When recovering from painful and life-altering injuries from a truck accident, victims may seek compensation from liable parties, which may include individual truck drivers and their employers.
After a collision with a commercial truck, victims should focus on preparing their claims and preserving evidence. We can help with this by identifying witnesses and organizing proof of your damages to file a lawsuit before the two-year deadline. You will need hospital records detailing your injuries to ensure your case is successful, so follow doctors’ orders and get all prescribed care. By prioritizing their physical health and building medical evidence, victims may be able to file claims sooner, increasing their chances of a faster financial recovery. To help speed up settlement negotiations, we can leverage eyewitness statements, video footage, accident reconstruction, and other evidence to get the defense to increase their offers.
For a free and confidential case assessment from our truck accident lawyers, call The Queenan Law Firm, P.C. now at (817) 476-1797.
Timeline of Your Truck Accident Case in Bedford, TX
First, the accident occurs, followed by victims reporting it to the police and seeking medical attention. Then, our lawyers must determine if the individual driver is solely liable for your injuries or if their employer shares blame because of vicarious liability.
To do this, we must confirm the commercial truck driver’s status as a regular employee rather than an independent contractor. We also have to confirm that the driver was operating within the scope of their employment when they injured you, which we can do by preserving evidence like eyewitness statements. Accident reconstruction is also important in many collision cases, as experts can determine a crash’s root cause. Experts can only reconstruct accidents when they can access physical evidence, so do your best to photograph the crash site and property damage to involved vehicles.
The next stage is officially filing your lawsuit in court, which must happen within two years of the accident, according to Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003. After you file, the defendant will be notified of the lawsuit and may propose a settlement, which our truck accident lawyers will compare to your total damages. If the initial offer is low, which is often the case, our lawyers can present counteroffers supported with evidence of your losses.
Letting settlement negotiations drag on for too long could delay your financial recovery. We can help victims handle claims involving stubborn defendants by taking their cases to court.
Medical Care for Truck Accident Injuries in Bedford, TX
Victims must get medical care for truck accident injuries to prove physical harm due to negligence. Your medical records should detail the immediate treatment you sought from paramedics and at the emergency room, as well as any subsequent care in the following weeks or months.
Immediate Treatment
Emergency room treatment for truck accident injuries varies. Some victims may need trauma care to address deep lacerations or broken bones, while others might need to go into surgery immediately for internal injuries.
Some injuries require in-depth diagnostic tests, like MRIs, CT scans, and X-rays, which can be expensive. Do not reject medical care from paramedics at the crash site or when you get to the hospital. If you do, that will be noted in your medical records and could come up in your case.
Some victims might not go to the hospital after accidents, relieved that they did not sustain more serious injuries. This could lead to a lack of medical records should they notice pain or discomfort in the coming days. Adrenaline and stress could make victims ignore whiplash, fractures, and other injuries for the time being, but doctors can diagnose these injuries by performing medical assessments after accidents.
Long-Term Treatment
Recovering from fractures, spinal cord injuries, limb loss, and other common truck accident injuries often involves physical therapy. Victims might have to see specialists for years to regain mobility or eliminate discomfort. Doctors may prescribe victims medications to deal with chronic pain associated with their injuries or have to perform additional surgeries in the coming years.
This long-term medical care can affect victims’ emotional well-being, causing them additional pain and suffering. Such non-economic damages are compensable in truck accident claims, and our attorneys can help victims quantify theirs when preparing their cases.
How to Get Compensation Quickly After a Truck Accident in Bedford, TX
Victims should not wait to initiate their claims so that they can get compensation as soon as possible following truck accidents. We can quickly identify evidence to preserve and leverage over the defense during settlement negotiations so that they do not take unnecessarily long.
Remember, the two-year deadline for truck accident claims is strictly enforced in Texas, and victims only get tolling in certain situations, like if a victim was a minor at the time. Though you have the full two years to do so, you do not have to wait that long to bring your case. Filing sooner can show your commitment to your physical and financial recovery and let us preserve crucial evidence, like eyewitness statements and surveillance footage.
Such evidence could convince the opposing side of your case’s strength early into settlement negotiations, potentially leading to a higher offer sooner. Victims should also know the full value of their cases so that they can identify poor offers. Our attorneys can track all losses from the accident, from medical expenses to missed income, and compare settlement offers to our calculations when assessing them. Knowing the true value of your case can prevent you from accepting an unfair offer just to get compensation quickly, as our attorneys may be able to get a higher settlement by negotiating a bit longer and illustrating the strength of your case compared to the defense’s.
Call Us Today for Help with Your Truck Accident Compensation Claim in Bedford, TX
Call the truck accident lawyers of The Queenan Law Firm, P.C. at (817) 476-1797 for a free case assessment.