A truck accident takes place about once every 15 minutes in the U.S. If you’re ever involved in one, speaking with a lawyer for truck accident cases should land somewhere near the start of your to-do list in its aftermath.
You should also know what to do after a truck accident outside of just contacting a local lawyer. Taking the right steps will improve your chances of making a complete recovery from a truck crash.
Here are the essential steps to take immediately after a truck accident.
Call Emergency Services
As soon as a truck accident occurs, the first thing you should do is pick up your smartphone and dial 911. Or, if you’re injured badly and can’t do this, call for someone else to do it right away.
Police will respond to your truck accident scene to launch an investigation. They’ll talk with you about what happened and discuss your crash with others as well before putting together a police report.
Avoid admitting fault for a crash, even if you suspect you may be to blame for it. This could doom your case from the beginning and possibly lead to you being sued by other drivers, as factors may be involved beyond your knowledge.
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Seek Medical Attention
If you’re seriously injured during a truck accident, ask a 911 operator to send paramedics to the scene. They will know what to do after a truck accident as far as providing you with medical care is concerned.
You also have the option to wait to take a trip to a nearby hospital on your own after talking to the police about your truck crash. Either way, do not put off seeking medical attention under any circumstances.
You could compromise a legal case later if you don’t receive medical care in a timely fashion. You might not be able to prove that the injuries you sustained were connected to your truck crash.
Arrange to have medical professionals evaluate you following a truck accident, even if you don’t feel injured. Document your injuries, too, and keep any medical records or receipts that you receive.
Gather Evidence
When possible, document the scene of a truck accident with your smartphone. Use it to snap photographs and take videos of the scene to paint a clearer picture of just how impactful it was. Capture photos and videos of your vehicle as well to show the damage it sustained.
Search for any other evidence you might see on your truck accident scene. If, for instance, you notice a traffic sign missing that may have prevented your crash from occurring, it could be a key piece of evidence in a legal case. Make a note of it and take a picture of where it should have been.
Don’t simply rely on the police officers investigating your truck crash to gather evidence. Tackle this task on your own and leave no stone unturned as you sift through the scene.
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Exchange Insurance Information
Whenever you’re involved in a motor vehicle accident, you should exchange insurance information with any other drivers involved in your crash. These days, doing this is often as simple as using your smartphone to take a photo of another driver’s auto insurance card.
Your auto insurance company may wish to contact the insurance companies of the other drivers who were in your accident. You can steer clear of unnecessary insurance-related delays by having their insurance information handy.
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Collect Witness Statements
You don’t necessarily need to pull out a pen and paper or even a recording device to capture witness statements. You should, however, touch base with any witnesses who may have seen your truck accident happen when deciding what to do after a truck accident.
These witnesses might provide a unique perspective on your truck crash. Their statements might back up your accident claims and help prove that another driver caused your accident to occur.
Ask any witnesses you locate to provide contact information. A personal injury lawyer may reach out to them in the near future should you choose to file a truck accident claim.
Contact a Personal Injury Lawyer
Do you believe that another driver is liable for the truck accident you were in? You may want to contact a personal injury lawyer to see how strong of a case you might have against them.
A truck accident might leave you with a mountain of medical expenses. You may avoid paying medical bills on your own by enlisting the legal services of a personal injury lawyer. They will assist you in filing a truck accident lawsuit.
Truck accident cases are known for being significantly more complex than ordinary car accident cases. When filing them, you may be able to seek legal compensation from:
- A truck driver
- A trucking company
- A cargo-loading company
- A trucking repair company
- A truck parts manufacturer
A personal injury attorney will help determine the viability of a legal case against one or more of these entities. They will also handle filing the proper paperwork for a truck crash lawsuit and gather more evidence to make your case even more compelling than it already is.
You, meanwhile, can focus on recovering from your truck accident injuries and following your doctor’s orders as you aim to heal. You can also seek mental health services to help you deal with the emotional and psychological distress so often associated with bad truck accidents.
The right personal injury lawyer will have an in-depth knowledge of the latest truck crash facts and a wealth of experience when it comes to representing truck accident victims.
Make Sure You Know What To Do After a Truck Accident
Knowing what to do after a truck accident is extremely important. If you skip even one or two of the steps listed here, it could have a huge impact on your ability to file a truck crash case successfully.
Accident Hotline can point you in the right direction when you’re in the market for a local truck crash attorney. Call us at (844) 682-1993 quickly to avoid missing the statute of limitations for filing a truck accident lawsuit in your state.
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