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Why Is It Taking So Long to Settle My Truck Accident Injury Claim

Post By Corey Heit
Why Is It Taking So Long to Settle My Truck Accident Injury Claim

Several factors determine the time it takes secure a settlement after a crash caused by a commercial truck driver. Only a couple are under the control of you and your Columbus, Ohio-area semi truck accident attorney.

First, reaching a semi truck accident settlement in Ohio requires the insurance company to make an offer you can accept as fair and adequate. Since insurers do not welcome the opportunity to pay any amount to a crash victim for their medical expenses, lost earnings, and pain and suffering, insurance company representatives often take a long time to get serious about fully compensating people for injuries or wrongful deaths.

Insurance claims following crashes involving large commercial trucks can also become complicated by the fact that truck drivers and the companies that employ them carry multiple policies. Ohio law permits a crash victim to file claims against each policy that applies. That means negotiating with more than one company may become necessary.

A third reality that can slow down the process of reaching a semi truck accident settlement in Ohio is that building a convincing case for receiving compensation takes time. To succeed when their claims are contested, the crash victim and their personal injury or wrongful death lawyer must collect, organize, and present evidence of all of the following:

  • The truck driver or tucking company’s principal fault,
  • The link between the crash and serious injuries or loss of life,
  • The need for and costs of medical care for injuries caused by the crash, and
  • The need for other types of compensation such as the replace of wages you lost while revering, the replacement of projected earnings due to a long-term disability, and payment for noneconomic losses due to physical pain and emotional suffering.

Producing all the different types of evidence requires some combination of obtaining official police reports, conducting an independent investigation into the crash, reviewing medical records, commissioning reports from experts, and taking testimony. Doing all that can take several months.

Last, a case ends when you, as the victim/plaintiff, accepts a settlement offer from the insurance company or companies. You may decide that a first or early offer suffices. Or you may determine that your long-term need for ongoing medical care and disability support demand fighting for a larger settlement.

Your Columbus semi truck accident lawyer will offer advice on your financial situation, options for receiving a higher offer if you continue pressing your case, and chances for winning if the case ends up in court to be decided by a jury. But the final decision regarding whether to accept or reject a settlement offer is yours to make.

If you were hit and injured by a negligent or reckless commercial truck driver in Franklin County, Ohio, Corey Heit of Westerville-based Heit Law may be able to assist you in taking on the insurance company. He offers free consultations to crash victims, and he also handles wrongful death cases for family members who have lost love ones. Connect with Corey online to schedule a free consultation, or call him at (614) 898-5300.

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