How to File a Truck Accident Claim in Colorado

Truck accidents can often cause devastating loss because large commercial vehicles can weigh 80,000 pounds or more.  When you or someone you love is hurt or killed in a truck crash, you may be able to file a truck accident claim and recover compensation.

Understanding how to pursue a case can be complicated, though. Hadfield Stieben & Doutt,  LLC is here to help. Our compassionate and experienced Fort Collins truck accident lawyers will guide you through every step of your case, helping you to pursue justice. 

You can give us a call to schedule a free consultation or read on to learn the steps involved in pursuing a truck accident case. 

Get Medical Treatment and Document Your Injuries

The first key thing to do in the aftermath of a truck crash is to get prompt medical treatment. This will help you to minimize the lasting impact of your injuries. It will also allow you to document your injuries so you can prove that they were caused by the truck accident.

Report the Truck Crash

You should report the truck crash to the police so that a police report can be prepared and an investigation conducted. This police report can reveal important evidence, such as that a truck driver was intoxicated at the time of the accident. 

Investigate the Accident and Determine Who is to Blame

You will need to determine who to pursue a truck accident claim against when you’ve been hurt. In many cases, this will be the truck driver whose negligence or violation of safety regulations caused the crash to happen.

There may also be other parties you can make a claim against, such as the trucking company that employs the driver. 

The company could be liable under vicarious liability rules that make employers responsible for on-the-job accidents or because of the company’s own negligent policies if, for example, the company doesn’t properly train drivers or encourage overloading of cargo. 

Other parties that could be responsible for a truck accident include those responsible for truck maintenance or the manufacturer of the truck, or its parts, if a defect in the vehicle caused the accident. 

Gather Evidence to Prove Fault

You’ll need to be able to prove fault in order to make a successful Fort Collins accident claim. You should start gathering evidence as soon as possible, including things like:

• The accident report
• Photos from the crash scene
• Data from the truck’s onboard recorder (also called black box data)
• Driver logs showing hours on duty to determine whether FMCSA hours-of-service requirements were followed.
• Truck maintenance logs
• Eyewitness testimony
• Expert testimony

Hadfield Stieben & Doutt,  LLC can help you to obtain this evidence, as we have experience subpoenaing trucking company records and connecting accident victims with experts such as accident reconstruction specialists. 

File a Claim with the At-Fault Party’s Insurer

You’ll most likely want to recover compensation from the insurer of the at-fault driver. This means you will file a claim with their insurer under their bodily injury and property damage liability coverage.

Be careful when talking with an insurer because insurance companies want to pay you as little as possible. As a result, they often try several tactics to get you to say things that could jeopardize your claim. 

You should get help from a truck accident attorney before talking to any insurance company and definitely before signing any type of agreement waiving your rights. 

Negotiate a Settlement or Pursue a Claim in Court

Finally, with help from your Fort Collins motorcycle accident attorney, you’ll typically pursue a settlement with the at-fault driver’s insurer or will pursue a case in court to get compensation. Hadfield Stieben & Doutt,  LLC can provide help reaching a settlement agreement as our team includes skilled negotiators.

We’re also experienced litigators who are ready to go to trial and present a strong claim on your behalf. We’ve been recognized as America’s Top 100 Personal Injury Attorneys and are also members of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum and Multimillion Dollar Advocates Forum, so you can count on our firm to fight for you.

Contact a Fort Collins Truck Accident Lawyer to Get Help Filing Your Claim

Taking these steps can be complicated, especially since trucking companies and their insurers want to pay as little as possible for the damage they’ve done. Hadfield Stieben & Doutt, LLC has spent decades helping truck accident victims recover millions in compensation, and we’re ready to bring our legal experience to your case.

Give us a call or contact us online as soon as possible after a crash so we can help you to navigate the claims process and maximize the chances of getting the compensation you deserve.