In the wake of a truck accident, all parties can be disoriented, and some may be in critical condition. It is crucial to look after your physical and mental state. Call an ambulance for a quick medical checkup. Also, you can consult a mental health therapist to address the psychological aftermath of the collision.

Financially, after a collision, it’s all about protecting personal liability and ensuring compensation from the commercial truck. Here are the main legal steps to follow when involved in a truck accident.

Call for Help

Protection of life is the most crucial factor, and the first step is calling emergency services. First responders will stabilize all passengers from the vehicles, including pedestrians caught in the accident. After the police arrive, it’s vital to state the events leading to the accident as clearly as possible. The police report can be used by truck accident attorneys to determine liability.

Exchange Information

It is a legal requirement to provide all personal information after an accident to whoever has reasonable grounds to ask for it, such as police officers, pedestrians involved in the accident, and other drivers. Get details from the witnesses if they are willing to help in the investigation.

Collect Evidence

Evidence from the accident scene can show events leading to the collision. It’s best to collect the information immediately to help preserve the details and prevent information alteration and falsification. When unable to collect evidence, ask someone else to help gather proof or rely on an accident attorney from Boca Raton for assistance.

Some important evidence includes:

• The position of vehicles from a close range clearly shows the impact, while the perspective from far away shows the aerial view of the roadway and other contributing factors.
• Photos of the four corners of all vehicles involved in the accident and an overall image of the whole scene.
• Damage to the truck and other vehicles from lower and close angles and several from a higher angle, showing the damage clearly without losing pixels.
• Information on vehicles, including license plates, branding, signages, and the models of the vehicles.
• Road evidence such as scratch marks, fluid spills, tire marks, potholes, deposits, and debris. The photos should be taken with the vehicles as the background.
• Obstructions on the road like road work signages or road closures from multiple angles.
• Contaminated evidence.

Stay Silent

Refrain from making statements regarding the crash at the scene of the accident. Innocent remarks can be taken out of context and used in court by the other party during cross-examination. Even when the other driver is wrong, do not blame them. A good lawyer will ask their clients not to make or take any offers, make promises, admit liability, or make any payments.

Get Medical Help

It is vital to get immediate medical attention at the accident scene as soon as the first responders arrive. Do not refuse the quick check even if you feel alright. The size of commercial trucks typically causes severe internal injuries that are not obvious at first.

The immediate medical care will help detect serious injuries, addressing them early. After having a comprehensive diagnosis and treatment, forward the medical report to the attorney for compensation claims.

Draft a Demand Letter

Trucking companies are notorious for escaping liability. When contacted by the truck driver’s insurance company, please do not provide a statement or sign any documents but direct them to go through the lawyer’s office to avoid making errors that will harm your case.

After a thorough investigation of the claim and all parties liable, a demand letter for compensation to the insurance companies is written. It will include a monetary amount brought about by the injuries.

File an Insurance Claim

File a claim through an experienced lawyer. Be prepared to settle claims outside of court. It is best to avoid trial as it is an expensive and lengthy venture that might differ from expectations. A qualified lawyer can help you file a valid claim in a record time.

Author:

Early in his journalism career, Kerry L. Tucker had a revelation: there were not enough experts reporting on law issues. Legal matters are part of daily life. Yet, there seems to be a general aversion towards them. One of the main reasons for this is that the convoluted legal language is difficult for many people to follow. Therefore, he decided to change how the law is perceived by the public. Throughout his career, he met with many people who shared their personal stories with him. Some of these hit him harder. One of the cases that stayed with him and influenced his future career development was a car accident case involving a child. From then on, he decided to zero in on car accident lawsuits