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Why You Can’t Trust Your Own Auto Insurance after a Semi-Truck Accident

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Posted by Tim Semelroth

If you were injured in a crash with a semi-truck, you probably thought your own insurance company was on your side.  After all, you pay your insurance premiums on time every month.  You bought into the insurance industry advertising saying they will be there for you during your time of need.  Unfortunately, this isn’t always true.  Often the biggest threat to getting paid fairly after a truck accident may be your own insurance company.

Your Car Insurance Company May Need to Be Involved Even If the Crash Wasn’t Your Fault

Your auto insurance may have to cover your losses if:

  • The truck driver did not have valid insurance; or
  • The truck driver did not have enough insurance to cover all your harms and losses; or
  • The trucker does not have assets that can be taken to pay for your harms and losses

Truck accidents are often serious in nature.  The difference in weight and size of semi-trucks versus regular cars means that severe injuries are common.   Truck accident victims can quickly rack up thousands of dollars in medical bills.  If the trucker’s insurance is not enough to fully compensate you for your injuries, your auto insurance will need to step in to provide under-insured motorist coverage.

When that happens, suddenly, your own auto insurance company is on the hook for your accident-related losses.  That is when you learn that all your years of loyally paying for auto insurance can mean nothing.  When you ask your auto insurance company to compensate you for your harms and losses, be ready to be treated differently.  Insurance representatives are trained to use tactics to reduce claims payouts, even when the injured person is their own insured.  Their first instinct is to protect their bottom line, not fairly compensate you.

How to Protect Yourself against Your Own Insurance Company

In the Law Guide to Iowa Truck Accident Claims, we teach you how to fight back against trucking companies who don’t want to pay fair compensation.  These tips can also protect you when dealing with your own auto insurance company.

Some of those tips include:

  • Don’t sign medical release forms from any insurance company until your  attorney has reviewed your medical records
  • Don’t give any recorded statements to any insurance company without your lawyer present
  • Don’t settle your claim without first speaking with an attorney

If you want to receive fair compensation for your semi-truck accident injury, you have to protect yourself – sometimes even from your own auto insurance company.  If you have questions about any questionable insurance company tactics, call our office today at 1-319-519-4193.

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