Attorneys
- Hawarden Truck Accident Injury Attorneys
- Phone: 641-792-3595
- Directions
A collision with a semi-truck or commercial vehicle can leave a Hawarden resident with injuries far more severe than those from an ordinary car accident. Because of the size and weight difference between a truck and a passenger vehicle, even a routine trucking incident can result in catastrophic harm. On top of the physical damage, truck accident victims in Hawarden are often left wondering who is responsible for their medical bills and whether they can trust the insurance company handling their claim. Understanding these issues from the very beginning can help protect both your health and your right to fair compensation.
Can You Trust the Insurance Company After a Hawarden Truck Accident?
In Iowa alone, there are more than 100 insurance companies that sell coverage, offering everything from personal injury policies to commercial trucking liability coverage. Just because a trucking company or driver pays a premium to their insurer does not mean that insurer is going to look out for an injured Hawarden victim. Some people assume that if they are hurt, their own insurance company will pursue the at fault trucking company on their behalf. That is simply not true. While your own insurer may try to recover what it paid for property damage, it is highly unlikely to pursue a claim for your personal injuries.
If you are dealing with the trucking company's insurance carrier after a Hawarden accident, there are several things you should keep in mind.
Tips for Dealing With the Trucking Company's Insurer
Tell the Truth
Anything you say can be used against you later. Even a small inconsistency can damage your credibility, so always be truthful with the insurance company and their representatives.
Let a Professional Handle the Adjuster
Insurance companies employ trained professionals to manage claims. Hiring your own attorney means someone with matching experience is handling communication on your behalf.
Keep Documentation
Keep a diary of how you feel each day, retain doctors' excuses for missed work, and hold onto medical bills and explanation of benefits forms from your health insurer.
Be Thorough With Doctors
Tell every medical provider everything that hurts. If a new complaint surfaces weeks or months later, the insurer may argue it was unrelated to the crash.
Regularly attending your medical appointments is also essential after a Hawarden truck accident. Failing to see a physician regularly can be treated as evidence that you have fully recovered, both by the insurance company and potentially by a judge or jury down the road. If your doctor tells you to follow up as needed, that means returning within a few weeks if problems continue. Skipping that follow up can make it look, in the eyes of the insurer and possibly a jury, like you have made a full recovery even if you have not.
Who Pays Your Medical Bills After a Hawarden Truck Accident?
One of the most common questions a Hawarden truck accident victim has is who will actually pay for medical treatment. In truck and car crash cases, it is rare for the trucking company's insurance carrier to make payments toward your medical bills as they come in. This is true even when liability is obvious and the insurer has already paid for property damage. The trucking company's insurer is not required to make ongoing medical payments, and insurance companies routinely wait to pay only at the time of a final settlement, when they can obtain a release in exchange.
Because of this, a Hawarden victim should not expect the trucking company's insurance to cover medical bills as they are incurred. Instead, several other sources are typically used to pay for treatment while a claim is pending.
Sources for Paying Medical Bills
- Your own health insurance from an employer benefits package
- Health insurance you have purchased personally
- Health insurance obtained through a spouse, or through parents if you are a minor living at home
- Medical payments insurance coverage from your own auto policy, whether you were driving your own vehicle or riding as a passenger
- Healthcare.gov or Medicaid coverage if you do not currently have insurance
- Personal funds, if you are uninsured and able to pay as bills come in
With medical debt often rising quickly after a serious truck accident, a Hawarden victim may not have the funds available to pay providers directly. In these situations, an attorney's office can often help facilitate an assignment, in which the client authorizes the law firm to pay the medical provider directly out of any settlement or verdict. Providers will frequently accept this arrangement and wait until the time of settlement rather than pursue collections in the meantime.
It is also important for a Hawarden victim to remember that almost all insurance policies contain a subrogation provision. This means that if you obtain money for medical bills from another party or insurance company, your own insurer may be entitled to reimbursement out of that recovery.
Five Things Every Hawarden Truck Accident Victim Should Know
Whether or not you ultimately hire an attorney, there are several critical steps every Hawarden truck accident victim should follow to help protect a fair and just settlement for their injuries.
1. Tell Your Doctor Everything That Hurts
One of the most important pieces of evidence in any truck accident claim is how you feel and how your injuries affect your ability to function day to day. Your doctor is required to keep accurate, detailed records of your medical history and care, including how you were injured, your physical complaints, the doctor's examination findings, and the treatment provided. The insurance company will base its offer largely on this information. If you fail to mention everything that hurts, it will not be properly treated, and there will be no record of it. If you begin complaining about a new problem weeks or months after the crash, the trucking company's insurer will likely argue that the problem is unrelated to the accident and reduce its offer accordingly.
2. Follow Your Doctor's Orders
If your doctor recommends physical therapy several times a week but you only attend once, it can damage your Hawarden truck accident claim. The insurance company may argue that you could not have been seriously injured, or you would have followed your doctor's recommendations, and will use that argument to justify a lower settlement offer.
3. Keep a Diary to Document Your Injuries
Few accident victims think to write down how they feel each day, but a daily diary can provide an accurate account of your injuries and how they have affected your daily life. This kind of documentation can help prove the extent of your injuries and may lead to a higher evaluation of your Hawarden truck accident claim.
4. Keep Documentation of Missed Work
It is important to track any time missed from work because of your injuries, including doctors' excuses for missed shifts and time missed attending medical appointments related to the crash.
5. Be Careful What You Say
The trucking company's insurance carrier and their attorneys will use anything you say against you. Never lie about any part of your claim, even something that seems minor. A small inconsistency can ruin your credibility with the insurance company, a judge, or a jury. The safest approach for any Hawarden truck accident victim is to always tell the truth so there is never anything to worry about later.
Get Help Now In Hawarden
At Walker, Billingsley & Bair, our truck accident team is committed to ensuring you receive the compensation you deserve. We handle all injury cases on a contingency fee basis and manage all necessary documentation and communications.
Walker, Billingsley & Bair is prepared to act fast to defend your rights after a truck accident in Iowa. Contact our office at 641-792-3595 to speak with an attorney.