The state of Minnesota saw 3,786 large truck accidents in 2020. These accidents accounted for more than 1,000 injuries and 58 fatalities.
Unfortunately, truck accidents are common on Minnesota’s streets and highways. If you find yourself in this situation, it is recommended that you hire a Minnesota truck accident lawyer for assistance.
If you are not convinced you need legal representation, keep reading to find out why it is helpful.
Trucks and Trucking Companies Are Bigger and Have More Money Than You
The average 18-wheeler weighs around 20 times more than a traditional passenger vehicle. This significant weight difference means you are much more likely to be injured in a truck accident than with another passenger vehicle.
After your accident, you may decide to file a claim against the trucking company the driver who hit you worked for. If this is the case, you need an MN truck accident lawyer to represent you.
Trucking companies have plenty of money to provide you with full compensation for your injuries; however, they also have a large budget for legal representation, so they do not have to pay these claims. If you do not hire a Minnesota truck accident lawyer to help with your case, you may not get the compensation you are entitled to.
The Insurance Company’s Offer Will Likely Be Low
In personal injury law, you will likely hear the phrase “do not sign” a lot. Do you know what it means?
After a truck accident, the insurance company will gather information from all the drivers involved and look at the police reports and all other evidence available. At this point, they will decide who is to blame for the accident and the amount of money the victim should receive as compensation. Once this amount is determined, an offer letter is sent to you, including the amount of compensation they decided was fair.
You may be tempted to sign this offer letter. However, if you do, you also sign away your right to file a personal injury lawsuit against the at-fault party. Even if the offer made by the insurance company seems like a lot to you, it is best if you have an attorney review it before signing.
Sometimes, injuries after a truck accident can take days, weeks, or longer to manifest. You need to make sure you do not settle your claim until you understand just how serious your injuries are.
You Do Not Have to Worry About Saying Something Wrong
If an accident causes expensive damages, you will likely receive calls from insurance companies requesting more details. After a truck accident, this is stressful since you may say something that gives the insurance adjusters details that indicate you were to blame for the incident.
Remember, insurance adjusters are trained to get you to say something they can use to blame the accident on you rather than their client. What is even more stressful is if you have serious injuries you are trying to deal with and the financial losses that go along with these.
With an attorney representing your interests, you have someone to speak to insurance adjusters on your behalf. This will ensure you do not say something that could be used against you to reduce your payout.
The Truck Driver May Not be the Only Party to Blame for the Accident
You could seek compensation from any party if their negligence resulted in an accident where you suffered an injury. However, it is necessary to prove that the party had a duty of care to avoid putting others in danger and that this duty was breached.
An example of a party that may be liable for your accident, besides the driver, is the trucking company. This may be because they did not provide proper training to the driver, required them to work longer shifts than allowed by state or federal law, or did not conduct a background check before hiring them.
Other parties may be fully or partly to blame for the accident, too, and an attorney can help determine liability and ensure all parties are held accountable.
Contact Our Legal Team for Help with Your Truck Accident Case
At Nelson Personal Injury, LLC, our legal team has years of experience representing individuals injured in trucking accidents. If you are in this situation, contact our office to schedule a free initial consultation. We will review your situation and help you recover the full amount of compensation you are entitled to.
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