Insurance companies like to write policies and accept payments for premiums. However, dealing with insurance companies after a truck accident differs significantly from purchasing an insurance policy. The insurance company wants to avoid paying large claims, so it protects itself from liability instead of protecting the accident victim’s best interests.
Experienced North Dakota truck accident attorneys understand how insurance companies treat accident victims. Our lawyers at Pringle & Herigstad, P.C. have fought for the rights of North Dakotans since 1909. We have a lengthy track record of successfully winning cases for our clients. Our legal team works to obtain the best possible outcome for our clients.
Contact Pringle & Herigstad, P.C. to speak with a North Dakota personal injury attorney about a truck accident claim. We have offices in Grand Forks and Minot, but handle cases throughout North Dakota.
How Pringle & Herigstad, P.C. Can Help You With a Truck Accident Claim in North Dakota
Our attorneys have decades of combined experience handling personal injury cases. Over the past 115 years, our law firm has established itself as a trusted source of legal representation for individuals and families hurt in accidents. We have extensive resources, skills, and the knowledge to handle complex cases. Our attorneys have won against some of the state’s largest companies.
When you hire our North Dakota personal injury attorneys, you can trust that we will:
- Investigate the truck accident to gather evidence proving fault
- Work with the industry’s best experts to strengthen your case
- Assess how much your case is worth by analyzing your damages
- Handle all matters with the insurance company
- Negotiate fair settlements based on the value of your damages
- Protect your best interests, including filing a personal injury lawsuit and taking your case to trial if necessary
Our service areas include cities and counties throughout North Dakota, from Bismarck to Rugby and Fargo to Trenton. No matter where your truck accident occurred, we can help. Call Pringle & Herigstad, P.C., today to schedule a consultation with a North Dakota truck accident attorney.
Common Tactics Used by Insurance Companies to Minimize Payments in Truck Accident Cases
Understanding how insurance companies treat truck accident claims can help you deal with insurance companies after a truck accident. Tactics used by insurance companies include, but are not limited to:
Shifting Blame for the Accident
The insurance company may blame you for causing the accident. North Dakota’s comparative fault law bars victims from receiving compensation if they are 50% or more to blame for causing the accident. The court reduces damages by the victim’s percentage of fault if they are less than 50% at fault.
Insurance adjusters and investigators are trained to get victims to say something that can be used to blame them for the accident. It is crucial to be cautious and avoid saying anything that could be misconstrued as admitting fault.
Low Settlement Offers
The insurance company may make a quick settlement offer. The aim is to get the victim to accept the settlement offer and release all parties from further liability before the victim realizes how much their claim is worth. Once the victim accepts a final settlement, they cannot file a lawsuit or pursue further compensation.
Disputing Injuries and Damages
Insurance companies hire medical professionals to examine medical records to challenge the severity of injuries. The company may dispute whether the truck accident caused your injuries. The goal is to decrease the value of damages.
Stall the Claims Process
The insurance company may create delays in the claims process to frustrate you. For example, the company may request unnecessary documents and information to lengthen the claims process and force you to do unnecessary work. The aim is to force you to accept a low settlement offer out of frustration.
Denying Liability
Truck accidents often involve multiple parties. The insurance company may use this to its advantage. The company denies liability, stating that the insured was at fault. The company disputes the facts and places the blame on the other parties.
Challenges of Negotiating with Insurance Companies After a Truck Accident
Negotiating a truck accident claim settlement can be one of the most difficult aspects of dealing with insurance companies after a truck accident. Insurance companies often use computer programs to determine how much your claim is worth. However, a computer program cannot adequately value a person’s pain and suffering.
Ensuring you receive a fair settlement for a truck accident requires understanding your legal rights, the damages available for a personal injury claim, and negotiating tactics. It also requires understanding how trucking regulations impact the basis for injury claims, such as causation and fault.
Understanding the role of an insurance company in a truck accident is essential. Insurance companies issue liability policies to trucking companies and other parties. The insurance coverage pays damages when the parties cause an accident that is covered by the policy. The policy terms dictate what types of accidents and damages the policy covers.
The insurance company works to minimize liability for claims. In other words, it avoids large payouts for truck accident claims. The company has teams of insurance adjusters, investigators, attorneys, and other professionals working to reduce the company’s financial liability. Therefore, you are going up against a team of skilled, trained professionals whose sole priority is to pay you as little as possible for your accident claim.
How Legal Representation Can Help You Secure a Fair Settlement for a Truck Accident Claim
A truck accident attorney understands the law, including the economic and non-economic damages you are entitled to and the correct value of your claim. They also have extensive experience countering insurance company tactics.
For example, an attorney helps you maintain thorough records of medical treatment, lost wages, and other out-of-pocket expenses. Your lawyer assists you in documenting your non-economic damages (pain and suffering) to maximize the value of your claim. Attorneys know how to dispute the values produced by computer programs. They understand how compensation should be calculated.
A law firm has the resources to stay persistent when dealing with insurance companies after a truck accident. An attorney can file a lawsuit if the company delays the claims process.
Your lawyer also understands comparative fault laws. They gather evidence and expert opinions to prove how the truck accident occurred and who caused the accident. Your attorney responds to allegations of fault and disputed claims with evidence and legal arguments.
Truck accident cases are among the most complex personal injury claims. Hiring an experienced attorney gives you the legal expertise you need to recover the compensation you deserve after a truck accident.
Schedule a Consultation With Our North Dakota Truck Accident Attorneys
Our North Dakota personal injury attorneys have extensive experience handling truck accident cases. Call Pringle & Herigstad, P.C. to discuss your case with an attorney. Our legal team fights to protect your right to fair compensation for damages and losses.
