Dealing With Insurance Companies After an Oregon Truck Accident
Posted on June 23, 2023 in Personal Injury,Truck Accidents
When an accident occurs between a commercial truck and any other type of vehicle on the roadway, there will need to be an extensive investigation into the incident in order for victims to recover compensation for their injuries or property damage. There will certainly be insurance carriers involved in these claims, and crash victims need to know how to handle them.
Stay Off of Social Media
Even though your first instinct might be to jump onto Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, or another social media platform to discuss the incident, please refrain from doing so. Even if you think your social media is set to the strictest privacy settings, there is a good chance that the insurance carriers or the legal team for the alleged negligent party will see your posts.
Aside from posting about the incident itself or the recovery process, we actually encourage you to stay off social media altogether while your claim is ongoing. Even posting something as innocuous as going to a ball game with your kids could end up jeopardizing your claim.
Limit How Much You Interact With Claims Adjusters
“Hello, Mr. Johnson. We hope you’re feeling better after the incident.”
That seems like such an innocuous sentence and even polite. The reality is that this type of statement is not uncommon when speaking to insurance claims adjusters. However, even a phrase as simple as the one above can be a trap.
Imagine Mr. Johnson had been in a truck accident caused by the negligence of a truck company or truck driver. If the insurance claims adjuster for the truck company called and made that statement, and if Mr. Johnson had replied, “Yes, I do feel better today, thank you,” then he could potentially jeopardize his claim.
Insurance claims adjusters are not on your side. We strongly encourage you to reach out to a skilled truck accident attorney in Oregon who can handle all communication with other parties on your behalf. The number one goal of an insurance carrier is to limit how much money it pays out in a settlement. They will use various tactics to help undermine your claim, including trying to get you to say something that could indicate you do not need continued medical treatment or that you actually did not sustain an injury.
When you work with an attorney, all communication will be funneled through your Portland personal injury lawyer so that you do not accidentally say something that could jeopardize the overall claim.
Consider Calling an Oregon Truck Accident Lawyer
One of your first phone calls after a major accident involving a commercial truck should be to an attorney. An Oregon truck accident lawyer with experience handling these types of claims will be your advocate throughout the entire process.
When you work with a lawyer, you will have an individual with the resources needed to conduct a complete investigation into the incident. Truck accident lawsuits in Portland often become very complicated, much more so than traditional car accidents. An attorney will begin the investigation into the truck driver, the trucking company, and even the manufacturer of the vehicles involved. There will need to be an extensive amount of records gathered, as well as any other types of evidence related to the incident, including photographs, video surveillance, statements from eyewitnesses, police reports, and more.
An experienced lawyer will be able to sort through all the information associated with your accident, allowing you to focus on recovering with your loved ones. They will build the strongest case possible on your behalf and strive to secure fair compensation for the injuries you suffered.