After an injured person signs a contract with a truck accident attorney in Honolulu, that lawyer can get started on the case. The lawyer explains the relevant laws to the new client and discusses possible strategies to gain the most amount of deserved compensation from the trucking company’s insurer. More details of the plan will unfold as the attorney makes the first contact with that insurance company and begins negotiations.
The Effort to Settle
Most personal injury cases, including those involving collisions with heavy trucks, are settled out of court. This is the fastest way a truck accident attorney in Honolulu can obtain compensation for the client. It’s also the best way to ensure the person does receive money since juries are unpredictable and may side with the defendant. However, if the insurer does not cooperate, the lawyer will generally proceed with filing a lawsuit. Even then, most cases are still settled out of court before the case makes it to trial.
Information Gathering
A lawyer such as Randal Yoshida asks the client about the details of the accident and gathers police records concerning the incident. The cause of the collision must be verified, and there may be disputes about what exactly occurred. Determining a precise cause can be complicated since aspects such as road conditions and weather may factor into the investigation.
Medical records associated with the accident are also obtained. The lawyer needs the client to answer questions about how much income has been lost because of the injuries and any related expenses that are not medical costs. The person’s vehicle may have been totaled, and the value of the automobile should be provided to this individual.
Important Considerations
The client should not speak with representatives of the insurer or the trucking company without the lawyer present. This person should definitely not sign anything without the attorney’s legal counsel. The claims adjusters may try to persuade the plaintiff to sign a settlement agreement by essentially saying “Take it or leave it”. Yet, injury attorneys know this dollar amount is typically not the end of negotiations. See Autoaccidentattorneyhonolulu.com for more information on one particular lawyer.