Top Three Things You Can Do to Ruin Your Truck Accident Lawsuit

 Posted on September 09, 2015 in Truck Accidents

By Timothy Tomasik

Any type of motor vehicle accident can be upsetting; however, accidents that involve a passenger vehicle being struck by a large commercial truck or semi are especially traumatic. Truck accidents often leave the occupants of the passenger car with serious, life-threatening injuries requiring expensive medical treatment to correct. Those moments immediately following the collision with the truck are crucial: if you are not careful, you can say and do things which can make it significantly more difficult to recover compensation for your injuries and losses through a truck accident lawsuit.

Some of the more common ways injury victims sabotage their own chances for success in a truck accident lawsuit include:

• Not seeking medical attention immediately after a crash. In some cases, the occupants of the passenger car may not feel as if they need to visit a doctor or hospital. Choosing not to do this immediately after a truck accident is a mistake. Not only may these occupants be suffering from internal injuries or latent injuries, but refusing medical treatment can cause the truck company and other defendants to claim the injury victim did not take a reasonable step to limit the harm he or she suffered.

• Failing to note important details. Although it can be very difficult to remember to look around and take note of details after a truck accident, the more details you can remember the better. At a bare minimum, try to remember the name of the trucking company and/or the name of the company on the trailer (if different) along with any license numbers or registration numbers. Ideally, you will want to also remember the truck driver’s name, the name of the officer you speak with on scene and his or her badge number, the names of eyewitnesses who observed the crash, and other such important details.

• Failing to retain experienced counsel. Some truck accident victims may mistakenly believe that their case is “straightforward” or that the truck company will give them a fair settlement. The truth is, however, that oftentimes neither of these contentions is true. Even “straightforward” cases usually need a significant amount of evidence in order to prove fault and liability, and truck company’s initial settlement offer can easily be thousands of dollars less than what you would actually need to cover your losses.

The skilled Chicago trucking accident attorneys at Tomasik Kotin Kasserman, LLC can help give you the advantage you need in your truck accident lawsuit to obtain full and fair compensation. Contact us at 312-605-8800 to discuss your case with us today.

Sources:

http://www.idot.illinois.gov/Assets/uploads/files/Transportation-System/Resources/Safety/Crash-Reports/quick/2006/large%20trucks.pdf

http://www.illinoiscourts.gov/supremecourt/evidence/evidence.htm