Van Meter Truck Accident Injury Attorneys

After a truck accident near Van Meter, victims often assume the insurance company will treat them fairly, only to discover that is rarely the case. Understanding how insurers operate, how an attorney increases the true value of a claim, and how to protect that claim from the very beginning can make a real difference in the outcome. The Van Meter truck accident attorneys at Walker, Billingsley & Bair want local victims to understand all three before they speak with an adjuster.

Can You Trust the Insurance Company After a Truck Accident?

In Iowa alone, more than 100 insurance companies sell insurance, with policies ranging from personal injury to workers' compensation coverage. Just because you pay a premium does not mean your own insurance company is going to look out for you. Some people think that if they are injured, their own insurance company will go after the other party on their behalf, which is simply not true. While your insurer will try to recover what it paid for property damage, it is highly unlikely they will pursue a claim for your personal injuries. This distinction matters, since many truck accident victims spend months assuming their own policy will handle everything, only to find out that pursuing the trucking company's insurer for their injuries is entirely on them.

What to Know About the Trucking Company's Insurer

If you are dealing with the insurance company for the trucking company that injured you, remember that the insurance company is not representing you or your best interests, they are not required to tell you the truth, and they are in the business of making the most profit possible, which means paying you as little as possible. The adjuster may be nice to you, but they are not looking out for you, and insurance companies generally do not like paying claims.

Keep Documentation and Be Thorough at Medical Appointments

Document your damages by keeping a diary or journal of how you are feeling, along with doctors' excuses for missed work and any medical bills or explanation of benefits forms from your health insurance company. The medical records generated when you visit your doctor, physical therapist, or other providers are very important, since they include your description of how you were injured, your physical complaints, and the treatment you received. If you fail to tell your doctor everything that hurts, it will not be treated properly and no one will know about it. Regularly attending your appointments also matters, since failing to see a physician regularly is considered evidence that you have fully recovered.

How an Attorney Strengthens Your Truck Accident Case Value

When you have been injured in a truck accident near Van Meter, the insurance company's first offer rarely reflects the true value of your claim. Without proper legal representation, you could be leaving thousands of dollars on the table.

Getting the True Value of Your Case

An Iowa personal injury attorney increases case value through several strategic actions, such as obtaining doctors' reports and medical opinions when necessary to prove causation between your injuries and the accident, and securing expert opinions on the cost of future medical care, since insurance adjusters often focus only on current medical bills and ignore the long-term financial impact of your injuries. Years of experience with similar Iowa injury cases allow an attorney to get a realistic sense of your case's worth once all the facts and medical opinions have been gathered, and to reject a lowball settlement that fails to account for all your losses.

Investigation and Handling the Insurance Company

An attorney manages subrogation claims made by your health insurer seeking reimbursement from your settlement, and reviews and challenges liens asserted by doctors, insurance companies, or employers. By handling all communication with the insurance company, your attorney protects you from tactics designed to reduce your compensation, and conducts a thorough investigation, gathering police reports, medical records, and bills, and hiring investigators when necessary to interview or locate witnesses and collect additional evidence such as photographs of the truck and accident scene.

Avoiding Costly Mistakes

Perhaps most importantly, an attorney helps you avoid common mistakes that could cost you thousands of dollars, such as giving recorded statements to insurance adjusters, accepting quick settlement offers before understanding the full extent of your injuries, missing important filing deadlines, or failing to properly document your damages. Iowa personal injury attorneys typically work on a contingency fee basis, meaning they only get paid if your case is successful, so there is little downside to at least asking questions before you settle.

Protecting Your Truck Accident Claim: 5 Things You Need to Know

Regardless of which law firm a Van Meter truck accident victim chooses to represent them, a handful of core principles are critical to receiving a fair and just settlement.

Tell Your Doctor Everything That Hurts

One of the most critical pieces of evidence is how you feel and how your injuries have affected your ability to function on a daily basis. If you first begin to complain about a problem weeks or months after you were hurt, the insurance company will claim the problem was not related to the accident and reduce its settlement offer.

Follow Your Doctor's Orders

If your doctor tells you to get therapy several days a week but you only go once, you will damage your claim. The insurance company will argue that you could not have been truly injured, or you would have followed your doctor's recommendations, and will reduce its offer as a result.

Keep a Diary to Document Your Injuries

Few people ever think to write down how they felt after a wreck. A diary helps provide an accurate account of your injuries and how they affected your ability to function day to day, and it can mean a higher evaluation of your claim.

Keep Documentation Regarding Missed Work

It is important to keep track of the time you missed from work, including keeping doctors' excuses for missed work and documenting the time you miss for medical appointments.

Be Careful What You Say

The insurance company and its lawyers will use anything and everything you tell them against you. No matter what, do not lie. Even a small lie can ruin your credibility, so the best policy is to always tell the truth, so you never have to worry about what you said.