An accident always presents a shocking, unexpected event, but being involved in a crash with a truck, 18-wheeler, or commercial vehicle can have especially dire consequences. The sheer size and weight of these types of vehicles make them very dangerous on the road, and being in an accident with one can result in serious personal injuries and damage to your property.
What Should You Do After a Trucking Accident?
Generally speaking, you should focus on three important things after a trucking accident:
1. Obtaining the medical care and treatment you need
2. Preserving important evidence and protecting your legal rights
3. Contacting an experienced and knowledgeable personal injury attorney to discuss your options
What Should I Do at the Scene?
Immediately after the accident, you should pull over to safety and call the authorities to report the crash right away if you are able. It is important that you give an honest and factual account of what happened so the police report will accurately reflect the facts of the accident. Obtain all pertinent information about the truck driver, including contact information, as well as about the trucking company for which the driver works.
It is also paramount that you receive the medical care you require. Even if you feel fine at the scene, you may be experiencing shock, and there may be latent injuries that won’t manifest for days or even weeks after the crash. Opt for getting checked out thoroughly by emergency medical professionals or hospital professionals as soon as possible. After the accident, continue to obtain the medical treatments necessary for you to get better.
What Steps Should You Take to Protect Your Legal Rights?
It is extremely important that you protect your legal rights by preserving important evidence in your case. Take photographs of the scene, the damage to your vehicle or other personal property, and your injuries. Obtain contact information for anyone who witnessed the accident, and get their statements about what happened, if possible, in writing. Another important piece of evidence may deal with the truck itself: maintenance logs, shift logs, the driver’s own data logs, and data from the truck’s black box may all be helpful to building your case and should be carefully preserved.
It is also essential to collect the paperwork and documentation you will need to help prove your claim. This includes any written documents about the accident, such as police reports and statements as well as any correspondence you may have with the other party, their insurance company, or any other party relevant to the case.
You should also collect and preserve any proof of your damages, including medical bills, mechanic’s bills, invoices for any expenses you have incurred as a result of the accident, and proof of any lost income. Keeping a journal of your pain levels and the effects of the accident on your daily life is also a good idea, as it will help prove the full extent of your general damages.
Why Is it Important to Speak with a Truck Accident Attorney?
There are numerous issues involved in truck accident cases, some of which — including the issues of liability and damages — are essential to your claims. Because the law around these cases can be complex, it is important to entrust your case to a professional, experienced truck accident attorney who can build a strong case on your behalf to present in and outside of court and will understand how to navigate both the claims process and the litigation process, should your case need to go to trial.
Truck accident claims almost always involve significant dealings with insurance companies, who have ample resources on their side, with legal teams waiting to discredit your claims and dispute the amount of your damages. Having an experienced lawyer by your side means evening the playing field: your lawyer will communicate and negotiate with the other parties and their insurance companies, aiming for a fair and reasonable settlement.
How Can Johnson Garcia Help With Your Truck Accident Case?
A truck accident lawsuit can quickly become complicated, raising various questions of liability, particularly where several different parties are involved, along with issues about the full extent of damages you have incurred as a result of the accident.
The attorneys at Johnson Garcia have more than 35 years of experience in helping victims of even the most serious truck accidents obtain sizable settlements and resolve their claims. If you’ve been injured in a truck accident caused by the negligence or recklessness of someone else, call our Houston-based legal team at Johnson Garcia. If the other party or their insurance company is not negotiating fairly, the personal injury attorneys at Johnson Garcia will file a lawsuit on your behalf and take your case to trial, if needed. We can be reached by phone at 832-844-6700.
