A truck crash incident is a truly traumatic experience, so it’s only fair that you or a loved one get the decision and compensation payout you deserve. Due to the complex nature of this type of incident, we strongly recommend you hire an attorney. Here are four traits of a successful truck accident injury lawyer you should be looking out for.
We’ll look at:
- Experience
- Willingness and Ability to Investigate
- Knowledge of Complicated FMCSA Rules and Regulations
- Success and Satisfaction Rate
Experience
As a whole, truck accidents are complex incidents. Partly the reason why these crashes are so tricky to deal with is due to the mass of complicated rules and regulations that are involved. An experienced personal injury attorney should know the ins and outs of the legislation like the back of his/her hand.
In comparison, a junior could easily let something crucial slide underneath the carpet and ruin your chances at winning her case and getting compensation.
An experienced lawyer will also have previous exposure to similar cases where larger companies are backed by huge insurers and law firms. In this scenario, a lightly experienced attorney could be easily intimidated and bullied by these larger third parties which could put your case in jeopardy.
The trucking company has the right to destroy most of the evidence after only six months, so you’re going to have to act fast.
When it comes to choosing your attorney, prior experience is an absolute MUST. You don’t want to be an attorney’s first case, you want to put yourself in the best position to receive a full compensation payout.
Willingness and Ability to Investigate
A successful truck accident injury lawyer will take action quickly and will be willing to carry out a thorough, proper investigation of the incident. There are various pieces of evidence that a good attorney will collect.
These are:
- Eyewitness testimonies.
- Truck driver’s log book, personnel files, and other important paperwork.
- Full vehicle maintenance, inspection, and safety report.
- Police reports.
- Expert advice – for example, medical files or trucking incident expertise.
- Accident reconstruction evidence.
Before hiring an attorney, make sure he/she knows to send a letter to prevent the spoliation of all this data. The trucking company has the right to destroy most of the evidence after only six months, so you’re going to have to act fast.
Knowledge of Complicated FMCSA Rules and Regulations
Because the rules and regulations concerning truck drivers are so complicated, you want to make sure that any potential personal injury attorney you hire is confident and has fine attention to detail with them. There are very specific rules on how many hours a truck driver can drive without a break, when drivers must perform inspections, and how trucking companies must maintain their trucks.
Having an attorney who can spot Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) violations can be the difference between a successful claim and an unsuccessful one.
Success and Satisfaction Rate
Obviously, attorneys aren’t going to win every case they represent but a good success rate bodes well for your chances of gaining a full payout.
When looking at their success rate, look at their most recent cases. That way, you’re getting an accurate representation of how they’re performing at the minute and how often too. What were the outcomes of these cases? And were they similar to yours? These two questions are the most accurate to base your search on. It’s pointless having a successful attorney who specializes in medical cases yet doesn’t have a clue about truck incident injury cases.
Their satisfaction rate is a big one too. You’ve got to be able to get on with your attorney and click with them. That way, he/she will feel more empathy toward your case and have your best interests at heart. This will give you a bigger chance of success as they’ll actually want to win your claim, rather than you just being another client.
Response times are a good indicator of this. You want to know where you stand with your case, not feel like you’re being left out of the loop and going nowhere.
Choose the Perfect Attorney For You
No matter how serious or minor your claim is, we strongly advise you to hire a truck crash attorney. It’s definitely not worth trying to represent yourself as it’s too easy to miss out on little points that could seriously jeopardize your case.
At Coxwell & Associates, we’ve been representing Mississippians for over 35 years. We strive to give you nothing but the best representation to give you the best chance of success in your truck accident claim. Our team of experts offers free consultations, so get in touch today. Or, to ease you in, why not download our free pack on everything you need to know about filing a truck crash claim?
Disclaimer: This blog is intended for general information purposes only, and is not a substitute for legal advice. Anyone with a legal problem should consult a lawyer immediately.