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What is a Fair Settlement for My Iowa Truck Accident Case?

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Posted by Tim Semelroth

We rely on semi-trucks to haul packages and other goods over Iowa roads. Unfortunately, their sheer size can mean serious injury or even death if they’re involved in a crash. Truck wreck claims are far more complex than typical car accident cases in Iowa. Before you settle your claim, there are a few things you need to know about trucking accidents:

More Than One Party Could Be Responsible For Your Trucking Crash Injuries

Experienced Iowa truck accident lawyers know there could be more than one party responsible for your injuries. Bringing each one of these responsible parties to justice may result in a larger, more fair settlement for you.

In a semi crash, potential responsible parties could include:

  • The truck driver
  • The company that hired the truck driver
  • The company that loaded the truck
  • The company that maintained the truck and trailer
  • Or the manufacturer of the truck or trailer

To properly identify the parties responsible for your truck wreck, an accident attorney will need to investigate your claim. To do this, they will need to hire a trucking industry expert. This expert can analyze police reports, truck driver logs, maintenance reports, and other related information to see which parties will need to be sued. A good truck accident lawyer has a trucking industry expert who is ready to be part of your legal team.

Your Truck Accident Injuries Could Result in Two Different Types of Compensation

The amount of money you receive in a settlement will depend on your specific situation. Generally speaking, there are two types of compensation you could recover in a trucking accident claim: economic damages and non-economic damages. Economic damages cover things like past and future medical bills, compensation for property damage, and lost wages if you had to miss work because of accident-related injuries.

Non-economic damages are not as straightforward but can be even more important. Non-economic damages include things like pain and suffering, loss of bodily function, and the negative impact of an injury on a family relationship.

How to Get the Highest Settlement for Your Truck Accident Claim

Many factors influence the amount of compensation you can get for your Iowa truck accident settlement. While the majority of these factors are out of your control, there are a few things you can do to put yourself in the best position to get a fair settlement:

See a doctor.

The most important thing for you to do after being in a serious truck accident is to get treatment for your injuries. See your doctor, physical therapist, and other medical providers as much as you need until you are healed, or as healed as you are going to get.

These visits result in medical records, which are crucial to proving how badly you were hurt in the accident.

Do not settle your claim before speaking with an attorney.

The other side’s insurance company will likely reach out to you soon after the accident. They may ask you to settle your claim quickly before you are completely healed. Don’t be fooled – once you sign settlement paperwork, the trucker’s insurance company won’t pay you any more money for your claim – even if your injury gets worse or you acquire more medical bills. Do not settle your claim if you are still treating your injuries or believe you’ll need medical treatment in the future. If you sign paperwork to settle, those future medical bills will come out of your own pocket.

RSH Legal offers a free, no-obligation case evaluation for Iowans who have been victims of a truck crash. To schedule yours, call 1-800-433-0283 today.

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