You are in an unfamiliar and potentially overwhelming situation. You’ve been injured in a truck crash and you are left dealing with the physical, financial, and emotional consequences of your injuries. While you were not the one who caused the crash, the driver, the trucking company and the insurance company are not willing to compensate you for your losses.
Instead, you are going to have to fight for your fair recovery. An experienced truck accident lawyer in our Cedar Rapids, Des Moines, or Davenport office can help you negotiate a settlement or go to court if you contact us before the statute of limitations expires.
Eight Things You Should Know About Truck Crashes
Whether or not you have already been injured in a truck crash, it is important to know:
- How to avoid a truck crash. You can’t prevent every accident, but if you are alert and careful around trucks then you may be able to avoid some serious crash injuries.
- The minimum insurance requirements for trucks. Trucks that engage in interstate travel are required to have minimum amounts of insurance. The amount currently ranges from $300,000 to $5,000,000 and depends on the type of cargo that is carried and the size of the vehicle. Trucks that only travel within Iowa are also required to have insurance.
- About federal truck regulations. Some federal truck regulations concern hours of service and other safety issues. Violation of these regulations may be important evidence in your truck accident claim if you have been injured in a truck crash.
- Why truck accidents are different from car accidents. Crashes between a truck and a car are not the same as crashes between two passenger vehicles. Different defendants may be liable in a truck accident case, and the injuries suffered may be more significant because of the size and weight of the truck.
- What to do after a truck crash. The actions that you take after a truck accident can significantly impact your potential recovery. It is important to get medical help, to preserve evidence, and to consult an attorney as soon as you can to make sure that your rights are protected.
- What not to do after a truck crash. Some mistakes can make your potential recovery more difficult. For example, posting on social media, discussing the accident with anyone other than your attorney, and failing to follow medical advice can impact your claim.
- How to collect evidence at the scene of a truck wreck. Some of the evidence that could be relevant to your claim is best obtained at the accident scene if you are physically able to get it. This evidence includes the name and contact information of accident witnesses and photographs of the accident.
- How to keep a truck company from destroying evidence. The trucking company is in control of a lot of relevant evidence after a truck wreck. Your lawyer can file the right papers in court to make sure that all relevant evidence is preserved.
These tips may be useful in helping you prevent a crash or in protecting your fair recovery if you have been hurt, but there’s more that can be done to help you protect your rights if you have been injured.
Now May Be The Time to File a Lawsuit
Your time to file a case is limited by law. Our Iowa truck accident attorneys will make sure that your rights are protected by filing your claim before the statute of limitations expires. However, that does not mean that your case will go to trial. Instead, we will keep negotiating with the insurance company to try to resolve your case out of court and as quickly as possible. If that doesn’t work, then we will fight hard in court to get you the recovery that you deserve.
To learn more about your rights or to get started with your claim, please contact us online or call us directly at 800.800.5678 to schedule your free consultation.
