The Process and Preparation of a Texas 18 Wheeler Accident Lawsuit

Every day, people drive across the roads of McAllen, sharing them with large commercial trucks and 18 wheelers. You might be picking up groceries or medication for an elderly relative, or taking your sick child to the doctor, or going to or from work, but an accident with a large truck can strike at any time and change the course of your day and sometimes your life. If you’re in an accident with an 18 wheeler, you’re probably wondering if you need an attorney. When you hire a McAllen trucking accident attorney at Carabin Shaw, you’re getting an expert to guide you through the process and preparation of a Texas 18 wheeler accident lawsuit.

Once you have a lawyer, you can start the process of filing a lawsuit for your accident. Each case is different, but there are some basics that apply broadly to most cases. You should know the steps that your McAllen 18 wheeler accident attorney will take to get you the most compensation and the steps you can take both before and during your case that will help you get the best results from your lawsuit.

Because of the nature and immediacy of car accidents, you’ll be making some decisions before you’re able to retain an attorney. For example, if you’re hurt in your accident, you’ll want to seek medical treatment right away. Not only is seeing a doctor the best decision for your health and well-being, it will also help your lawsuit if you have medical records beginning immediately after your wreck.

Similarly, your best opportunity for getting things like an accurate police report, contact information for any eyewitnesses, and photographs of the accident is at the scene of the accident. Any and all of this information can be valuable to the McAllen accident attorneys filing your lawsuit and keeping track of it will help you get the compensation you’re entitled to.

Once you’ve retained your McAllen trucking accident attorney, you’ll need to turn all of these records over so that they will be available to your attorney to help with your case. Your lawyer will also ask you to refrain from speaking to any other attorneys or insurance companies representing the truck driver or the company the truck driver works for. This is for your safety and benefit and will help ensure you don’t inadvertently say or agree to anything that would jeopardize your suit.

After a lawsuit is filed, your McAllen accident attorneys will be able to conduct discovery in your case. Discovery is a legal term that means lawyers on both sides of a case can share and exchange information with each other. There are rules and requirements for what each side must share with the other side. Your lawyers are experts in knowing what to request in order to investigate your accident and best represent your interests.

After discovery, the next step in the process and preparation of a Texas 18 wheeler accident lawsuit is negotiation. The only part of this process you’ll likely be involved in is giving your approval or disapproval of any settlement your attorney negotiates for you. Your McAllen 18 wheeler accident attorney has the expertise and skills to settle your lawsuit and get you the compensation you deserve, but ultimately it is your decision whether or not you think the settlement offered is worth taking. If you decide to decline a settlement offer for any reason, your case will likely go to trial.

If you’ve been in an accident with a large commercial truck or an 18 wheeler in McAllen, you should have a smart, dedicated lawyer to represent your interests and fight for your rights. Before you agree to any settlement, call the expert attorneys at Carabin Shaw at 956-664-7255. They’ll fight for the compensation you deserve.