Semi clipped me on the highway — trucking company already pushing a settlement. Do I take it?

That '48 hours and already friendly' thing is a massive red flag. Adjusters move fast when they know they have liability and they think they can lowball you before you understand what your claim is actually worth. The niceness is a tactic. Please don't sign anything until you at least know what that MRI says.

I used to work on the claims side and I'll tell you exactly what's happening: they called you fast because trucking claims are expensive and the goal is to get a signed release before you have medical documentation of the full extent of your injuries. Once you sign, that's it — no matter what the MRI shows, no matter how your shoulder feels in six months. I'm not saying they're evil, it's just business. But you deserve to know that's the game being played.

I settled too early after a bad accident and I will regret it for the rest of my life. My 'minor' back pain turned into a herniated disc diagnosis four months later. By then I'd already signed the release for a fraction of what my treatment ended up costing. Please wait for your MRI results at minimum. Please.

Not legal advice, but as a general matter — trucking cases are more complex than typical car accident claims. There are federal regulations, multiple potentially liable parties (the driver, the carrier, sometimes the cargo loader), and commercial insurers who handle these constantly. You don't. Getting a free consultation before signing costs you nothing and could change everything. Most PI attorneys work on contingency so there's no upfront cost.

The sleep disruption and hypervigilance around trucks you're describing — that's worth paying attention to. Trauma responses after crashes are really common and really real, but they're also easy to dismiss when you're focused on the physical stuff. If a therapist or your doctor thinks you have any PTSD symptoms, that's part of your damages too. Don't let anyone pressure you into settling before you have a full picture of how you're actually doing.

I just want to say I'm really sorry you're going through this, especially after already dealing with two other accidents this year. That kind of accumulated stress is a lot. Whatever you decide legally, please make sure you're also taking care of yourself emotionally. You mentioned waking up at 3am — that's your body telling you something. Don't push through that alone.

You don't have your MRI results yet. You don't know the full extent of your injuries. You've been offered a number by people whose literal job is to pay you as little as possible. Do not settle right now. That's it. That's the whole take.

What kind of number did they offer? I'm not asking to be nosy — it's just that 'sounds like a lot to me' is really relative. A few thousand dollars for a trucking accident with documented fault and an unread MRI could be a genuinely terrible deal. Also, do you have your own insurance involved at all or is this purely with their carrier?