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Serious and devastating wounds can happen in a truck accident. An individual associated with an accident with a semi-truck is as often as possible genuinely harmed, and the main thing they need to stress over is getting the medical attention they require.
However, if you’re in a truck accident and are lucky enough to escape with minor injuries, there are certain crucial actions you should take after that to help you deal with the repercussions.
Do I Face Penalties After a Truck Accident?
Every commercial truck driver must possess a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL.) You may face harsher fines and penalties than the ordinary individual because the federal government regulates your CDL.
Soon after the collision, you will also need to submit to a drug and alcohol test. You could be dismissed right away for producing poor outcomes. You might even revoke your licence, which would keep you out of the trucking business.
It’s not always a guarantee that getting into an accident will result in termination, but you should be aware that your driving record and criminal background may be examined.
Steps To Take After A Truck Accident
Contact Police
If you’re involved in a truck collision, the first thing you should do is contact local authorities. When the cops come, they can write an official report detailing the circumstances leading up to the crash. Even if there appears to be no physical damage to any vehicles or injuries, it is still a good idea to start with this step. What gives?
Many mild injuries, such as soft tissue injuries, go undetected for long periods. For example, your neck may have been strained upon impact, but you may not notice the effects until the next day when the muscles are sore. Inflammation and swelling might take hours to appear, especially if you continue to use that portion of your body without realising it.
A police record might help verify your claim and give clarity to your case if you need medical attention due to your injuries. If your case goes to court, the information it includes could be invaluable.
Do Not Sign Anything
When a truck driver is in an accident, their trucking firm is almost instantly engaged. They’ll almost always ask their insurance company to contact the other parties involved in the accident and make a settlement offer.
This is advantageous because it allows them to avoid a lengthy and expensive lawsuit that could damage their reputation. Don’t sign anything just yet, even if it’s tempting to accept their offer. You are invited to listen to their proposal but respectfully advise them that you must first consult with your lawyer.
Get Medical Help
Get a medical checkup for you and your passengers even if you don’t think you’re wounded because you could have injuries that don’t have obvious symptoms immediately. It could be challenging to prove that an injury you later experienced necessitated medical attention was caused by accident. Additionally, you can be suffering from an injury like internal bleeding, which a specialist can detect but which may be difficult for you to recognise.
Request a complete medical checkup at a hospital or your doctor’s office, even if an emergency doctor checked you on the spot.
Keep Track of Evidence
Once more, you should only do this if you are healthy and it is okay to get out of your car and move around. You don’t want to be stumbling around on a major highway if the cops aren’t yet there to control traffic.
Photos, contact information for witnesses and all accident participants, and additional observations regarding the road, the weather, and other potential contributing factors can be included in the documentation.
Collecting data from other relevant parties is another step in the documentation process. Ensure that you consume as much of the following as you can:
- Name, home address, contact information, and email address of the other driver.
- The insurance provider and policy number of the other driver.
- The licence number of the other driver.
- The name of the truck driver’s employer and the trucking company’s contact details.
- Identifying details include the truck’s licence plate number.
Hire A Lawyer
Whether you were directly involved in the truck accident, retaining a truck accident attorney like Christensen Law as soon as feasible may be essential to the success of your legal claim.
If you were not present at the accident scene, you might not be able to follow each of the above steps as a loved one of an injured individual. However, you can still assist them in navigating the difficult insurance and legal processes.
In addition, a truck accident attorney can be useful in a number of ways. One is that they’ll work to ensure that you receive the settlement sum required to pay for all of your future and existing medical expenses as well as any lost wages.
Don’t Give Any Statement
You should have insurance coverage if you work for a trucking company, but you must still contact and report the collision. Be careful as you go! Although they may appear nice, insurance adjusters will twist your statements and accuse you of inflating your losses. Anything you say in a recorded statement they request from you may be used against you. A recorded statement is not required to be given to the insurance provider.
In conclusion? Don’t succumb to outside pressure. Your best action is to address any such correspondence to your truck accident lawyer. A truck accident attorney might be a crucial friend in your fight against the insurance companies which are not on your side. Let us defend your legal rights and financial interests.
Conclusion
It takes a full-time job to manage a truck accident case. Avoid going it alone. While you concentrate on your health and recovery, let a skilled truck accident attorney handle the dirty details.
Truck accident attorneys can assist you in obtaining far more compensation than you could on your own since they are knowledgeable about the rules and laws governing commercial trucking. If you enter the battle alone, you risk losing out on a truck accident payout for hundreds or perhaps millions of dollars.
