Essential Next Steps: What to Do After a Truck Accident
Driving on the highway is such a common part of our everyday experience that we forget about the inherent risks involved. Driving on the highway means sharing space with semis, number-wheelers and other types of large trucks. Accidents involving these trucks happen more frequently than we’d like to think, and the damage they produce can be serious.
Trucks are large, so the personal and property damage they can cause in a wreck can be significant. It can be enough to really derail the stability of your future. As such, it’s important to know what steps to take following a truck accident.
If you’ve been injured or your property has been damaged, you have a right to compensation under the law. Read on and we’ll walk you through what you need to know.
Immediately Following An Accident
The most important thing to think about immediately following an accident is the safety of yourself and others on the road.
After impact, you should check on the status of yourself and others in your vehicle. If anyone has sustained an injury, call 911 right away. Following, you will need to alert other drivers to the accident. If you can, put your hazards on or leave a flare on the road. This can prevent further injury.
Following this, check on the status of the other driver. If they are injured, call 911. Shock and adrenaline will probably kick in after an accident, especially one involving a vehicle as large as a truck.
This adrenaline might actually mask injuries that you’ve sustained. Take extra care to check on yourself and ensure you’re really okay. Even if you feel fine, it’s always worth visiting a medical professional following an accident. The last thing you want to happen is to realize too late that you have actually been injured.
Getting a doctor’s opinion too late can impact your chances of receiving proper compensation. Your late visit could potentially have caused an injury to get worse, making proper valuation difficult.
Once your safety is secured, you can focus on the accident and the legal situation itself.
Gathering the Evidence You’ll Need
Do you believe that your accident was caused by the truck driver’s negligence? The scene of the accident will provide an important to moment for you to gather the evidence you need to support your case.
It’s lucky that everyone carries a camera around in their pocket these days, in the form of their phone. Snap photos of the scene of the crime, making sure to highlight any and all areas of damage.
That means injuries you may have sustained or damage that may have been done to your property. It also means broader pictures of the scene of the accident. These photos can be essential evidence when building your case and proving the damage you’ve sustained.
You’ll also want to get all the facts down when speaking with the authorities. Ensure they file a police report that is accurate and represents the facts of the accident as you know them. Stick to the facts: making assumptions or guesses that later might be disproved can weaken your case.
If there are witnesses around, try and get their contact information. If you can, try to get them to recount their perspective of the accident and record the audio. It’s best to get these fresh impressions down, as memory can get dulled over time.
If these witness testimonies turn out to be key, you can try to rely on these individuals later on in the case. A third-party perspective can be key in establishing fault in an accident.
Get The Legal Help You Need
Car accidents, in general, can be quite difficult to work through. Proving fault or negligence is never an easy task. This can get even more complicated when trucks are involved.
Often, trucks and truck drivers are hired by large corporations. In a truck accident, the driver may be at fault, but so may the driver’s employer. They might be responsible for forcing unreasonable working requirements that caused an accident. This was the case in the infamous Tracy Morgan accident some years back.
If you’re looking to receive compensation for your injuries, you’ll need to have an experienced attorney at your side. An attorney will be able to help you build your case and determine how to prove fault as it pertains to your accident.
They will have experience with cases like yours and will know the best way to go about ensuring that you will get the compensation that you deserve. Hiring help with a long history of success, as with this accident lawyer, will help to ensure greater success for your case.
Insurance companies will try their best to avoid high payouts. Taking on a case on your own can leave you vulnerable to the insurance company’s team of highly paid lawyers. Having your own legal aide will ensure you don’t get less than you deserve.
After A Truck Accident
All accidents can be shocking, but a truck accident can be truly terrifying.
It’s essential that you know what steps to take following an accident so that the security of yourself and your family can be assured. The above advice can help you know exactly what to do following an incident.
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