5 Steps to take after Truck Accident:
As we buckle up and head out into the world, an accident is normally the last thing on our minds. Especially an accident with a truck. Truck accidents are sudden, and can cause serious injuries. Truck accident victims are often shaken by the experience, left wondering what to do next. If you’re involved in an accident with a truck there are important steps you should follow. These steps will protect you, and your ability to obtain compensation. This blog will discuss how to respond following an accident with a truck.
Five Steps to take after a Truck Accident:
STEP 1: Call 911
If you find yourself the victim of a trucking accident, try to move your vehicle off the roadway, or to a spot clear of the accident site. Turn on you hazard lights to alert oncoming traffic. Call 911 immediately, report the accident and your location. Unless emergency dispatch advises you otherwise, wait in your vehicle until first responders arrive at your location. Give all the details of the accident to the responding officer. They will continue to investigate the cause of the incident and subsequently create an accident report. Even if injuries or damage seem minor, make sure the officer has all the information pertinent to the accident. The report the officer creates will indicate who he or she feels is responsible.
STEP 2: Gather Evidence
Take Photos:
Evidence gathered at the scene can help determine which party is held liable for the accident. It can also help ensure you receive maximum compensation for any injury or financial loss suffered. Don’t be afraid to start gathering evidence. Use common sense. Take pictures of anything you think might be relevant to your case. Start with the obvious, i.e. the damage to your vehicle, damage to the truck, skid marks / debris marks on the road, street signs, stoplights, etc. Try to take a picture of the tread on truck’s tires. If possible, photograph the cargo load. Last but certainly not least, photograph your injuries as well as injuries to other passengers in the vehicle. You will continue documenting injuries throughout the recovery process, as we will discuss below.
Obtain Witness Information:
If witnesses stop at the scene, ask them for their help in providing information to law enforcement. And see if they have any additional information that may help with the accident investigation. Ask them for their basic information: name, phone number, email address, home address etc.
Obtain Truck Driver’s information:
You will also want to get specific information from the truck driver. If you are involved in a trucking accident, ask the truck driver for: Their name, contact info, commercial driver’s license number, insurance info, the name of the company employing the driver, the name of the company actually displayed on the truck, and the United States Department of Transportation number.
STEP 3: Seek Treatment
The shear shock and subsequent adrenaline rush of a serious accident often delays the symptoms of a serious injury. It is common for a victim to feel relativity uninjured directly following the crash, only to have severe pain hours or even days after the accident. Insurance companies don’t play fair. Though you might feel ok now, and simply develop pain later- insurance companies won’t see it that way. An insurer can argue your hesitation to seek treatment, means your injuries “didn’t result from the accident,” or aren’t as “severe as you claim.” With this in mind, seek medical treatment immediately after the accident. A medical professional will properly diagnose any injuries, and document them on record.
STEP 4: Document Your Journey
Start an accident journal to document all aspects pertaining to your accident and recovery. This serves as an important tool used by your attorney to help support your claim. Think of your accident diary just like a normal one. Make entries with dates and times, giving a brief description of how you are feeling. Make the first entry about the accident itself and what you remember. Then continue with entries detailing your pain symptoms, as well as what you are experiencing on your road to recovery.
STEP 5: Contact an Experienced Lawyer
Our law firm, Craig Gibbs Law, specializes in personal injury law. It is all we do. We handle the following types of cases: car wrecks, truck wrecks, motorcycle crashes, crashes caused by DUI drivers, job injuries, wrongful death, workers compensation, medical malpractice, nursing home malpractice and abuse, prescription drug errors, birth injuries, defective product injuries, slip and falls and much more. If you were hurt because of someone’s negligence or carelessness, call us now. Mr. Gibbs has years of experience fighting insurance companies and he will use that experience to get you the compensation you deserve. Best of all, all consultations are free and you pay no fees unless we win your case!