Negligent truck drivers who drive distracted, drunk, and drowsy can cause truck accidents that result in catastrophic damages. Following a truck accident, you may need help figuring out what to do, as you may be considering going to the hospital, leaving the scene to tell your employer and many other options. In the aftermath of a truck accident, you must address your health and financial situation, as both can be majorly affected by a serious truck accident.
There are certain steps, such as filing a police report, collecting evidence, and hiring a truck accident lawyer, that can help with future truck accident litigation. Contact a truck accident lawyer to receive help with the truck accident claim process and learn about the best steps to take following a truck accident.
Contact the Police After a Truck Accident
After a truck accident, you may feel the need to leave the scene immediately, either to relax at home as you process the events or to go to the hospital to receive medical attention. If you are physically able to stay at the scene of the accident, you should try to move your truck out of the way of traffic and call the police. In many states, those involved in automobile accidents must file a police report, so law enforcement can know what happened during the truck accident and if any criminal behavior caused the accident.
You can file a police report by calling 911 and awaiting a responding officer. They will survey the truck accident scene and make a note of anything pertinent to the accident. They will also collect statements from you, any other drivers involved in the accident, and eyewitnesses to discern how the truck accident occurred. Once the police report is filed, anyone involved in the accident can access the report 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 truck accident
- The exact location where the truck accident took place
- The names of those involved in the truck accident
- What damages occurred to the truck and other vehicles
- What truck 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
Take Pictures of Evidence at the Scene of the Truck Accident
The scene of the truck accident will have evidence that you can use to prove your case in a truck accident claim. You can use your phone to take pictures and videos of the evidence you can access later. Remember to collect visual evidence of things that can help your specific claim. Although pictures of the wreckage can be helpful, you will also need to take pictures that can provide context for the truck accident.
For example, let’s say you were in a truck accident with a drowsy driver that ran through a stop sign. While taking pictures, you should ensure that you get a picture of the stop sign to prove that there was one in the area. If you can, you should try to take a picture that shows the stop sign in view of the truck accident to draw a connection between the two.
The following are some of the pieces of evidence you can take pictures of at the scene of the truck accident:
- Truck accident damages
- Truck accident injuries you suffered
- Road conditions that contributed to the truck accident
- Traffic control signals pertinent to the truck accident
- Damage caused by the truck accident to surrounding property
- Skid marks
Receive Medical Attention for Truck Accident Injuries
After collecting evidence and giving your statement to a police officer, you should head to the hospital so a healthcare professional can check you for severe injuries. You may not feel like you suffered severe injuries, but some can have delayed symptoms that may not show up for a couple of days. A doctor 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
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 can collect to prove your claim. You need to 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 also establish that you suffered damages, your injuries cost what 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
Contact The Russo Firm for Help With Your Truck Accident Claim
The truck accident lawyers at The Russo Firm can help to 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 motorcycle accident attorneys will consider the costs of your injuries as we negotiate a fair settlement that can secure you the compensation that can pay for the full cost of 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.
