Picture this: You’re driving home after a long day at work, and your mind is already on dinner plans and relaxing with family. Suddenly, the world around you erupts into chaos. The deafening crunch of metal, the sickening lurch as your car spins, the disorienting flash of airbags deploying. In a matter of seconds, your life has been turned upside down by a truck accident.
As the dust settles and the realization of what just happened sinks in, a flood of questions races through your mind: Are you hurt? Is everyone else okay? What do you do now?
If you find yourself in this harrowing situation, know that you’re not alone. Truck accidents can be particularly devastating due to the sheer size and force involved, often leaving victims with serious injuries, mounting medical bills, and a long road to recovery. In these moments of confusion and pain, an experienced truck accident lawyer can be your advocate.
Where Do I Start?
If you’re reading this, chances are you’ve already left the accident scene and have had some time to process what happened. Perhaps you’ve been replaying the events in your mind, dealing with pain or injuries, or fielding calls from insurance adjusters. You might be feeling overwhelmed, unsure of your rights, or wondering if you need legal representation. The fact that you’re here suggests you’re considering taking action – and that’s a crucial first step.
A negligent truck driver who drives distracted, drunk, or drowsy can cause an accident that results in catastrophic damages. Following an auto accident with a semi-truck or other heavy truck, you may need help figuring out what to do. You must address your health and financial situation, as both can be majorly affected by serious trucking accidents.
You may also be wondering if you can file a truck accident lawsuit. Certain steps, such as filing a police report, collecting evidence, and hiring a personal injury attorney familiar with handling truck accidents, can help with future litigation. Your attorney can help with the truck accident claim process and work to protect your rights while pursuing the compensation you need to recover.
Creating an Accident Report Following a Truck Accident
In many states, those involved in automobile accidents must file a police report so law enforcement can know what happened during the truck accident, collect information about the vehicles involved, and determine if any criminal behavior caused the accident.
It is likely that after the accident, someone called 911, and the responding office created a police report. This would involve surveying the truck accident scene and noting anything pertinent to the accident. The accident report will include statements from you, the truck drivers, any other drivers involved in the accident, and eyewitnesses.
Information collected at the scene helps police determine how the truck accident occurred. Once the police report is filed, anyone involved in the accident can access it to prove their case in truck accident litigation.
The following is some of the information in a car accident police report:
- The date and time of the accident
- The exact location where the truck crash took place
- The names of those involved in the collision
- What damages occurred to the truck and other vehicles
- What accident injuries did those involved suffer
- Statements from those involved and witnesses about the truck accident
- Road and environmental factors that contributed to the truck accident
Evidence From the Scene of the Crash
The scene of the crash will have evidence that you can use to prove your case in a truck accident claim. If you used your phone to take pictures and videos at the accident scene, they may contain visual evidence of things that can help your specific claim. Although pictures of the wreckage can be helpful, other images can provide context for the truck accident.
For example, let’s say you were in a truck accident with a drowsy driver who ran through a stop sign. If you have a picture of the stop sign, it can prove that one was in the area. It’s even better if the picture shows the stop sign in view of the truck accident to draw a connection between the two.
The following are some pictures taken at the scene of the truck accident that can help your lawyer build your case:
- Vehicle damage – tractor trailers and other vehicles involved in the accident
- Truck accident injuries you suffered
- Road conditions that contributed to the accident
- Traffic control signals pertinent to the crash
- Damage to surrounding property
- Skid marks
If you were not able to take pictures at the scene because it was too dangerous or you had to get emergency medical attention, it may be possible for your lawyer to help. An experienced personal injury lawyer can look for traffic camera footage or photos or videos from witnesses, dashboard cameras, or other drivers.
Receive Medical Attention for Truck Accident Injuries
As soon as possible after you report the accident, you should head to the hospital for medical treatment. Even if you don’t feel like you suffered severe injuries, some can have delayed symptoms that may not show up for a couple of days. A medical professional can get a more accurate reading of your health and can diagnose and treat severe injuries before they cause damaging health complications.
The following are some of the truck accident injuries you can suffer that a doctor can diagnose and treat:
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
- Spinal cord injury
- Shoulder injury
- Back and neck injuries
- Whiplash
- Chest injury
- Knee injury
- Broken bones
- Facial injury
- Burns
- Internal injury
Remember, not all injuries are immediately apparent. You should seek medical care to identify any hidden problems and also to create a record connecting your injuries to the crash. This will help build your lawyer with the insurance claim.
Collect Evidence That Can Help Prove Your Truck Accident Claim
The evidence at the scene of the truck accident will not be the only relevant evidence you need to prove your claim. Keep track of every pertinent piece of evidence that can help establish you suffered damages due to the at-fault party’s breach of duty of care. The evidence can help your lawyer establish that you suffered damages, your injuries cost the compensation you are pursuing, and you did not contribute to the truck accident.
The following is some of the evidence that can help prove your truck accident case:
- Medical records
- Police reports
- Insurance statements
- Trucking logs
- Vehicle accident reconstructions
- Witness statements
- Expert witness testimonies
How Can a Truck Accident Lawyer Help With the Claims Process?
Hiring a truck accident lawyer is the most important step you can take after a truck accident. They will have the truck accident claim experience that you lack, which can help move the process along smoothly. Having been involved in multiple truck accident claims, they will know what steps to take and the best way to handle each step. Hiring a truck accident attorney is the best way to maximize your potential for recovering compensation that can pay for the full cost of your damages.
The following are some of the ways a truck accident lawyer can help you recover compensation for truck accident injuries:
- Evaluate your current and future truck accident damages
- Explain what rights you have
- Determine who caused the truck accident
- Collect evidence to prove the at-fault party caused the truck accident
- Interview eyewitnesses and expert witnesses
- Negotiate with an insurance company trying to deny, delay, or devalue your truck accident claim
- Represent you in a truck accident court case
Truck accident cases are complex because they often involve multiple vehicles, catastrophic injuries, and a specific knowledge of state and federal regulations governing the trucking industry. An experienced lawyer can talk to the trucking company, run the truck’s license plate number, check its records to see if it was involved in other crashes, and check the truck driver’s license to ensure they are in good standing.
Trucking companies have a team of lawyers ready to argue their case. You need a skilled advocate to help gather evidence on your behalf and identify the liable party.
Contact The Russo Firm for Help With Your Truck Accident Claim
The truck accident lawyers at The Russo Firm can help assess the financial impact of your truck accident injuries. We can contact medical experts to see how your injuries can affect your life and what costs they can cause for the rest of your life. Our truck accident attorneys will consider the costs of your injuries as we negotiate a fair settlement and collect compensation for your current and future damages.
The Russo Firm offers free consultations to show how our truck accident lawyers can help you through the claims process. Contact us at (561) 270-0913 or leave a message on our online contact page for a free truck accident claim consultation.
