What To Do After a Truck Accident

What To Do After a Truck Accident

Truck accident victims have a special understanding of the stress and confusion that come after a large truck collision. Among the details you’re confused about, you may feel unsure of what to come next. What do you do? Who do you speak to? It can all be overwhelming.

Following a truck collision, there are several things you should do. One of the most important things to do is to discuss your case with a skilled. Norristown truck accident attorney. A lawyer can provide direction to help ensure your rights remain protected and you have a fair shot at obtaining compensation.

Get A Free Consultation Today!

Understanding Truck Accidents

Truck accidents are unique. If you or a loved one have experienced a trucking collision, it’s helpful to understand certain key factors that impact insurance claims and lawsuits for these types of cases.

What Causes Trucking Collisions?

A truck accident can happen from one moment to the next, often without warning to the victim. These collisions occur for a wide variety of reasons, but some of the most common include:

• Aggressive driving
• Speeding
• Distracted driving
• Fatigued driving
• Failure to follow road signs and laws
• Improperly loaded cargo
• Dangerous road and weather conditions
• Insufficient truck maintenance
• Mechanical defects and malfunctions

Additionally, several factors can contribute to the cause of a trucking accident, including sleep deprivation, time constraints, and substance abuse.

It’s critical to investigate to figure out what caused your collision. Determining the cause can make liability much clearer.

Semi-Truck Crash Injuries

Truck accident injuries can be among some of the most severe. Commercial trucks, with their large size and weight, can create a destructive accident scene, which regularly leaves victims facing serious, life-changing injuries.

Some of the injuries truck collision victims most often sustain include:

• Burns
• Broken bones
• Cuts and lacerations
• Head and neck injuries
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Back and spinal cord injuries
• Internal trauma and bleeding
• Crush injuries

Depending on the severity of the harm, victims may also be left to deal with the long-term effects of their injuries, such as permanent brain damage, amputations, and chronic pain, among many others.

Additionally, it is not uncommon for semi-truck accidents to result in deaths. In a recent year, there were over 4,000 truck crashes resulting in fatalities.

What You Do After a Commercial Truck Collision Has a Greater Impact Than Think 

Many believe what you do after a truck accident is of little significance, but that cannot be further from the truth. In reality, the steps you take following a truck crash can have a strong impact on your future compensation claim.

Seek Medical Attention Right Away

Getting medical attention is one of the most important steps following a semi-truck accident. Based on your situation, you may receive medical treatment at the crash scene, but you should not let this be the only type of attention you receive. Instead, you should visit an emergency room or primary healthcare provider immediately after your accident.

Even if you don’t believe you’ve suffered injuries, that might not be true. After a traumatic event like a truck accident, the body can be deceiving. This is because stress and danger trigger adrenaline, which is a hormone that puts the body in “fight or flight” mode. One of the effects of adrenaline is shielding you from pain, so even if you’re injured, you may not feel anything until much later.

Therefore, don’t wait to seek medical care after a truck crash. Doing so can ensure you begin treatment right away and help avoid potential complications from untreated injuries.

Report Your Accident to Your Insurer

Even if an accident is not your fault, you still need to notify your car insurance company of what’s occurred. Contact your insurer and give them some details regarding your collision. Better yet, have your truck accident attorney notify your insurer, as they should handle all insurance communications. Depending on your state’s fault laws, you may need to file a claim through your insurance to get financial coverage for your injuries and losses.

Start Gathering Evidence and Documentation

Be sure to gather pertinent evidence and documentation as soon as possible. Some key pieces of evidence include police reports and medical bills. Keep any documents or correspondence regarding your accident, as they can be helpful for your case.

Consult a Qualified Truck Accident Attorney

Meeting with a truck accident lawyer is one of the best things you can do for your case. An attorney can act as a beacon of light during a tumultuous time, providing the compassion and understanding you need.

During your consultation, your attorney can gather details and review any evidence you may have available. You’ll also have the opportunity to ask questions and address your concerns. Should you have a viable case, your lawyer can promptly begin working on your case.

Follow Through with Medical Treatment

One of the most critical and sometimes overlooked things you can do following a trucking accident is to complete your medical treatment. It’s very much worth mentioning, as this can have a substantial impact on your case.

After a truck crash, you’re somewhat under a microscope. This is because the insurance company is usually keeping a watchful eye on victims, looking for anything they can use against them in their claims.

