Understandably, you may be left confused, hurt, and exhausted after being injured in a truck accident. If a person survives being hit in a truck accident, they are often left with life-altering injuries in addition to psychological pain for years to come. Truck accidents can be traumatic and might be the result of the truck driver being distracted or negligent. If you suspect that the truck driver involved was not driving safely, you should consider filing a lawsuit to get damages. Truck accidents often leave victims with serious health problems that can take hospitalization, surgery, and therapy to fix.
Should the police be involved after the truck accident?
One of the first things you should do after a truck accident is to contact the local authorities. Especially if anyone involved is injured, died, or there is serious property damage, you will want police on the scene so they can document what happened and contact emergency medical services. The police can also help your case by writing a police report which will help with the investigation after you file a lawsuit.
What else is important to do after a truck accident?
If you are not immediately feeling the physical effects of the truck accident you may think you were lucky. However, you will still want to seek medical attention as quickly as possible. Injuries like whiplash and traumatic brain injuries do not necessarily present immediately following an accident and a doctor can diagnose you and make sure you are getting the appropriate treatment as quickly as possible.
How should I engage with the truck driver after the accident?
Speaking with the other driver can always be tricky. The important thing is to make sure everyone involved in the accident is okay. Next, you will want to calmly gather information from the truck driver, like:
- Their name
- The company they work for
- Contact information, and
- Insurance information
Even if you think it is obvious that the accident was their fault, don’t accuse them or get angry. An insurance company can and will use anything you say to the truck driver against you when it comes to denying your claim. Say as little as possible and wait for the authorities to arrive at the scene.
Should I try to negotiate with insurance?
Negotiating with insurance agents can be tricky. They will encourage you to tell them what happened and make it seem like you were partially or completely at fault for the accident even if you were not. Instead of battling with an insurance company on your own, you may find that working with a truck accident lawyer is the right move for you when starting your lawsuit and battling insurance agents.