If you get injured in an accident with a semi-truck, you’re probably going to be seeking compensation from the trucking company. They should carry insurance that will cover people who are injured through the negligence of their own drivers. In some cases, you can also seek compensation directly from the drivers, but targeting the trucking company is often beneficial.
When you do this, the insurance company is going to send an adjuster to determine how much you’re owed. This is the first problem that you have, because that person‘s job isn’t to give you the amount of money that you need. It’s to save as much money as they can for the insurance company, which they work for. As a result, they will sometimes try to reduce the value of your claim in a few key ways.
Saying treatment isn’t needed
For example, the insurance company may debate whether a type of medical treatment is even needed or not. You may believe that it would help you significantly, but they may want to deny it basically on the grounds that it costs too much. But you should be more worried about your long-term health than the cost.
Ignoring future costs
One common tactic is to offer a settlement that will cover the immediate costs the person has. People are usually very nervous about how they’ll pay medical bills and things of that nature. But if that settlement ignores the cost of future treatment, you could find yourself facing more bills in the years to come.
Debating lost wages
Another thing to consider is that you may try to seek compensation for lost wages if you’ve been injured and can’t work. The insurance company may dispute the fact that you can’t work to start with, and they may also debate exactly how much you’re losing in wages. Essentially, they’re going to try to pay you less than what you actually lost through the negligence of their driver.
A situation like this can get very complicated and frustrating, so make sure you are well aware of all of your legal options.