Can a Mississippi Truck Accident Lawyer Increase My Compensation Award?
If you are not satisfied with a settlement offer or want to make sure that you get the maximum compensation possible after your truck accident, you should call a Mississippi truck accident lawyer. These professionals will use their skills and experience to investigate, collect useful information and evidence, guide you through the legal process, and stand up and demand the compensation that they believe you are rightfully entitled to.
Here are seven ways that a Mississippi truck accident attorney from Merkel& Cocke, P.A. can help you obtain a larger award.
1. Conducting an investigation
A truck accident attorney will thoroughly investigate every detail of your accident. This means that they will go to the accident scene, look at the damage done to your vehicle, see if there are any marks on the roads, and take photos if needed. They will be looking for anything that potentially stands out and could benefit your case. For example, they may see that there are cameras at the intersection of your truck accident, which could provide surveillance footage. If this surveillance footage can be used, it could strengthen your claim and result in you receiving more compensation.
2. Assessing and calculating your damages
Your lawyer will also look over every single damage that resulted from the accident, such as medical bills, lost income, property damage, mental and emotional trauma, loss of quality of life, and more. This may require you and your attorney to sit down and make a list of every negative effect that the accident has had on your life.
Then, your attorney will work with financial professionals to calculate your damages and determine how much you are owed. After they present to you the final amount, you may soon realize that the insurance company was offering you a lower compensation amount than you deserved, which is why it is crucial to hire an attorney to ensure that you are aware of the full extent of your claim’s value.
3. Pursuing a lawsuit
It is not uncommon for insurance companies to be difficult and decide to not budge on the compensation amount. If this is the case for you and you need help obtaining a larger award that seems fairer, your Mississippi truck accident attorney may suggest pursuing a lawsuit. This means that you agree to take your case to trial. Sometimes, this shows the insurance company that you are serious about wanting a higher award amount, which could cause them to offer you a higher settlement. However, if they do not do this, our attorneys will prepare to represent you in court and fight for your right to the compensation you are owed.
4. Offering advice and ensuring that you are aware of your rights
Truck accident cases can be extremely difficult and complex as they often involve several different parties and state and federal regulations. Therefore, many people who do not hire an attorney quickly become overwhelmed and decide to take whatever compensation amount they can get. However, it is important to know and understand that you do not have to handle your truck accident case on your own. Instead, you can depend on one of our truck accident lawyers to use their knowledge to inform you of your legal rights, offer you advice about what you should do, and help you navigate any challenges that arise.
5. Gathering all necessary evidence to prove negligence
When you are healing and recovering from your injuries, it can be difficult to think about everything you need to collect for your case. This can include the police report, photos, video footage, hospital or doctor records, auto mechanic reports, prescriptions, receipts, black box recordings, and more. With so much on your plate during this time, it is normal to forget things. Working with a truck accident lawyer ensures that you don’t have to worry about any of this at all: our team handles it for you. While we’ll need your help with things like copies of the photos you took, or copies of your receipts for your purchases, we can secure all other evidence and documentation on your behalf.
We use this evidence to prove that the driver, the company, the shipper, and/or the broker was negligent in some way, and that the negligence is what caused the truck wreck and your injuries.
6. Finding and deposing witnesses
Another way that your lawyer can help you obtain a larger award is by bringing in witnesses to bolster your claims. These can be eyewitnesses who saw your accident and agree to provide their testimony about what happened, or they can be expert witnesses who are experienced or knowledgeable in truck accidents and are willing to explain to the court how the accident happened and how it affected you. You may even be able to ask a family member, spouse, or caregiver to provide a statement in court about how your daily life has been impacted since the truck accident.
7. Building a strong argument against the defendant
Mississippi truck accident attorneys are well aware of the laws and regulations surrounding these types of accidents. We know exactly how to help you, protect your rights, and build a strong and convincing argument against the defendant. When you hire an attorney with experience in truck accidents, you can have peace of mind knowing that you have a legal professional in your corner who will do everything they can to ensure that all facts and details are presented in a strong and powerful manner. This will show the defendant’s legal team that you and your attorney will not back down without a fight.
Have you suffered injuries in a truck accident and need immediate legal assistance? If so, please reach out to the Mississippi truck accident lawyers from Merkel & Cocke, PA at your earliest opportunity. With more than 40 years of experience, our team has built a solid reputation among our clients and developed a track record of helping them receive the justice and compensation they deserve. We also have access to some of the greatest outside resources, which we may be able to use to potentially increase your award amount. Call our office or submit our contact form to schedule your free initial appointment at one of our office locations in Oxford, Jackson, Greenville, or Clarksdale today.
After graduating from the University of Virginia Law School in 1975, Mr. Cocke and Mr. Merkel established Merkel & Cocke, P.A. in 1982. Since that time the emphasis of Mr. Cocke’s practice has progressed toward medical malpractice. At the present time his practice is exclusively devoted to handling medical negligence cases for the plaintiff, either as a result of direct contact by the client or on referral from other attorneys who are not familiar with the handling of medical negligence cases. Mr. Cocke was selected Best Lawyer of the year for 2012 and 2014 in The Memphis area in the field of Medical Malpractice and has been selected a Best Lawyer and Super Lawyer every year since 2006. Learn more about John Hartwell Cocke here.