It’s not to Get Rich; It’s to Help You Heal

Just about half of us will get into a car accident within a year of earning our driver’s license.

Over time, that statistic increases.  Eventually, you will be hard pressed to find someone that has never even been in a fender bender, much less something serious like a semi accident.

Since we have nearly all been through this, it should be a pretty straightforward process, right?  The insurance company assesses the damage and indemnifies the victim.  By the way, indemnify is just a fancy word for “make whole.”

Unfortunately, after a semi accident, it’s not as always so straightforward.  In fact, normally that initial settlement is to close the case; not to ensure that the victim is able to heal completely.

What an Insurance Company will Offer as a Settlement

After a crash, most people will see just the economic damages.  That is, the damage you can put a dollar amount on.  Generally they fall into three categories:

1. Property damage. How much is your vehicle worth, and how much would it cost to replace it?
2. Medical expenses. How much was the hospital visit and how much will the follow up cost?
3. Lost wages. If you missed work, how much of your income did you lose out on because you weren’t able to work?

Those numbers are pretty easy to come up with.  An insurance company will offer that as their settlement so they can close the books on this claim and not have to worry about it down the road.

But there is much more to most wrecks; especially after a sever semi accident.  This settlement will likely fall far short of what you actually need in order to heal.  In fact, it can often require much more than what those easily calculated damages will cover.

Why You need  Herbert & Eberstein After Your Semi Accident

After a crash, the economic damages are the starting point.  This is what it will take just to smooth the surface.  But there are much deeper issues that can, and almost always do, come up after a semi accident.

1. Property damage. The dollar value of your vehicle is the starting point.  But what about the memories attached to it?  What about the convenience of having it in your garage?  Are you getting compensated for the time you will be without a vehicle and the headache of buying a new one?  What if you drove a compact car, but now you feel unsafe in something smaller than an SUV?
2. Medical expenses. After a crash, you might have what look like minor injuries: broken bones, scrapes, and bruises.  But too often these injuries come with complications that arise later in life.  What if you need back surgery for an injury that manifests in 3 to 5 years?  What if that broken bone causes early onset arthritis and physical therapy in 10 years?  What if you feel fine now, but start having debilitating headaches in a month or two?
3. Lost wages. It’s easy to see that two weeks of lost wages now equals how much money you would have made if you spent two weeks working.  Now consider if your injury makes work harder, and you can’t keep up with your job now so you have to seek employment elsewhere… at a lower salary?  What if your injuries flare up later and you have to file disability in 5 years?  Even if you’re out of work for an entire year, does the initial settlement account for a year’s worth of lost retirement savings and growth?
4. Non economic damages. Accidents, especially intense ones like semi accidents, aren’t easily forgotten.  In fact, accidents are the leading cause of PTSD since the Vietnam War.  Therapy, counseling, and mental health visits can take years to have a significant effect.

There is so much that goes into a semi accident, that there’s almost never a time that the initial settlement will suffice.

Let’s Talk about How we Can Help You Heal

The role of a semi accident attorney is to ensure that you have a chance to heal completely.

That’s where Herbert & Eberstein come in.  With the experience necessary to fight for you, Zach and Brian can ensure your settlement will provide the financial stability you need, so you can focus on getting your life back to normal.

Let’s chat about it.  Fill out the contact page, or give us a call at 214-414-3808 and we’ll discuss your case, free of charge, and see how we can help you heal.