The bills after a truck accident can be overwhelming. The medical costs alone for treating a significant injury could be hundreds of thousands of dollars. If you are not at fault for a truck accident, you should not have to pay. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to receive fair financial compensation when a trucking company uses various tactics to avoid paying. A truck accident attorney in San Antonio can help you navigate these tactics and help you get the compensation you deserve.
Deploying Rapid Response Teams
Trucking companies have legal teams and insurance providers ready to protect them in the event of a traffic accident. One tactic often used is the deployment of a rapid response team immediately after the crash. This is a team of investigators, crash analysts and lawyers who often arrive at a crash scene even before the police.
Although a rapid response team is technically not allowed to erase or destroy evidence, they may rush to the scene to try to clean things up, such as moving the truck or towing it away completely. The rapid response team will work quickly to protect the trucking company from liability (legal and financial responsibility) for the wreck as much as possible.
Hiding Evidence
Truck accident cases involve unique types of evidence compared to standard car accidents, such as the truck’s black box, electronic logging devices and data recorders, truck driver logbooks, truck maintenance records, crash histories, and the trucking company’s safety compliance records. A trucking company may attempt to conceal, alter or even destroy certain kinds of evidence to protect themselves. If you were involved in a standard car accident, make sure to speak with a car accident attorney in San Antonio.
Contacting the Victim Directly
A trucking company may call a crash victim after an accident under the guise of a simple formality. In reality, the trucking company is using this conversation to try to get the victim to say something that could hurt his or her insurance claim, such as admitting fault for the accident or speaking about injuries before the victim has seen a doctor.
Delaying the Claim
It is common for a trucking company or its insurance provider to delay the processing or payout of a claim. They know that an injured victim wants to finish the case and get paid as soon as possible. They use this to their advantage to make the victim wait, in the hopes that he or she will accept the first settlement when one is finally offered. Oftentimes, the initial offer is much lower than the victim actually deserves.
Refuting Fault
Under Texas law, the party at fault for causing a truck accident is liable for a victim’s medical bills, property repairs and other damages. A trucking company may try to avoid paying by denying fault and attempting to blame others, including the crash victim. The trucking company may deny that its driver was at fault for the accident, for instance, even if the evidence says otherwise.
How to Secure Maximum Compensation for a Truck Accident in Texas
If you get injured in an accident involving a large truck in Texas, it is important not to trust the trucking company or any insurance provider involved in your claim. They will want to minimize your payout as much as possible. Never give a recorded statement to a truck company or an insurance adjuster during the claims process.
Protect yourself by hiring a personal injury attorney in San Antonio to represent you. Your attorney can guide you through the insurance process to protect your rights, such as by subpoenaing records and evidence from a trucking company. Your lawyer can advocate for you during settlement negotiations or bring your case to court to maximize your financial recovery.