A truck accident can be severe and cause significant damage, especially when it collides with any other vehicle. The severity of the impact can affect you physically and financially. It’s crucial that you know exactly how to protect yourself.
After a truck accident, you need to protect yourself physically, legally, and financially. Seek medical attention as soon as possible, report the incident to the police, and consult with a lawyer. You also need to inform your insurance provider in the shortest time possible.
Here’s a detailed discussion of what to do after a truck accident.
Go For A Medical Check Up
Seek medical assistance irrespective of how well or unwell you feel. Not every injury manifests immediately after impact. After a truck accident, adrenaline courses through your system and can easily mask the pain that will relay later.
Therefore, it’s essential, for record purposes, to have paramedics check you at the accident scene. Ensure you still do a follow-up check-up in the hospital with a doctor. Your truck accident lawyer will need all this information to co-relate any damages you experience due to the accident.
File A Police Report
The law requires you to file a police report for the truck accident. It was only unnecessary when no harm was caused, and the vehicles had negligible damage; however, irrespective of the situation, it is wise to still obtain a police report.
The truck driver may try to talk you into handling things off the books without involving the police. Falling for this could land you in a difficult financial and legal position. Your truck accident lawyer needs your initial police report to build on the case.
Get A Truck Accident Lawyer
Contacting a truck accident lawyer as soon as possible helps place you in the best position to recover compensation for damages. Your lawyer will also advise you on what to and not to do to prevent jeopardizing your case.
For example, accepting financial assistance from the truck company may complicate your case. Speak to a lawyer before getting into any negotiation.
Notify Your Insurance
You need to inform your insurance company of the incident and whether or not you will be filing a claim for compensation with them. Take pictures at the scene of the accidents if you are in a position to. You may need to share the videos, photos, and even police reports of the incidents.
Protect Yourself, Physically and Legally
Being in a truck accident can be daunting. You are probably suffering physically from an injury, and thinking about the legal and financial burden on you can make it worse. Contact a truck accident attorney as soon as possible and let them take up the duty to seek the compensation you deserve. Take the time to heal as they cater for the rest.
You must also legally exchange your contact and insurance information with the other driver in the incident. Ask them for their name, insurance details, name of the truck carrier, and address, and take the truck’s registration number. The information should help your truck accident lawyer speed up the claim process.
