Nobody plans to be in an accident, and they certainly do not anticipate being involved in an accident involving an semi truck. The fact is, these things happen to ordinary people on a daily basis. At any given moment, around 660,000 drivers are using cell phone, and this number includes drivers of semi trucks. Aside from distracted drivers, impaired drivers are also a danger. The average driver will have driven while drunk around 80 times before they experience their first arrest, and truck drivers are no different, causing an injury resulting from a crash approximately every two minutes. Knowing what to do in the event you are involved in a truck accident, and knowing when to call a semi truck accident lawyer are important things to get the process started .
File a Report
The firs step you should do after an auto accident involving a big rig is to report the accident. Many automatically think to contact a semi truck accident lawyer, but knowing when to call a law firm is as important as what you should do after truck accidents. Other drivers could possibly call emergency services, but your best bet is to do so yourself to ensure that a proper report is filed.
Medical Treatment
Seeking medical treatment should be your next step. Even if you initially feel fine, you should still be checked. Keep track of all medical bills and costs incurred. This information will be beneficial when seeking a semi truck accident lawyer. Getting immediate medical help will be useful if you end up having problems later on down the road.
Answer Questions
There will be many people asking you questions and it can seem overwhelming quickly, but it is important to answer all questions to the best of your ability. Never admit fault, but answer any and all questions any officers ask you. This will go into the police report with will be filed with your insurance and will be given to your semi truck accident lawyer once you get one. Never lie to an officer, but never incriminate yourself while answering these questions.
Documentation
The lovely thing about this day and age means that you have easier access to documentation purposes than ever before. Pictures and video have never been easier than grabbing your phone and starting the documentation process. Do not attempt to move vehicles, and stay out of emergency personnel way, but document as much as physically possible. This information can be extremely beneficial for your semi truck accident lawyer. Write down contact information for possible witnesses and identify all the vehicles involved. Take pictures of write down all insurance information for all parties involved.
Follow Up
Many times you will not feel the initial impact of the accident for a few days following the accident. It is important to make a follow up visit with your doctor. Make sure to get any records or disks from the emergency room visit if you went. Your doctor will want to compare these images to make sure nothing has changed. Many times the other parties insurance company will suggest that you see on of their doctors. This is where a semi truck accident lawyer comes in handy. They can help dictate which doctor you are allowed to see. You should not be forced to see a specific doctor, you should have the choice to see your normal doctor or any doctor of your choice.
Follow all directions to the best of your ability and do your best to collect all evidence. If the other insurance company tries to get a statement from you, you are not required to provide one. Remember that trucking companies always assume that you were at fault and not the victim. Many times they will do everything in their power to prove this. This is why having an experience semi truck accident attorney on your side is vital if you want to be properly compensated for your injuries.