How Long Do Truck Accident Settlements Take?

If you or somebody you care about has been injured or sustained property damage after an accident with a commercial truck in Denver, then you should be able to recover compensation for your losses. This is particularly true if the actions of the truck driver or trucking company caused the accident. However, the process of recovering this compensation could take some time, particularly depending on whether or not the claim is resolved through an insurance settlement or as a result of a civil lawsuit.

Will Your Case Settle Through Insurance Carriers?

The vast majority of truck accident claims in Denver and throughout Colorado will reach a resolution through settlements with insurance carriers. However, unlike traditional vehicle versus vehicle accidents, accidents involving larger commercial trucks will likely take much longer to resolve, even if the case is resolved through the insurance carriers.

Commercial truck accidents typically involve much more investigation, and there are usually a significant number of parties involved, at least compared to most vehicle accidents. This can include the injury victim, the truck driver, the trucking company, third-party cargo loaders, maintenance companies, the manufacturer of the truck, as well as state or federal regulatory agencies. With this many parties potentially involved, the outcome of a case could take months or even years to reach a resolution.

However, insurance settlements are still the quickest way for a truck accident claim to reach a resolution. It is not uncommon, though, for insurance carriers to push back against having to payout major settlements to injury victims. In some cases, the claim may even be denied altogether.

Will Your Case go to Trial?

In the event the insurance carriers refuse to offer a fair settlement, or if they deny the claim, the truck accident victim will need to file a personal injury lawsuit in civil court against the alleged negligent party. This moves the case into the court system and will likely link in the amount of time it takes for the case to reach a resolution.

When a lawsuit is filed, this initiates the discovery process where attorneys for both parties will continue to gather evidence and exchange evidence with one another. During this process, information may come to light to push one or both sides towards a settlement. It is not uncommon for a truck accident claim to reach a resolution while discovery is ongoing and before the case reaches the jury.

If both sides are still unable to reach a resolution during the discovery process or any court-ordered mediation, a jury trial will become necessary for the truck accident lawsuit. We need to caution that this could take some time to occur. In some cases, jury trials do not occur until years after the actual truck accident incident.

Working With a Truck Accident Lawyer

If you or somebody you care about has been injured in an accident caused by the actions of a truck driver or trucking company and Denver or throughout Colorado, you need to reach out to an attorney immediately. These cases become immensely complex very quickly, and you need to have a lawyer by your side who can investigate every aspect of the claim. Your Denver truck accident lawyer will be the one responsible for handling all communication and negotiations with other parties, and they will advise you on the best route to take towards recovering maximum compensation.