The aftermath of a truck accident can feel overwhelming, with emotions running high amid the chaos and destruction. Yet, this crucial phase requires a thoughtful approach to protect your rights and well-being. Your actions at the scene and immediately after the collision will significantly impact your ability to receive compensation for any damages you suffer from the accident. This blog will explore the steps to getting help, safeguarding your legal standing, and helping obtain full and fair compensation for the damages caused by a negligent truck driver and those who put them on the road.
Call 911 and Law Enforcement
Immediate contact with 911 and law enforcement is pivotal. They can get emergency assistance sent to your location. Commercial trucks regularly weigh up to 80,000 pounds. Passenger vehicles usually weigh between 2,500 and 4,200 pounds. The immense weight differences in semi-truck vs. passenger vehicle collisions mean that a person in a passenger vehicle is far more likely to be catastrophically injured or killed in a collision with a commercial motor vehicle than in a crash with another passenger vehicle. Calling 911 immediately after a collision may be the difference between life and death.
Emergency services will also document your first contact with them – evidencing when the collision occurred and other critical information. Responding law enforcement officers often create and document the first professional evidence of the crash and scene. Their initial Montana Vehicle Crash Report serves as a foundational piece of evidence, instrumental in substantiating later claims for compensation. Equipping yourself with a copy of this report is crucial for your case’s trajectory. A personal injury law firm, like AFJ Law Firm, can help you obtain a copy of this report.
Be Careful Speaking to Insurance Companies
You must also carefully consider what you say to law enforcement and insurance representatives, including your insurance company. Admissions made during these interactions can significantly impact your claim’s viability. Insurance companies too often put their interests in front of the interests of those injured by the insurance company’s drivers (to whom the insurance company owes legal obligations).
Insurance companies also too often put their own interests in front of their customers’ interests, even when a customer is trying to do the right thing and take responsibility for their actions in causing a collision. Insurance companies may be more interested in avoiding coverage than getting an accurate statement of what happened. Opting for legal counsel before engaging with insurance companies is advisable to safeguard your rights.
Prioritize Medical Evaluation
If you believe you may be injured, get a medical evaluation. Often, injuries manifest days or weeks after the accident. Timely medical attention protects your health, may result in a better outcome, and establishes a direct correlation between the incident and subsequent health issues. This documentation is pivotal for securing deserved compensation for medical expenses and lost income. You should follow up with your providers if symptoms develop and ensure you follow your medical provider’s plan to the best of your ability.
Collect and Maintain Strategic Documentation
If the scene is safe and you can safely navigate around the vehicles and any other traffic, you should capture and preserve evidence with a camera. Photographs of injuries, vehicular damages, and the accident scene hold immense evidentiary value. You should photograph any road markings, signs, or other important scenery at the accident that will help determine the fault of the accident and assist in corroborating the oral testimony of events. Collect the contact details of witnesses and parties involved, including contact information, insurance information, and pertinent license plate numbers. These details form the backbone of your case.
Proactively Obtain Legal Representation
Swift engagement with legal counsel will greatly assist your future claims for damages and injuries, whether or not your insurance company or another insurance company is involved. Early involvement allows your attorney to assist in comprehensive evidence gathering and analysis, potentially preserving crucial evidence before it’s compromised. An experienced accident and injury law firm, like AFJ Law Firm, has experienced legal professionals who know truck accident cases and litigation. This experience helps us understand what evidence needs to be collected, navigate the complexities surrounding trucking cases, understand how trucking accident cases differ from car accident cases, and safeguard your interests within the statute of limitations.
Conclusion
Follow these steps to help ease your path toward justice and full and fair compensation. Your prudent actions at the accident scene will protect you, your passengers, and your potential claims. These steps can help AFJ Law Firm secure your deserved compensation, offering a pathway toward a comprehensive recovery for injuries forced upon you by no fault of your own.
AFJ Law Firm is a Bozeman personal injury law firm focused on helping people unjustly harmed by another’s negligence in trucking accidents and other injury cases. Attorney Anthony F. Jackson has years of experience representing clients in trucking accident cases. We can identify the defendants who may be liable for your injuries, liaise with insurance, settle cases in your best interests, and prepare your case for trial if it is not resolved through settlement negotiation.
Contact us today to schedule a free consultation regarding your case and to learn more about how to obtain full and fair monetary compensation for losses caused by a negligent commercial trucking operator and those who put them on the road.