What to do after a truck accident?
Imagine a big hulking metal weighing thousands and thousands of pounds careening into your significantly tinier car and even tinier body. It’s a frightening picture to paint. Numerous anecdotes have been told concerning the horrifying effects of getting into a trucking accident — and rightfully so.
Even more concerning is the long hours truck drivers put in in a day and the far distance they would usually have to brave through on the road. There’s a chance that they could be driving drowsily. For this reason, a lot of people would usually caution against driving alongside large trucks.
Large truck accidents are fairly common. According to Forbes Magazine, there were a whopping 523,796 car accidents reported in 2021. Fortunately (depending on how you look at it), most of them only result in property damage. But still, the number of truck accidents resulting in fatal injuries is concerning.
In 2021, the National Security Council reported that there was a 12% increase in truck accident cases that led to a fatal injury from the preceding year’s figures.
These figures demonstrate that we need to take the threat of truck accidents seriously. In this we will discuss the things you need to do if you have the misfortune of getting involved in a trucking accident.
1. Assess Injuries
If you get into a truck accident, the first thing that you need to do is assess whether or not you have incurred any injuries. Since the nature of the accident isn’t a normal sedan-to-sedan collision, the weight and size of the truck may likely increase the likelihood of you getting fatal and life-altering injuries like traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury.
You need to evaluate if the accident has, in any way, affected your range of motion. If it has, chances are you may have a fracture, contusions, sprains, or maybe even all of the above.
2. Seek Medical Attention
Most importantly, you need to seek medical attention. Even if you have deemed yourself to be “fine” after assessing yourself for an injury, your judgment and perception could get clouded by the adrenaline surging through your body. For your sake and peace of mind, it’s best to get checked out by a medical professional immediately.
This is important because your doctor will document any injuries you may have incurred after the accident, which will benefit you greatly come time you need to pursue justice and compensation. Having thorough documentation from your nurse or doctor of your condition strengthens the case that your attorney will make on your behalf.
3. Call The Police
Afterwards, you need to notify the proper authorities about the accident. Like a doctor’s note, the accident report compiled by the police can strengthen the case you will build against the at-fault party.
Not only are the police considered a “neutral party” in this scenario, but they’re also considered a reliable source. Thus, it’s in your best interest to have some sort of police documentation.
This applies most especially if the accident occurred in remote areas. Accidents draw attention in the city since they are densely populated. But it may take a while to get some help outside of the urban areas, so you may need to take matters into your own hands and ask for help yourself.
4. Document The Scene
If you’re not bogged down by a severe and fatal injury, you need to document the scene as much as you can. Take a picture of your surroundings, each side of your car, as well as the at-fault party’s truck. You will also need to take pictures of any contusions, burns, and lacerations, as well as the at-fault party’s driver’s license and insurance information.
As mentioned before, having thorough documentation of the accident will only help strengthen your case. So don’t be hesitant to take your phone out to snap multiple photos.
5. Contact a truck accident attorney
After you’ve begun looking for any injuries, seeking recovery from a medical professional, calling the police, as well as documenting the scene of the accident, the last (and arguably most important) thing you need to do is contacting a truck accident attorney. Having a qualified lawyer working on your case may help alleviate the burdens you’re feeling after the accident.
There’s a lot that goes into pursuing justice and compensation. You would have to deal with greedy insurance adjusters who have their own best interest at heart and will do anything to stop you from getting your coin. You will also need to take care of property damages, wage loss, recovery — so much more.
Having a truck accident attorney will help with all of the above. But not all lawyers are the same skillswise. You will need to do proper and thorough research to find the best truck accident lawyer.
Call Omega Law Group
If you have ever been in a truck accident, you need a truck accident lawyer to help you receive the justice and compensation you deserve. Truck accidents can cause catastrophic injuries and untimely deaths. But you don’t want to just hire any truck accident lawyer. You need Omega Law Group — the best in the industry.
Omega Law Group’s team of highly qualified and well seasoned truck accident lawyers have a combined decades of experience in the field of personal injury, accruing multiple accolades from industry-vetted organizations such as Best Lawyers and Super Lawyers.
Recently, they were recognized by the Los Angeles Times and the Los Angeles Business Journal for all the strides they’ve made in the personal injury world thus far. For their innovative integration of A.I. technology, they made headlines in the Business Journal.
Yet despite the prestige and awards they’ve accrued over the years, they remain steadfast in their mission to provide quality legal services to anyone who needs them regardless of their financial circumstances.
Omega Law Group remains to operate on a contingency fee basis to relieve their clients from the burden of paying any upfront legal fees. Schedule a free consultation now to learn more!