Michigan Auto Law attorney Steve Gursten will speak at the Academy of Truck Accident Attorneys 2018 Annual Symposium about negotiating settlement and release terms in trucking cases
I’ll be speaking on “Negotiating Claims and Settlements” in truck accident cases at the Academy of Truck Accident Attorneys – 2018 Annual Symposium in Nashville, TN, September 20-22, 2018.
Having litigated upwards of 300 truck wreck cases, I know first-hand how important settlements and releases can be for victims in terms of providing for their medical and financial needs.
My experience boils down to this: sweat the details when it comes to negotiating settlements and, especially, the terms of those releases we get after the settlements.
My presentation focuses on the following critical – yet too frequently underappreciated – elements of truck wreck settlements:
- Focus on what the terms of the settlement will be and what will be in the release that our clients will be asked to sign.
- Instead of being confrontational, try to address what the defense lawyer and insurance adjuster want (and need) from the release and settlement.
- Get and review the full policies of all insurance policies that may be implicated by the truck crash.
- Be ready to address common points of contention such as indemnification/hold harmless provisions, confidentiality, tax considerations, and settling with one co-defendant prior to trial.
- Be able to address your client’s expectations about when he or she will receive payment under the settlement and what types of issues, such as liens, may delay your client receiving settlement funds – and do this well ahead of time, not after the settlement when the client is waiting for his money.
This trucking attorney symposium is going to be a terrific learning opportunity for attorneys who handle truck wreck cases.
As a speaker, I’m proud to be in the company of other esteemed presenters such as Michael Leizerman (“Deposing the Truck Driver: Art and Science”), Joe Fried (“Examining the Trucking Company Safety Director and Designee”) and Rena Leizerman (“Top Legal Issues Facing Trucking Practitioners Today”).
