What to Do If You’re Hurt in a Trucking Accident
September 14, 2021 @ 3:19 pm
Did you know that 97% percent of people killed in two-vehicle crashes involving a passenger vehicle and a large truck in 2019 were occupants of the passenger vehicles? Big rig trucks carry a lot of force on the road, which means that any accident involving one is more likely to pose a greater threat to drivers and their passengers.
If you find that you or a loved one is involved in a big rig or 18-wheeler accident, here are some helpful tips from our legal experts to ensure you take the best steps to protect yourself legally — and get the compensation you deserve.
CONTACT EMERGENCY SERVICES
Getting hit by a big rig can leave you and your passengers with injuries you may not feel or notice right away. Make the health and safety of everyone involved first priority by calling emergency services to the scene of the accident.
By calling for help immediately, you can ensure medical care arrives faster to tend to any injuries or life-threatening situations. Once the police arrive, you can also reduce the chances of key evidence being moved or altered that could complicate or hurt your case with insurance companies.
GET ALL NECESSARY INFORMATION
After you contact emergency services and ensure any life-threatening situations are taken care of, you can begin to collect information on the truck driver, the trucking company and the damage done to your vehicle to file your claim. The information you need to collect includes the following:
- Name of driver
- Name of trucking company
- Truck ID/Employee ID number
- Address
- Phone
- Insurance carrier & policy number
- Truck make, model & year
- Driver’s license number
- Photographs of the crash scene & damage to vehicles
- Witness contact info (if available)
OBTAIN MEDICAL ASSESSMENT & DOCUMENT INJURIES
If you have to seek medical attention, it’s important that you photograph any obvious injuries and document in detail the medical services you obtain. Don’t forget to include what services may be required down the road after speaking with your doctor. Be sure to give any medical provider a complete list of your injuries and request reports from each after they fully evaluate your condition. Forgetting to document an injury can reduce the likelihood of getting proper compensation, so be thorough and accurate.
SEEK LEGAL HELP
When trucking accidents turn messy and big rig companies decide not to play fair, get help from an experienced personal injury team that specializes in trucking accident law. Speak to a lawyer before giving any statements to insurance adjusters. They can advise you on what information to give and what next steps to take to make sure the trucking company and its insurance company do the appropriate due diligence of caring for your case.
Highway Hazards: The Liability of Big Trucks
GET THE BEST GUIDANCE WITH US
Guarantee that an experienced trucking accident lawyer is fighting on your behalf at MMRB&H Law Firm. Our attorneys understand the complexities of these accidents and can work with the insurance companies to ensure you’re fairly compensated.
