Truckers Cause Millions Of Dollars Of Damage Annually
In an average year in the United States, truck crashes lead to roughly 75,000 injuries and 4,000 deaths. Truck accidents are also responsible for millions upon millions of dollars of property damage. For this reason, truckers and trucking companies must carry robust insurance policies that can be used to compensate victims and their families.
Above all else, however, these insurance policies tend to benefit insurers. That is, while insurance companies willingly accept payment for their policies, they are reluctant to pay claims to victims. Indeed, in my 35 years of practice as a lawyer, I have seen insurers employ a wide range of schemes to deny compensation to deserving individuals. This is why I have dedicated a large part of my professional life to helping victims of trucking accidents obtain what they need to recover.
How Insurance Companies Underpay Claims
Trucking is, by its very nature, a dangerous business. It requires individuals to maneuver machines weighing several tons through traffic. Drivers are frequently engaged to make cross-country trips and are on the road for several hours each day. The opportunities for disaster are many. So, too, are actual instances of disaster.
If insurers paid every injury or property damage claim in full, they would jeopardize their profitability. As such, they use reliable tactics to underpay claims. These tactics include:
- Low-balling victims — Insurance companies act fast to sell low. After an accident, they will often offer victims a small amount of cash to avoid paying a more costly claim in the long term. Many find such offers irresistible but find that, in the long run, they did not receive enough to pay their medical costs and related considerations.
- Disputing victims’ claims — Insurers hire professionals and subject matter experts to examine every aspect of a claim. They look for logistical mistakes, such as whether paperwork was filed on time. Likewise, they look for any weaknesses in a claimant’s case. If an injured individual fails to follow medical advice, insurers can reasonably assert that an injury is not severe; if there is paltry documentation of the accident scene, insurers can question who was truly at fault.
- Using social media to spy — The internet has made surveillance easier for all. After a trucking accident, insurance companies will often track victims through their social media profiles. If a victim posts pictures that might call their injury into question, insurers are quick to bring this evidence into settlement and court proceedings.
Insurance companies have at their disposal several attorneys who know how to dispute a case. Victims, too, should have legal authorities on their side who can assert their rights. With offices in Easton and serving throughout Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley, I can help.
Fighting Back Against Insurers
If you have been hurt in a trucking accident and would like to learn how I can assist, reach out to my firm. You can call an Easton truck accident lawyer at 610-258-9955, or arrange an appointment online. Initial consultations are always free.
