Truck Accident Settlement Process

The average truck accident settlement is not necessarily what your settlement will be. In fact, when you rely on RAM Law in New Jersey to represent you in semi-truck accident settlement negotiations, chances are you’ll do much better than average. You have some responsibility to gather as much information as you can to strengthen your case, but the RAM Law team ensures your New Jersey truck accident settlement fairly compensates you. Call RAM Law as soon as you can to get the ball rolling on the most attractive truck accident settlements and verdicts in the state.

What Is a Truck Accident Settlement?

Truck accident settlements refer to legal agreements between the parties involved in a truck accident. The injured party or parties agree to receive a certain amount of compensation from the driver or company responsible for the accident. Compensation aids the injured party in the process of recovering damages that resulted from the accident.

A New Jersey truck accident settlement may be particularly large, given the size and weight of commercial trucks. The injuries sustained are often severe and may even be fatal.

Common trucks involved in accidents on the road include:

• Fire trucks and other emergency vehicles
• Flatbed trucks
• Cement-mixing trucks
• Tow trucks
• Dump trucks and garbage trucks
• UPS and FedEx trucks

Commercial truck accident settlements tend to involve significant sums of money. If you’ve experienced an accident with a tanker truck, 18-wheeler or box truck, contact the experienced New Jersey attorneys at RAM Law. They bring a high level of expertise in truck accident settlements and verdicts, especially when the cause of the accident involves the negligence of a trucking company.

But they guide you in all causes of accidents, including:

• Speeding
• Reckless driving
• Drunk or drugged driving
• Distracted driving
• Bad brakes
• Overloaded truck
• Defective underride guards
• Illegal driving maneuvers

Regardless of the cause, you can count on RAM Law to lead discussions with the respective insurance companies to get you the best semi-truck accident settlement or verdict that makes you whole, no matter what type of truck was involved.

How Do I Start the Truck Accident Settlement Process?

If you’ve been involved in a big rig truck accident and want to start the settlement process, general steps you need to take include:

1. Seeking medical attention. If you’re injured in a truck accident, get medical attention right away, even if you don’t think your injuries are severe. This step not only ensures that you receive the necessary medical treatment, but also creates a record of your injuries, which aids your settlement negotiations.
2. Contacting RAM Law. To determine the best course of action for your situation, consult with a knowledgeable attorney who assesses your case and suggests different legal alternatives. RAM Law attorneys guide you through the settlement process, negotiating with insurance firms, and if necessary, stand alongside you during the court proceedings.
3. Notifying insurance companies. Contact your insurance company and the trucking company’s insurance carrier to report the accident and begin the claims process. Don’t give any recorded or written statement until you’ve consulted with the attorneys at RAM Law.

While you’re still on the scene, if you can, begin to collect as much evidence as you can to help with your New Jersey truck accident settlement.

If you need medical assistance, try to get witnesses or anyone else who was in your vehicle to gather and preserve any evidence related to the accident, including:

• Police reports
• Witness statements
• Photographs of the accident scene
• Property damage
• Information about your injuries

How Are Truck Accident Settlements and Verdicts Negotiated?

Once you have RAM Law representation, they begin settlement negotiations with the insurance company or trucking company attorneys on your behalf.

Your attorney works to reach a fair settlement that compensates you for property damage and any injuries, which may include:

• Back and neck injuries
• Head and brain injuries
• Spinal cord injuries
• Burn injuries
• Broken bones and fractures
• Wrongful death

Your settlement process varies, depending on the specific circumstances of your case. Your RAM Law attorneys work hard to achieve a fair truck accident settlement for you. They take into consideration any serious medical issues that may affect you in the the future.

How Are Truck Accident Settlement Amounts Determined?

There’s no set formula for deciding the amount of compensation for your truck accident damages. The specific details of the accident, the extent of the injuries and your losses all play a role in deciding a fair settlement amount. The average semi-truck accident settlement is a gross estimate; your settlement may be radically higher or lower.

