How Long Do Semi-Truck Accident Cases Last?

When you suffer injuries due to an accident with a semi-truck, you can find yourself with thousands of dollars in unexpected expenses and losses. You may be able to recover compensation for your injuries through a personal injury claim. Depending on the circumstances and complexity of your claim, you could see your settlement within a few months to a few years.

Factors That Can Lengthen Your Truck Accident Claim

When it comes to litigating truck accident claims, many different factors can come into play. Trucking accidents are often some of the most complicated collision claims you can encounter. This fact is partially due to the complex questions of liability and the multiple parties who may have played a part in your injuries.

The following factors can lengthen your truck accident claim.

• One of the biggest factors that could lengthen your truck accident claim is how severe your injuries are and the treatment you need to recover. You cannot accurately calculate your damages and determine if you have long-lasting damage until you fully recover or reach maximum medical improvement. Since truck accidents usually involve severe injuries, you may need a long time to recover. Fair compensation depends not only on the severity of your injuries, but also on whether you achieve a full recovery in time, or, instead, will be left with permanent injuries.  With rare exceptions (e.g., paralysis), most treating physicians are unwilling to address whether a patient has been left with any permanent injuries from a traumatic incident such as a trucking accident until at least a year out from the date of injury.
• If federal and state regulatory agencies are involved in your case, you may have to wait for these bodies to complete their investigations of the crash or circumstances behind the crash. You may have to wait up to a year to receive these reports, but they can help with your claim.
• Your truck accident attorney in Milwaukee will need to examine many different types of documents from the trucking company and the driver, including maintenance records, driver safety records, and certifications, along with past violations and infractions. It may take quite some time for your attorney to obtain these records.
• Your attorney will also need to obtain multiple types of documents on your behalf. These documents may include your medical bills and records, additional written reports from your doctor(s), pain and suffering evidence, lost wages and loss of future earnings documentation, and other documentation. Obtaining this documentation will also take quite a bit of time.
• If the trucking company or its insurance company is not willing to make a fair settlement offer, a civil lawsuit may be required. If a lawsuit has to be filed, it will take even longer to resolve your claim, especially if your case proceeds to a trial.

If you’re considering filing a truck accident claim, contact our auto accident attorneys at Cannon & Dunphy, S.C. today.