18-wheeler accidents in Missouri can be serious.  These truck crashes can result in the financial destruction of entire families and stress that can quickly become unbearable.  If a husband and father is seriously injured in an accident, his ability to continue with gainful employment can be harmed, if not destroyed.  Most families are underinsured and not prepared to take on such a situation.  So who will pick up the tab for the family's future welfare? 

Personal injury attorneys who specialize in 18-wheeler accident litigation are highly specialized.  Most of these lawyers attend regular and ongoing legal training in the area of truck accident discovery and trials.  They belong to truck accident organizations such as the Association of Plaintiff's Interstate Trucking Lawyers of America (APITLA).  These truck accident lawyers can even take the next step and be board-certified by judges and colleagues in their jurisdiction. 

When it comes to obtaining fair compensation following a serious tractor-trailer crash, you must rely upon the legal representation of a Missouri truck accident lawyer.  Make sure to screen potential lawyers prior to picking the right one.  Not all injury attorneys are truck accident specialists.  In fact, there are only a handful of great trucking accident lawyers in Missouri.  Do your research and ask the right questions before signing any Lawyer Contract of Employment.

If you have questions about how the truck accident injury claims process works, email Missouri tractor-trailer accident lawyer Stephen Schultz for a personal consultation. 

You were injured in a serious car accident or other traffic accident.  You went to the hospital and got the treatment you needed.  You followed up with your primary care doctor and even got some prescriptions filled to treat inflammation and pain.  Luckily you have health insurance, which has paid the majority of your medical bills that arose out of the accident.  Now you are getting forms in the mail from your health insurance company, asking all kinds of probing questions into the details of your accident, your injuries, if you have hired a personal injury attorney, etc.  This form is not familiar to you and you are apprehensive about filling it out.  What should you do next?

Health insurance companies will almost always claim that they have a right to reimbursement out of any personal injury settlement or verdict that is obtained in your case.  If you have an injury lawyer representing you for your claim, it is important to turn over this health insurance subrogation questionaire to him or her immediately.  The problem is, that many health insurance companies are not entitled to reimbursement out of your settlement for the medical bills they have paid.  After all, you have paid your insurance premiums so that the health insurance company will be financially responsible for the cost of your good medical care.  However, there are certain classes of health insurance companies that may have a statutory right to reimbursement, a.k.a. subrogation, of the amounts they have paid for your treatment following a car accident, trucking accident, motorcycle accident, or other incident involving potential third party liability.

It is important to note that a health insurance company's right to subrogation is not triggered unless a third-party is liable for the cause of your injuries.  So for example, if you are involved in a car accident in which were at fault, there is no subrogation interest.  Only in situations where a third-party is deemed liable to you, is there a potential subrogation interest.

The major problem in these situations involving insurance subrogation is 1) verifying whether there is a valid right to subrogate and 2) if there is such a right, determining the amount that is fair to subrogate.  Now more than ever, accident victims need the expertise of an auto accident lawyer or personal injury attorney to assist in defending against a health insurance subrogation claim.  If you don't question the subrogation right, you may end up forking over a large portion of your injury settlement compensation claim to your health insurance company.

The step by step process of filing an insurance claim from a car accident can seem like an intimidating process.  Frankly, it is an intimidating process for anyone who has never been involved in the claims process.  Claims from car accidents, trucking accidents, and motorcycle accidents are the most common types of insurance casualty claims filed in the United States.  When you are involved in a car accident, there is a two-part claims process that develops.  First, the property damage claim involving your car and any other property is handled by either your insurance company or the insurance for the person that hit you.  It is up to you whether you choose to go through your own insurance carrier or the at-fault party.  Sometimes it is more pleasant dealing with your own company than someone else.

The second aspect of an insurance claim is the bodily injury claim, otherwise known as "personal injury claim" or "BI claim".  This aspect of the claims process offers challenges for most victims because there is no set evaluations process for all insurance companies.  In fact, some insurance companies use claims software programs that do all of the bodily injury claims adjusting.  These software programs, known as Colossus, are arbitrary programs that are in the heat of controversy with several consumer advocate organizations.  In fact, Allstate was just fined $10 Million dollars by the state of New York for its use of the Colossus personal injury claims program.  Unfair insurance companies use Colossus to regularly lowball, or completely deny, valid claims for injury.

Some claims adjusters will threaten that your claim will be "closed" if you do not settle the case within a short period of time.  In fact, you have up to five (5) years in Missouri to file a car accident injury claim .  Be careful not to fall into the games trap that is played by many car insurance claims adjusters when handling property damage claims and bodily injury claims.  Contact a Missouri car accident lawyer by calling (866) 840-3636 and get your rights protected from the start of your case.

A special alert released by Fox Business News acknowledged that some of the nations largest insurance companies, including State Farm Insurance, are systematically denying personal injury claims involving first responders to the accident scene.  State Farm Insurance admittedly denies accident injury claims where the injury victim is charged by emergency response personnel to come to the scene of a car accident in Missouri, tractor-trailer crash, or accident involving a motorcycle.  State Farm, however, will cover the costs that are charged to use the jaws of life to cut open a car (extrication). 

So where does this leave the victim of a Missouri car accident.  Well, the first thing we recommend is to contact a Missouri car accident lawyer located in your area.  If the insurance companies are going to be systematically denying claims for costs incurred when first responders come to the scene to help you out, then there is really no need to even attempt to negotiate a settlement, as no settlement would even possibly be in the realm of fairness or reasonableness.  Don't sit at home stressing about the many ways that the insurance claims adjuster will lowball, or flat out deny, your personal injury claim. 

So what are you truly entitled to when you are injured in a car accident in the state of Missouri.  First, you are entitled to compensation for ALL medical expenses that are paid as a result of your medical treatment.  Second you are entitled to compensation for any lost wages.  Third, you are entitled to compensation for emotional distress caused by the accident.  Fourth, you are entitled to pain & suffering compensation and other general damages.

Don't be fooled into thinking that your personal injury claim is "minor soft tissue" "minor low speed impact" or "mere whiplash".  These are all serious cases in which the insurance claims adjuster will attempt to railroad you into a settlement for medical bills, or less.  Call (314) 448-0934 or (866) 840-3636 and get your rights protected from the START.