Accidents involving semitrucks could leave the victims sustaining more severe injuries than those involving sedans, SUVs and pickup trucks. Commuters involved in collisions with semitrucks might face financial troubles resulting from their injuries. As with other motor vehicle collisions, the victims might seek an insurance settlement with the truck driver and his or her employer. However, the process could be more complicated than many realize.
Truck accident claims
Since the injuries could be more severe after a truck collision, victims will seek more substantial settlement amounts than someone hurt in a minor accident. After all, extensive medical care and follow-up treatment could prove costly. Insurance companies will want to see evidence that substantiates the claim. Providing numerous medical records related to immediate care, rehab and other treatments means the insurance company would likely require more time to go through the submissions.
Similarly, those seeking compensation for lost wages and other financial struggles must add such items to the evidence. That could add more time to the claim process.
Of course, the insurance company would require evidence of fault. It only pays out on liability claims when its customer is, indeed, liable. Once again, the insurance company will have more evidence to review, including photographs, eyewitness statements, police reports and additional materials.
Truck accident complexities
Since a tractor-trailer is a massive vehicle, truck crashes could involve several victims. A single negligent driver could impact several cars and pedestrians. Therefore, there will be multiple claims occurring at the same time. Sometimes, the claims may be against more than one party. Victims may take action against the truck driver, his or her employer, or even another vehicle involved in the collision.
Regardless of the complexities, an insurance claim or civil lawsuit could compensate victims for their losses. The compensation may address many expenses the victims face.