How to Hire a Truck Wreck Attorney in 2023

About 500,000 trucking accidents take place each year in the US. 130,000 people suffer injuries as a result of these crashes, which can be devastating because of vehicle size and weight.

If you were involved in a truck wreck recently, hiring an attorney is the first step toward getting compensation. However, if you choose the wrong type of lawyer or someone with less successful experience, you won’t get all the damages that you’re due. Read on to learn how you can find a truck accident attorney the right way.

Don’t Wait Too Long

The statute of limitations for filing a truck accident claim is 2 years. However, you don’t want to wait this long to file. There’s no reason to wait and suffer without the compensation you deserve.

Even worse, not hiring a lawyer immediately can lead to legal complications. Insurance agencies and defense teams will see your failure to immediately file a claim as evidence that you were not desperate to collect damages. They may argue that you’re playing up property damage and injuries to get compensation that you don’t deserve, which is not the case.

Waiting too long can also make it more challenging to collect evidence like photos, police reports, eyewitness accounts, and security footage. Recreating the accident and assessing the scene can also become more difficult, so it’s best to file immediately after getting medical treatment.

Compile All Relevant Information

Seek medical attention for your injuries right away after a truck accident. This will stop your injuries from becoming worse and ensure that you do not sustain long-term physical damage. You’ll be in less pain and can get back to normal life faster.

However, this is also important because you want to include medical bills in the information that you give to a reputable lawyer. You must compile all relevant information, including:

• All of those medical bills
• Physical or psychological therapy forms
• Proof of time you had to take off work
• Information about wages you lost due to injuries
• Receipts for vehicle repairs

This will let your attorney assess exactly what types of damages you can get. You’ll likely be able to get compensation for medical bills, lost wages, temporary or permanent disability, and pain/suffering. Bills and receipts will give you evidence that you deserve compensation.

You’ll also need some basic evidence of the accident such as:

• Photographs of your injuries
• Photographs of property damage
• Police reports filed after the accident
• Eyewitness accounts from those nearby
• Security camera footage (if available)
• The other driver’s contact and insurance information
• The other driver’s license plate
• The make/model/color/year of the other vehicle

If you have trouble accessing any documents, ask your lawyer to help you. They can work with police, hospital teams, and employers to get information quickly and effectively. What you may need to wait months for can be in their hands in days.

Understand Specialization

To determine your exact needs, you must understand legal specialization.

There are many different types of law out there, and every attorney specializes in a certain type of law. Hiring a lawyer isn’t a one-size-fits-all process. A health care or patent lawyer isn’t going to do anything for you post-collision.

You’ll need an attorney who specializes in personal injury. You’ll want to narrow this down even further and choose someone who specializes in auto accident law.

Start Your Search Online

Now that you know precisely what you’re looking for, it’s time to begin the search for a truck accident attorney.

The first thing to remember is that you’ll need to find someone who practices in your specific area. Sweet Lawyers may be the best attorneys in California and Arizona, but even this amazing team can’t do much for someone on the East Coast.

To begin researching, ask people close to you if they’ve ever worked with an attorney like the one you need. They may have some tips on how you can start your search, even if they don’t want to recommend a specific lawyer.

Then, go to your State Bar Association website. Do an attorney search by selecting the area of practice you’re looking into. You’ll get a list of awesome lawyers certified by your state bar that you can begin researching.

Narrow Things Down With Reviews

Once you find a few different lawyers, narrow your search down to 3 to 5 law firms with some online research. Start by reading online reviews. You can begin this process by going to the firm’s website and looking into their results or testimonials.

While you’ll want to go to legal review sites like LegalMatch, AllLaw, FindLaw, and NOLO, law firm websites give you a place to start. They may even have links from their testimonial pages to these review sites. You’ll also want to check out Yelp and Google Reviews.

Then, take a look at the results of various law firms on their pages. You want a legal firm with a high success rate working truck accident cases.

For example, Sweet Lawyers has a 98% success rate and many online case studies that you can look into. Information like that can help you select attorneys who are more likely to win the compensation you deserve. After all, nothing indicates what the future will be like more than past results do.

Schedule a Consultation

At this point, it’s time to schedule a consultation with the top law firms you’re considering. Usually, this will happen when you’re trying to decide between 2 or 3 possibilities.

Note that a consultation isn’t a commitment. It’s a chance to learn more about the law firm and ask any pressing questions that you have.

It’s also your opportunity to see how well you get along with the people who will be handling your case. This is important because an attorney is your go-between when negotiating with insurance companies and other lawyers. You’ll be communicating with them a lot, so they must be willing to chat with you and get along with you.

Any worthwhile auto accident firm will offer a 100% free consultation. You shouldn’t be shelling out any money at this stage of hiring a lawyer.

Ask the Right Questions

When you get to the free consultation, you must ask the lawyer in front of you the right questions. It’s the only way to get a clear picture of whether they’re a good fit for your needs and personality.

Some important inquiries include:

• How much experience do you have in truck accident law?
• How many cases like mine have you won?
• How much compensation do you think you can get me?
• Can you describe a truck accident case and how you maximized compensation?
• What are your rates? Do you operate on contingency?
• How and when do you take payment?
• Will you personally be handling my case? If not, who will be?
• How much time can you dedicate to my case?
• How will you communicate with me?
• How frequently can I expect to hear from you?
• Can I have some references to contact?

Make sure that the attorney communicates with you and doesn’t dance around questions. You need someone open and transparent to talk to during your case.

Don’t Stress Too Much About Finances

When a prospective attorney answers questions about their rates and payment methods, it’s easy to get stressed out. A quality attorney costs quite a bit of money, and “40% of your winnings” or “$10,000” can sound like an insurmountable sum.

Don’t stress! The best truck accident lawyers work on contingency.

This means that you pay absolutely nothing until you get the fair compensation that you deserve. Once you get paid, the attorney gets a percentage of the winnings. You don’t lose anything out of pocket.

You’ll always be able to afford a top-notch contingency lawyer. Better yet, you can rest easy that you’ll get the best possible representation. After all, your attorney gets paid more when you get paid more – nothing can be more motivating than that.

Look Into References

Any lawyer worth their salt will be happy to give you references from past clients at your consultation. Some people who have previously worked with them will have volunteered to talk to prospective clients about the firm’s services.

You’ll have the chance to ask questions of a peer who has no stake in what attorney you work with. They can tell you what the lawyer who gave the referral did well and whether they liked working with them. They can also tell you if they missed the mark on some things so you can weigh the pros and cons.

This can help you feel confident in your decision.

Work With a Reputable Truck Wreck Lawyer

A truck wreck is a stressful and costly experience, but an experienced attorney can help you through the aftermath. Now that you know how to choose a trick accident lawyer after a collision, it’s time to begin working with the top auto accident law firm in California, Arizona, and Washington.

Sweet Lawyers’ team is committed to assisting you by gathering evidence, building a strong case, and communicating with you about compensation and avenues toward collecting it. We’re excited to hear more about your specific situation, so contact us to schedule a consultation today.