The factors that affect the amount of your semi-truck accident settlement include:

• Liability. The settlement amount heavily depends on determining the percentage of responsibility assigned to each party for the accident.
• Comparative fault. In some cases, both parties may share fault for the accident. The settlement amount fluctuates, based on the percentage of faults assigned to each party.
• Insurance coverage. The amount of insurance coverage each party holds is part of the consideration in deciding the commercial truck accident settlement amount.
• Negotiation. Settlement amounts are decided through negotiation between the parties involved, their attorneys and their insurance companies. Each party presents evidence to support their position and negotiates a settlement amount that’s acceptable to all parties involved.

Settlement amounts for semi-truck accidents range from tens of thousands of dollars to millions of dollars, depending on the specifics of the case. It’s difficult to ballpark an average semi-truck settlement as every case is unique. Settlements also vary state-to-state. RAM Law’s experience in New Jersey truck accident settlements is extensive, setting them apart from the rest.

When determining the settlement amount, part of the equation includes:

• The seriousness of the injuries sustained
• The extent of property damage or total vehicle loss
• The medical expenses incurred
• The impact of the accident on the injured party’s quality of life
• The injured party’s ability to produce gainful employment in the future

How Do I Get What I Deserve in a Semi-Truck Accident Settlement?

If you’ve been involved in a semi-truck accident and want to get the settlement you deserve, continue the steps you took when you began your truck accident settlement process, including:

• Recording ongoing medical attention. Keep all your follow-up doctor appointments, scheduled testing and referral appointments. Keep track of all the expenses.
• Documenting everything. Keep detailed records pertaining to the accident, including photographs, doctor visits and medical testing, no matter how long the process takes. Maintain a record of how daily life has changed for you since the accident with a written journal of your progress.
• Deciding the true value of your claim. Your attorney strives to get you a fair semi-truck accident settlement that considers not only your medical expenses and lost wages, but also pain and suffering, emotional distress and any other long-term consequences of the accident.

By following these steps and collaborating with the knowledgeable attorneys at RAM Law, you increase your chances of getting the best settlement. Additionally, if truck driver’s negligence is found, attorneys may seek punitive damages on your behalf.

What Are the Factors that Can Delay My Truck Accident Settlement?

The truck accident settlement process is daunting, even more so if you’re recovering from injuries due to the accident.

There are numerous factors that contribute to delays in reaching a settlement for a truck accident. The most common include:

• Gathering evidence. To decide liability and damages, judges and insurance companies often require extensive investigations to determine fault and establish the extent of damage. This process is time-consuming, as evidence collection may involve accident reconstruction, medical examinations and witness statements.
• Severity of injuries. If the injuries sustained in the truck accident are severe, it may take longer to determine the full extent of the damage. This may involve ongoing medical treatment, rehabilitation and future medical expenses, which prolong the settlement process.
• Insurance company delays. Insurance companies may also cause delays by requesting additional documentation or taking longer than expected to evaluate the claim. It’s not unheard of for insurance companies to use delaying tactics in the hopes of getting claimants to settle for less than they deserve.
• Court proceedings. If the case goes to trial, it may take longer to reach a settlement. This involves court scheduling, legal proceedings and a lengthy trial process to achieve verdicts that are final.
• Uncooperative parties. If the other parties involved in the accident are uncooperative or unwilling to negotiate, it delays the settlement process.
• Complex cases. Some truck accident cases are more complex and involve multiple parties. These cases sometimes take longer to settle as there may be multiple negotiations and legal proceedings involved.

Some cases resolve quickly through settlement negotiations, while others require extensive litigation and take several years to resolve. Typically, most cases settle within six to 12 months, but again, this timeline varies widely, based on the particulars of the case.

Contact the experts at RAM Law of New Jersey to evaluate your case and recommend your legal options. They assist you in seeking justice and maintaining financial stability after a collision. Their experience negotiating a fair settlement with the insurance company or trucking company relieves uncertainty and stress from your settlement process.