the heavy weight of a large truck and its cargo, accident victims often experience severe injuries.
If you notice any indication of physical harm, you should go straight to the emergency room, urgent care facility, or doctor’s office, whichever is appropriate. Trauma specialists realize that some injuries take hours or days to develop symptoms. These healthcare workers know how to look for hidden damage, like head trauma or internal bleeding, that could quickly escalate into a life-threatening crisis.
Your medical records will provide valuable evidence in your personal injury claim. These documents will provide a connection between the harm you sustained and the accident that caused them. If you delay in getting medical care, the other party can argue that you got hurt from something else, and not the collision.
Do Not Be Fooled by the Claims Adjuster
A claims adjuster works for the insurance company, not you.
They might try one or both of these strategies to underplay the severity of your accident:
Asking for a recorded statement. Claims adjusters often ask injured people to provide a recorded statement in which the adjuster asks the claimant a list of questions. The adjuster might try to convince you that this document allows you to tell your side of the story, but in reality, the insurer can take your words out of context and create an inaccurate version of what happened.
Pressuring you to settle your claim. Some adjusters will make an offer and tell the injured person that they only have a short time (like 24 hours) to make a decision. The goal behind this strategy is to pressure claimants into accepting an offer that may not fully cover the cost of their anticipated expenses.
By working with a truck accident lawyer from the beginning, you can avoid these and many other potential pitfalls. You can call The Kryder Law Group, LLC, today for a free consultation.
Missing the Deadline
The insurance company might drag out the negotiation process for months. You have two years from the date of your injury (or your loved one’s passing) to move forward with legal action following any type of accident.
When you work with an Elgin truck accident lawyer, they can employ certain measures to make sure that your case is filed within the state’s statute of limitations, if there is time to do so. For this reason, we encourage you to seek legal assistance as soon as possible, because if you miss out on this window of action, you may forfeit your right to financial recovery.
Get Legal Help for an Elgin Truck Accident Attorney
The Kryder Law Group, LLC helps people who get injured because of the carelessness of others. You can call us today at to find out how an Elgin truck accident lawyer can help you. There is no charge for the initial consultation, and we do not charge any fees unless we are successfully able to resolve your case.
(312) 223-1700 