Did you know that trucking companies owe a legal duty to train their drivers to ensure their compliance with the highway safety regulations? Trucking companies must inspect their trailers and trucks properly and make sure they load their cargo safely. Their duties also include providing their drivers with reasonable schedules to ensure that they are fit to drive safely. Sadly, even with all these rules that are meant to protect other drivers and pedestrians, truck accidents are still some of the most common road accidents. To protect yourself and the ones you love, you need to know how to act following a serious truck accident. This article lists the most important steps you need to take after being involved in a tragic crash.
STOP AND CALL 911
Leaving the accident scene is considered a hit and run in most states. After any kind of road accident, the first thing you want to do is stop and find a safe place to wait for the authorities to arrive. Truck crashes can most often cause serious injuries or even be fatal. This is why your first concern needs to be your and everyone else’s safety. Call the emergency services as soon as you are able to. Calling 911 will be enough to dispatch first responders and alert the local police of the accident. Having the police at the crash scene is important for creating an accident report and investigating the incident.
SEEK MEDICAL HELP
Checking for injuries and getting professional medical help after a serious truck crash should be the main focus. Road accident victims must undergo medical checkups to ensure their safety. This is because no matter how serious your injuries might be, they may not show visible symptoms immediately after the crash. Receiving medical attention is important not just for identifying your injuries, a personal injury claim requires medical documentation to tie your injuries with the accident, which is only provided after doing your doctor visits. This should be explained in detail by your personal attorney.
DOCUMENT THE SCENE
If you were harmed or suffered any losses due to the negligence of someone else, the crash scene after the accident gives you the best chance to capture all needed evidence to prove their wrongdoing. A video of the scene or a few photos of the damaged vehicles and important landmarks is enough to document the story and bring useful evidence. If you suffered a truck accident at night and it was too dark to take notes of what happened, an audio recording can be helpful to narrate your points and document important details of the scene. Crash lawsuits can take months to settle, so keeping a record of these important details will come in handy during the process, in case you forget any important information. You may need the slightest information about the scene as you take the needed legal actions to defend your case and receive compensation.
CONTACT A TRUCK ACCIDENT ATTORNEY
In most cases, truck accidents are caused by the negligence of the truck drivers. You’ll want to make sure you are compensated fairly for your financial losses after facing such a tragic event. However, you shouldn’t deal with the trucking company’s insurers alone without an experienced lawyer by your side. They will be able to guide you through the legal technicalities and ensure that any safety or ignition interlock violations are taken into account.
Each state enforces different rules when it comes to truck accident injury claims. If you get injured in a commercial truck accident in Northern California, you can hire a Sacramento truck accident lawyer to help you prove your claim against big insurance companies. These companies tend to go to great lengths to protect their interests, but an experienced lawyer will be able to help you receive your due compensation and decide on the right settlement.
DON’T DEAL WITH INSURANCE ADJUSTERS WITHOUT YOUR LAWYER’S ADVICE
One thing that is crucial to note is that you are not obliged to speak or take any actions in the presence of the insurance adjusters of the other party. Avoid talking with them about the accident or discussing anything related to who’s at fault. You are also not obliged to sign any papers or documents without the advice of your personal attorney.
Truck accidents are far more common than most people think, and they are more likely to cause fatalities than any other type of accident. If you are involved in a truck crash, it’s important that you act fast after the accident to ensure your safety and document the damages right away in order to build a strong claim. A professional truck accident attorney can help you obtain medical documentation and receive compensation for the resulting damages and hardships.
