A car accident of any kind is a stressful, frightening experience. In addition to the inconvenience of a damaged vehicle, you have the worry of addressing injuries to yourself, your family, and any other passengers who might have been with you. These problems are compounded when a heavy truck caused the accident. When that is the case, you need the advice and assistance of a good attorney in order to have a positive outcome from the incident. Here are four ways a good lawyer can help you.
Specialized Experience
Many attorneys handle a variety of cases, from property damage claims to settling estates. These jacks of all trades typically have far less experience with auto accidents, especially those involving big trucks, so they may not be as successful in getting you the compensation you are entitled to. Personal injury attorneys confine their practices to these types of cases, giving you better representation.
Medical Knowledge
After an accident, many people look themselves over and, if they don’t see any obvious injuries, climb out of the car and think that they are okay. However, an accident involving a heavy truck means there are physics issues in play that can do damage to the human body that is not immediately visible. A good attorney knows which tests and scans you need to identify all your injuries.
Skills in Traffic Law
A semi is not just an overgrown car. It is a specialized vehicle for which government at every level has promulgated specialized laws. A personal injury attorney who is well-versed in these laws will be better able to utilize the information in a police report to establish clearly what the truck driver did that led to your collision.
Networking
It doesn’t take too many years in personal injury practice for an attorney to develop a lot of connections. These can include doctors, tow truck operators, police officers, and others, as well as a good database of things like where there are surveillance cameras near common accident scenes. Your attorney can bring all this information to bear in building your case.
A traffic accident is very much a nightmare for most people. They typically want to close the book on it as quickly as possible. While that’s completely understandable, it’s also short-sighted. Working with a personal injury attorney will give you a better chance at getting a resolution in court that will provide for your interests in the long term.
About the Author: Lizzie Weakley is a freelance writer from Columbus, Ohio. She went to college at The Ohio State University where she studied communications. In her free time, she enjoys the outdoors and long walks in the park with her husky Snowball. You can find her on Twitter at @LizzieWeakley and on Facebook at facebook.com/lizzie.weakley.
