The sheer size and weight of a truck make it the most dangerous vehicle on the road. Truck accidents almost always result in serious injuries, even death in some cases. In the United States, truck drivers work up to 70 hours per week on average. The long grueling work schedule of truck drivers make them susceptible to accidents.
Although commercial trucks have to meet federal safety standards, recent statistics show that nearly 130,000 individuals are injured in truck accidents each year. Nearly 27 percent of all car crashes in the US involve at least one truck. The states with the most truck accidents include Texas, California, and Florida, where more than 2,500 fatal crashes occurred in 2017.
If you or someone you know has been seriously injured in a truck accident, you have the right to get compensation from the driver and trucking company at fault.
After a truck accident, the highest priority for you and your family is to get medical treatment for any injuries and go through a thorough examination to make sure there’s no internal injuries or brain injury. Apart from that, they need to take certain other actions to increase the odds of successfully suing the guilty party for the accident.
1. Get Immediate Medical Treatment After a Truck Accident
You need to get treatment of your injuries right after a car accident case. Don’t stay at home after an accident in the hopes that the injuries will heal on their own. This is important for two reasons. By getting the proper treatment, you will have an official record of the extent of your injuries. The doctor’s record of the injuries can be presented in a court of law. This will help in building a strong case against the guilty driver.
Another important reason to get treatment soon after an accident is that in some states, such as Florida, there is a 14-day provision for personal injuries. You should get treatment within the time period otherwise you can’t get compensation for injuries from the insurance company.
You should get treatment even if you have not been seriously injured. Some injuries don’t become evident until a few weeks after an accident. Time is of the essence when it comes to injuries. Not getting treated soon after the accident will make it difficult to get compensation from the party at fault.
2. Take Pictures
If you are not seriously injured after a truck accident, you should consider taking pictures of the accident scene. Take pictures of your injury and the damaged property. The pictures taken of the damage to the body or property after a truck accident can serve as solid evidence in the court. If you are not able to take pictures immediately after a truck collision, consider taking pictures as soon as possible after the accident.
3. Contact the Police
Even if you have not sustained an injury, you should consider calling the police after an accident.
The police report will serve as an official account of the accident. The report will contain important information that can influence the case. This includes information about the weather, road conditions, and condition of the vehicle at the time of the accident. You should tell the police officer exactly what caused the accident. However, don’t guess, speculate, or make assumptions. If you are not injured, tell the officer you are not sure about your injury instead of saying no to the officer.
4. Preserve Items in the Car
If you own a dashcam make sure to recover it immediately after an accident. If you have a newer car it may be equipped with a camera and black box. If your car has been totaled and will be crushed, you should take out the camera and black box as its important that the footage of the camera and information of the black box can serve as important evidence in the court.
5. Keep a Record of Accident-Related Documents
You should file all types of accident-related documents. You need to keep the documents such as medical bills, pictures of the scene, police officer’s report, receipts from the car repair company, and other documents.
Keeping a record of the documents is crucial. The documents can be presented in the court as evidence against the guilty party. The documents will highlight the extent of the injury, losses, and other circumstances surrounding the truck accident. This can positively influence the outcome of the case.
6. Never Speak to Insurance Company or the Defendant
You should never speak to the representatives of the defendant’s insurance company after an accident or the defendant themselves. The defendant’s insurance company will want to reduce the payout amount which is why their questions will be framed to be favorable to them. You should always have your attorney present when talking to an insurance company.
Ask the lawyer about how to best respond to queries of the insurance company’s representative. Better yet, you should let your lawyer speak on your behalf.
7. Contact an Experienced Truck Accident Attorney
7. Contact an Experienced Truck Accident AttorneyDuring the recovery process after a truck accident, worrying about the lawsuit is the last thing that you will want. So, make sure that you contact an experienced truck accident attorney soon after an accident. You should contact a professional accident lawyer with high online ratings and positive reviews.
Getting the help of a professional truck accident attorney will significantly increase the chances of a successful outcome of a truck accident case. The attorney will guide you on how to meet the legal formalities surrounding the case. An experienced and reliable attorney found on TruckAccidentAttorneyNetwork.org will carry out an independent investigation to know the details of the accident. The attorney will know what kind of evidence to collect that will have a positive bearing on your case.
What seems to be a trivial matter could make a significant difference in court. So, the attorney will take note of every little detail to make a strong case against the driver at-fault. Look for an attorney with solid experience in fighting truck collision cases. Experienced attorneys have the legal expertise required to understand the nuances of truck accident claim cases. This will greatly increase the odds of a positive outcome of the court case.