Unfortunately, accidents on the roads happen. In fact, in the USA alone, there are approximately six million road traffic accidents per year. That’s around 11 per minute! Of this huge number, sadly, over 35,000 Americans are expected to die on the roads each year.
Being caught up in an accident that involves a truck is an extra-dangerous situation. Trucks are giant, heavy beasts that can do serious damage. If you are unfortunate enough to have a truck accident, what follows can be stressful. Whether severely injured or not, these are the six crucial steps you need to take after being in a truck accident.
Make Sure You Are Safe
In the very first instance, you should simply look after yourself. Make sure you are safe, no longer in danger of further injury, and are getting the help you need. If the police and medical services haven’t been called, get them on their way. No matter how serious the injury, the rest of this article means nothing unless you are safe and well in the first place.
Gather Initial Evidence
Once you are safe and being looked after, it’s important to make sure initial evidence is noted if you are to build a case. We spoke to John, an automobile accident lawyer over at TheCallahanLawFirm.com who explained that “Even if you are not in a fit state to be gathering evidence, you should do everything you can to make sure someone is. Without evidence from the scene, you could be halfway to losing your battle before it’s even begun.” In theory, bystanders, CCTV, and the police will all be taking videos, pictures, etc.
But, you need to try and make sure someone you trust is helping you too, if at all possible. Images and witness testimony from the scene may well form the basis of any lawsuit, so they are essential.
Seek Medical Help
As we have said, the most important person in this story is you. Following an accident like this, you should make sure you get the medical help you need. In theory, all of your medical costs could end up covered by the driver who caused the accident. So, assuming that wasn’t you, you should be able to get every bit of medical help you need without fear of the price. Ensure you see specialists right after your accident, as truck accidents can cause all kinds of long-standing medical conditions that are best treated immediately.
Meet With a Lawyer or Two
Once you’re on the road to recovery, you should start meeting with lawyers. There is plenty of specialist automobile or truck accident lawyers available, you just need to find one you like and trust. Most law firms do not charge for an initial consultation to hear about your case, so you have the flexibility to meet as many lawyers as you like before committing to any. A lawyer, or firm, will be able to advise you in taking the right steps to make sure you can build a case against the truck driver.
Record Everything
One of the key pieces of advice that you will receive from your legal team is to keep records of everything. We have mentioned getting medical care – this is no exception. Every communication from your doctor, every taxi bill, every medical expense. These all need to be recorded.
The benefits of keeping great records are two-fold. Firstly, things like notes from your doctor are great for building a case around your injuries and their severity. This is great for showing a court, lawyer, or judge just how serious this accident was, and therefore why you deserve compensation. This leads us to point two, compensation! The more accurate records of expenses you have, the more you can claim in court.
Complete the Process ASAP
It’s worth noting that in most states there is a statute of limitations in cases like this. In most cases, this means you’ll have two years from the accident date to file a case or start legal proceedings, otherwise the case cannot be tried or tested. Don’t wait around until it’s too late. If you’ve been hurt, get talking to lawyers and following the steps above right away, because before you know it, it’ll be too late.
These six simple steps are the best steps to take after suffering any kind of truck accident. While we sincerely hope that you never need this info, we do recommend following it closely if you ever do need it. Above all else, stay safe out there on the roads.