According to Caltrans.gov, more than 3000 truck accidents occur annually in California. Out of that number, more than 100 result in fatalities. Discover how a lawyer can help you after a truck accident in California.
Evidence Gathering
One of the first steps your lawyer can take after a truck accident in California involves finding out exactly what happened. The other party or parties involved in the wreck might blame you for what happened. Your attorney can investigate by securing the accident report from law enforcement and subpoenaing surveillance and dash cam footage, as well as eyewitness statements, to prove what actually occurred.
Determining the Damages
California places a certain value on the various types of damages people suffer in truck accidents. Before you file a case, you can meet with a lawyer and find out how much compensation you can sue for in court. You can decide if the amount is worth your time pursuing.
Filing the Case
If you decide to pursue the case, you can have your lawyer file it for you. Your legal team will know what paperwork to file and to what court clerk to send it. Your attorney will also follow through with the case, appearing in court for or with you. Your lawyer will also argue for you, so you avoid having to speak to the judge or jury yourself.
Filing Insurance Claims
Along with filing a lawsuit, you also have the right to file insurance claims against the responsible party. These claims can include those made with the person’s car insurer. They can also include those made with the person’s property or business insurance.
The responsible party may not want to provide you with the insurance information, however. You also may not feel comfortable filing the claims on your own. Rather than handle this task on your own, you can have your attorney file the insurance claims for you.
Acting Promptly
Depending on the circumstances of the truck accident, you may need to act quickly to file your case and insurance claims. The state of California places statutes of limitation on personal injury and car accident cases.
If you fail to act within the timespan, you forgo your legal right to pursue any compensation to which you otherwise could have legally claimed. Your attorney can tell you how long you have to act so you avoid forfeiting your claim to compensation.
Negotiations
If you do not want to pursue the case in court, you could settle it in return for dropping the lawsuit. You or the other party may prefer this option if you want to avoid any negative publicity.
It could also suit you if you want to forgo the expenses of filing and waiting out a case to go through the court system. Your lawyer can negotiate a fair settlement for you if you want to forgo pursuing a judgment in court.
These services highlight just a few that a lawyer can provide you with after a truck accident in California. You can file a case quickly, pursue compensation and provide evidence to show you were not at fault for the wreck.
