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Dealing with Insurance Companies after a Truck Accident (Part B)

Medical Record Releases and Property Damage Estimates

Two types of documents that can severely impact the amount of damages you are eligible to collect through your Illinois truck accident claim are medical records and property damage estimates. In many cases the truck drivers' insurance company will ask you to sign a release to allow them access to your medical records. Insurance companies also employ their own property damage estimators.

The danger of releasing your medical records to the other insurance company is that if you do not have your Chicago truck accident lawyer review the release statement, you may be allowing them access to previous medical records unrelated to your Illinois truck accident.

For example, if you sustain a back injury as a result of your Illinois truck accident, and the insurance company has access to old medical records that show you had back surgery 5 years prior, they can potentially use this as evidence to deny or significantly reduce your claim.

Property damage estimates that come from an insurance company or a contracted company are often much lower than most independent estimates. Approving a property damage estimate too early in the claims process can leave victims with higher repair bills because they accepted a low offer. Victims are often desperate for financial assistance and will accept these initial offers just to get the ball rolling on their settlement.

Accepting Settlements

Do not accept any sort of check or settlement letter from an insurance company until your Chicago truck accident lawyer can review it. Many of these early settlements include fine print that can prevent you from requesting further compensation for future medical treatment that may come to light.

Until you are cleared by your doctor that no further medical treatment is necessary for your injuries, or a detailed treatment plan including long-term medical expense estimates has been drawn up, you should wait on signing any settlement offers. There are many unknown factors in the future of your medical and personal needs that shouldn't be neglected in an early settlement.

Hiring a Chicago Truck Accident Lawyer

To prevent unintentional damage to your Illinois truck accident claim, you should seek the help of an experienced Chicago truck accident lawyer as soon as possible. By allowing your lawyer to help you handle the paperwork, reporting, and development of your claim, you better the chances of obtaining a fair settlement.

A Chicago truck accident lawyer at the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C. knows how to deal with both personal car insurance companies and the insurance companies serving the truck companies. Contact us today for a free case evaluation - 312-263-1080.

The Law Offices of
Barry G. Doyle, P.C.
5215 Old Orchard Road
Suite 710
Skokie, IL 60077
Phone: 312.263.1080
Fax: 312.263.0153

Proudly Serving Many Illinois Cities and Counties, Including:
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