Your medical records detail everything, and insurance companies have access to them. When, for whatever reason, you fail to follow through on your medical treatment as recommended by your physician, this can reflect negatively upon you. The insurance company can turn around and claim your injuries were not that serious if you quit or refused treatment.

Discuss any doubts or concerns about your medical treatment with your treating physician to help avoid any issues or confusion.

What To Avoid After a Truck Collision

What you should avoid doing following your collision is almost equally important to your case. It’s essential to think before you act to protect your rights after your truck accident. A truck accident lawyer can guide you in the right direction to help you avoid mistakes.

Posting About Your Accident on Social Media

Nowadays, with social media at your fingertips, it can be hard to avoid posting about your accident, especially during emotional moments. Still, it’s never a good idea to post anything about your truck collision. Not only is it none of anyone’s business, but it can also have a bad impact on your case.

Insurance companies often do a deep dive into claimants and their lives, which commonly includes looking at social pages. Although your page may be private, there might still exist a way for the insurance company to get access to your content, which they can use against you to harm your case.

As a rule of thumb, it’s best to lay low for a while after your collision. Even the most innocent of posts can be misconstrued, and once you post something online, it’s out there forever.

Speaking to the Insurance Company

After an accident, don’t be surprised if the insurance company tries to contact you. They might approach you requesting a recorded statement to “get your side of the story.” While you might be tempted to give it to them, thinking it can help your case, you should refrain.

Getting recorded statements from victims is just another one of many tactics insurance companies use to hurt claims and limit their liability. Insurers are skilled at twisting words and may attempt to use your own words against you. They often find success, especially when victims are nervous and say things they shouldn’t.

If the insurance company comes knocking at your door, kindly decline to speak to them in detail and direct them to your lawyer.

Accepting a Settlement Offer

Adding to the list of sneaky insurance company tactics is the quick settlement offer. Insurance companies sometimes try to offer accident victims a rapid settlement, as they know this is usually what victims want – no hassle and cash in hand. However, these settlement offers don’t usually come close to reflecting what the case will truly be worth.

Quick settlement offers are traps. So early on in your case, you may not fully understand the value of your case, and you might not even have legal counsel yet. The insurance company can bank on this and hope you agree; once you sign on the dotted line, you’re stuck.

If the insurance company sends you a settlement offer, don’t agree to anything. Have an experienced truck accident lawyer review the offer and determine whether it’s worth entertaining. If it is not, the attorney can engage in settlement negotiations to try to get a more favorable figure.

Trying to Handle Your Case Alone

You are fully entitled to take on your truck accident case alone. Still, self-representation is not in your best interest.

Simply put, truck collision cases are complex and involved. The average person does not possess the experience, knowledge, and skills needed to reach a beneficial case result. This is where a lawyer comes in.

An attorney can take on your accident case and work diligently to get you the best possible outcome. From beginning to end, you can trust your lawyer to handle every case-related task, from investigating your accident to engaging in settlement negotiations.

Having an attorney on your side allows you to focus on your physical recovery while your lawyer focuses on getting you a financial recovery.

What To Do if You’ve Lost a Loved One in a Truck Crash

If you find yourself in the unique and painful situation of losing a loved one in a semi-truck accident, you’re not alone, and you may have legal options.

A wrongful death lawsuit allows surviving family members and dependents to pursue financial compensation for the losses they suffer from losing a loved one in a trucking collision. You can seek damages for your monetary and non-monetary losses, including funeral and burial expenses, lost earnings and benefits of the victim, and pain and suffering.

Money can never replace a loved one, but it can significantly help with the unforeseen financial burden family members commonly face. A wrongful death attorney can handle your claim and help get you one step closer to obtaining the monetary recovery you deserve.

While contacting a lawyer might seem too stressful when you are already feeling heavy grief, know that a truck accident attorney will relieve stress, not add to it. They will provide additional support for your family in this difficult time.

Time is Limited to Take Action Following a Truck Accident

After a trucking collision, you have a short window of time to pursue justice and hold the responsible party accountable. Statutes of limitations for truck accident cases typically vary between one to six years, depending on your state’s laws. In most states, the deadline is two years from the date of the crash and injuries. While there are some exceptions, they are rare, and you should never assume an exception applies to your case.

Hiring a lawyer as soon as possible after your crash is one of the best ways to ensure your case is handled promptly and you avoid missing any deadlines. Additionally, the quicker you begin working on your case, the faster you may find a resolution.

Following a semi-truck collision, protect your rights and interests as a victim. Consult a truck accident attorney right away.