The aftermath of a truck accident is often a period of shock, pain, and overwhelming stress. Commercial truck collisions are inherently more devastating than standard car accidents due to the sheer size and weight differential. While you are focused on medical treatment and recovery, the trucking company’s insurance provider is already at work. One of the first and most critical signs that this process has begun is a phone call from an insurance adjuster.
If the truck driver’s insurance company contacts you, the most important piece of advice you can heed is this: do not talk to them. Do not give a statement, do not discuss your injuries, and do not accept any quick settlement offer. Your next call should be to an experienced legal team, like the attorneys at Simon Bridge Spires, who can step in immediately to protect your rights.
Dealing with the insurance company for a major commercial carrier is fundamentally different from dealing with a standard auto insurer. These companies have vast resources and teams of lawyers dedicated to one goal: minimizing their payout. By hiring a law firm with proven experience in complex trucking litigation, you ensure that you are not navigating this aggressive, high-stakes process alone.
The Adjuster Is Not Your Advocate
It is crucial to understand the role of the insurance adjuster. While they may sound friendly, empathetic, and concerned about your well-being, they are employees of the opposing party. Their primary function is to gather information that can be used to discredit your claim or reduce the value of your case. They are trained professionals in negotiation and investigation, and they are masters at extracting damaging admissions from unrepresented victims.
The adjuster will typically contact you within days, sometimes hours, of the accident. This is a deliberate tactic. They know you are likely stressed, perhaps medicated, and certainly not thinking clearly. They may phrase their questions in a way that encourages you to downplay your injuries or accept some level of fault for the crash. Anything you say, even a casual comment like “I’m fine,” can be later presented in court as evidence that your injuries were not serious.
The Danger of the Recorded Statement
The adjuster will almost certainly ask you to provide a recorded statement. They will claim it is a standard, necessary part of the process for processing your claim quickly. You are under no legal obligation to provide a recorded statement to the opposing insurance company.
A recorded statement is an open invitation for the insurance company to collect ammunition against you. The adjuster will ask detailed questions about:
- The Accident Details: They will try to get you to misspeak about road conditions, speeds, or signals, suggesting comparative fault on your part.
- Your Injuries and Pre-existing Conditions: They will ask about your medical history, looking for anything they can connect to your current injury to argue that your pain is not a result of the crash.
- Your Activities Since the Accident: They will try to catch inconsistencies between what you claim you can do and what you actually have done, however minor.
Simply refuse. Politely inform the adjuster that you have retained legal counsel and that all future communication must be directed to your attorney at Simon Bridge Spires. Once your lawyer is involved, they become the sole point of contact, shielding you from these invasive and manipulative techniques.
Protecting Critical Information and Documents
In addition to seeking a recorded statement, the insurance company will often request blanket authorizations to obtain your medical records, employment files, and tax returns. Do not sign any documents the insurance company sends you.
A broad medical release, for example, allows them to dig through decades of your private medical history, searching for irrelevant details they can twist to their advantage. Our skilled truck accident lawyers know how to manage this discovery process, providing only the information that is strictly relevant and protected under the law. We control the flow of information, ensuring that your privacy is maintained while building the strongest possible case for compensation.
Immediate Steps to Take After the Call
If you have been contacted by the truck driver’s insurance company, here is your playbook:
- Do Not Discuss Liability or Injuries: Simply state, “I am not prepared to discuss the details of the accident or my injuries at this time.”
- Do Not Agree to a Recorded Statement: Firmly and politely refuse.
- Take Down the Adjuster’s Information: Get their name, phone number, and the claim number.
- Call Simon Bridge Spires Immediately: Time is of the essence in a truck accident case. The moment you hire us, we send a preservation letter to the trucking company. This legal document mandates that they protect crucial evidence, such as the truck’s black box data, driver logbooks, maintenance records, and dashcam footage. Without this preservation letter, critical evidence can be destroyed or lost, crippling your claim.
Truck accident litigation involves unique federal regulations that govern commercial carriers, requiring a level of detailed legal knowledge that most personal injury firms do not possess. The attorneys at Simon Bridge Spires have the proven track record of investigating these complex accidents, identifying all liable parties, and fighting aggressive insurance companies to secure the full compensation our clients deserve.
If you have been involved in a collision with a commercial truck and the insurance adjuster is calling, hang up and call us. Let us take on the burden of the insurance battle so you can focus entirely on your recovery.