What Does a Truck Accident Lawyer Do?

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A truck accident lawyer is a type of personal injury lawyer who specializes in truck accident injury cases. We represent those who’ve been injured by a truck driver’s negligence so that they can recover the compensation they deserve for their injuries. If you’re considering hiring a lawyer after being injured in a truck wreck, it’s important to understand just what we can do for you.

As your truck accident attorney, we’ll handle all legal aspects of your case, including

  • Identifying the liable party or parties
  • Collecting evidence from the scene, witnesses, and other sources
  • Negotiating with the trucking company and their insurance to secure you fair compensation
  • Representing you in court if necessary

In other words, a Louisiana truck accident injury lawyer will take on your case, allowing you to focus on healing from your injuries or taking care of your loved ones as they heal. Considering that truck accidents are usually much more complex to litigate than crashes involving passenger vehicles, having a lawyer can help to ensure that you receive the compensation you need to fully heal from your injuries and move on with your life.

Truck Accident Lawyers Specialize In Tort Law

Truck accident attorneys work in an area of law known as tort law. In the context of your accident, a tort is a civil or private wrong or injury that can be remediated through compensation for the injured party’s damages.

After someone has been injured in a tractor-trailer accident due to another driver’s negligence, they can seek compensation from the negligent party for their losses. The main goal of a tort case is to make the injured party whole again after their loss, so truck accident lawyers like Gordon McKernan Injury Attorneys work with injury victims to procure compensation for the damages they’ve suffered.

These damages can take many forms and can include

  • Current and future medical expenses
  • Lost wages from missed work due to injuries
  • Loss of earning capacity due to ongoing disability
  • Property damage, including the cost of repairing or replacing your vehicle
  • Emotional distress and mental anguish
  • Physical pain and suffering
  • Wrongful death

Find a Personal Injury Lawyer Specializing in Truck Accidents

There are multiple types of personal injury law: premises injury, car accidents, bus accidents, medical malpractice, wrongful death, and truck accidents encompass only a few of the types of cases a lawyer might work with. However, just because a lawyer is a member of the Louisiana Bar Association and has a personal injury practice, does not mean that they’re the best advocate for you. Look for a lawyer with experience in truck accident cases, specifically, to maximize your compensation.

Gordon McKernan Injury Attorneys have over 679+ years of combined legal experience helping Louisianans fight big trucking companies and win. Our clients have recovered $3 Billion with our help, and we’ll do all we can to make sure you get the compensation you deserve. If we don’t win or settle your case, you won’t owe us a dime—guaranteed.

What Does a Truck Accident Lawyer Do For Their Clients?

Every personal injury case is different, and nearly every truck accident injury case is complicated. In truck accident cases, there are usually multiple parties that might share liability, all of whom have their own insurance providers. For this reason, it’s especially recommended to hire a truck accident injury attorney after experiencing a truck wreck.

When you sign with Gordon McKernan Injury Attorneys, we’ll handle your case from start to finish. Here are a few of the things we’ll help you with on your path to healing:

Investigate Your Accident

When you call us for your initial consultation, we’ll examine the details of your case and determine whether we can take it on. After we sign a contract, we’ll start right away on investigating your accident and collecting evidence, including

  • Photographic evidence of the scene, your vehicle, the other vehicle(s), and your injuries
  • Statements from eyewitnesses as to what occurred
  • The official police report from the scene
  • Medical reports from first responders, your doctor, and other medical professionals
  • Expert opinions on your injuries, vehicle damage, and accident reconstruction
  • Expenses you’ve incurred since the accident, including medical bills, lost wages, and others

As we examine the evidence, we’ll build your case and compile it in a demand letter to insurance.

Send demand letters

After we’ve completed our investigation, we’ll send what’s known as a demand letter to the at-fault party’s insurance company. This demand letter outlines the facts of your case and demands a specific amount in compensation for your damages.

Insurance rarely accepts the amount of the initial demand letter and will respond with their own letter. It’s at this point that your lawyer and the insurance company will begin negotiations.

Negotiate with Insurance Companies

Negotiation is one of the most valuable aspects of hiring a truck crash lawyer. You’ll probably be contacted by the at-fault party’s insurance soon after the crash with a preliminary offer that’s much too low to fully account for your damages. Do not take the preliminary offer from insurance. Instead, call an experienced truck accident attorney in Louisiana to negotiate with insurance and get you the compensation you need.

Your truck accident lawyer from Gordon McKernan Injury Attorneys will look over the insurance policy, account for all of your damages, and handle communication with the insurance companies. We’ll work to negotiate a settlement that’s actually fair, and that covers your damages.

Most of the time, we’re able to negotiate a fair settlement with insurance and your case will end there. However, there are times when insurance fails to see reason, and we’ll need to initiate legal proceedings. The first step in that process is a complaint.

Prepare Complaints

One of the first documents we’ll file in your lawsuit is a complaint, which is a formal document staking out our intentions to sue. Usually, the at-fault party has 30 days to respond to the complaint.

Discovery

After we’ve filed the lawsuit, we’ll begin preparing your case for trial. This is where we’ll re-examine the evidence, research relevant case law, and begin forming our arguments for the opposition. We might also interview and depose witnesses, draft pleadings, and prepare discovery requests for the opposition.

During the discovery phase, lawyers for each side share the evidence they’ve collected so that the case can be decided on its merits. Often during this stage, one side will realize their case is not as strong as they’d thought and they’ll capitulate to the other’s demands, but cases can also go to trial.

Represent You in Court

The vast majority of truck accident claims are settled before going to trial. However, if yours does make it to trial, Gordon McKernan Injury Attorneys have decades of experience in arguing personal injury cases in front of judges. We’ll do our very best to help you recover the maximum compensation possible after your accident.

Call an Experienced Louisiana Truck Accident Lawyer Today

Whether you’re putting together a claim to present to the insurance company or a jury in court, a truck accident lawyer at is on standby, ready to help. We understand that you shouldn’t have to battle with the insurance companies on your own. To help you gain the compensation you deserve, a truck accident lawyer at our firm can assist you in making sure all relevant documents are filed so you can recover and rest as much as possible.

We encourage you to schedule a free consultation with us today if you or someone you care for has been involved in a truck accident due to the negligence of someone else. Even better, you won’t owe us a dime until we win your case: it’s our G Guarantee!

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