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Jim Sellers, Attorney At Law

40+ Years of experience in Personal Injury Law in both Washington and Oregon

Truck Collisions Insurance Claims

truck accident lawyerWhen there is a collision involving a truck and a car, it is not too hard to understand which vehicle or occupant of that vehicle is more severely injured. The old adage is that “whether the pitcher hits the stone or the stone hits the pitcher, it is going to be bad for the pitcher”. In the overwhelming number of cases in which a truck and a car collide, which result in the death of the occupant, it is an occupant of the car that is killed. Furthermore, the rate per mile at which the occupant of a vehicle suffers death is higher for trucks than for cars.

Truck Collissions Causes, by Accident Attorney

Truck Accident attorneyTruck drivers spend a lot of continuous time on the road. People traveling in cars have the perception that if they drive a couple of hours, it is a long time on the road. However, truck drivers do what they do for a living. If you spend a whole day at work, truck drivers frequently spend the same period of time behind the wheel. It is no wonder that truck drivers are fatigued while driving. They are driving rigs, which because of their size, often make it difficult to see other vehicles. That is exacerbated by the tendency of the drivers of some cars to cut in and around large trucks, to gain time. Truck driving is frequently on road systems with which they are unfamiliar. Truck drivers also take medications much like the rest of us, which can slow their reflexes, make them tired, and make them sleepy. And truck drivers can be pressured by the need to produce money either for themselves or their trucking company. Small wonder that trucks have a higher rate of fatalities on the road.

Truck Collissions Injury Claims, by Accident Attorney

truck accident injury lawyerIf you are injured in a collision involving a truck, it is very important for you to speak to your own attorney before talking to an adjuster for a trucking company. Typically these adjusters are not exactly like the adjusters that you may run across when only cars collide. Often these the truck adjusters do only truck. Frequently they are contract adjusters who do not work for either the trucking company or its insurers. These adjusters are well trained, professional, and do what they do for a living. They expect to limited the amount that is required to be paid out to settle your claim. Because of their experience, these adjusters understate how to motivate people who have been hurt to settle for a pittance without realizing that the injury victim is making a big mistake.

truck accident personal injury attorney portland oregonWe encourage you to talk to an experienced injury attorney, preferably one who handles trucking accidents, before singing anything, or attempt to work a settlement. Usually the victims of these types of injuries has no experience with dealing with claims of this type themselves, as compared to the adjusters who work on behalf of trucking companies.
Trucking accidents are also commonly more complicated than the average auto collision. The trucking company, the truck and the driver may be from out of state. Some drivers work for trucking companies and some work for themselves. They may own the rig that they are driving, or it may be owned by their company. When a truck is involved in a collision on an interstate freeway, there may be lots of vehicles involved.

Truck Collissions Compensation, by Accident Attorney

truck accident lawyerIf the driver of a car has been seriously injured by the negligence of a commercial truck driver, there is likely to be $1,000,000 or more in insurance coverage available to deal with the extensive injuries, long-term recovery, and lost wages of the driver of a car injured by a truck The adjusters for a trucking company will jump right on these cases and attempt to structure a settlement that occurs because the injured occupant of a car or the injury victim’s family or friend fully understand what will be necessary to address all of the problems posed by the accident.

It costs you nothing to consult with us to decide if we can help you, and that you would like us to represent you. Simply call 360 980-1105 or email me.

We have also provided addition information on the specifics of PIP coverage.

Additional reading: auto insurance minimum coverage for Washington state and auto insurance minimum coverage for Oregon state. You can also read about Claim Adjusters and how they work and review Insurance Companies Claims Processing, and Claims Adjusters Overview, and hiring a personal injury attorney.

Perhaps you have choices that you might not have otherwise considered. Feel free to call for an appointment (360) 980-1105 or a phone conference at no charge.

Auto Accident Attorney

 

 

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