A collision involving a truck leaves those involved in shock if not injured. You will need to ensure your rights are protected whenever you are involved in an accident, apart from getting medical help.
The Actions To Take Immediately After An Accident
1. Inform The Relevant Authorities
Police documentation of the accident will be the most credible account of what happened. If you want to protect your interest, you will need them there. Call 911, and they will redirect your call to the local authorities. It would help if you were brief but precise. The officer will need to know things like the number of cars involved and the state of those involved. Such information is necessary to help prepare the response team.
2. Get Medical Help
You might feel just fine, but a doctor needs to ascertain this. If you are not injured, you can stay and wait for the police. Any passengers in your vehicle or the truck should be rushed to the nearest hospital. Try to get other road users to get them to the hospital. Seeking immediate medical attention helps in various ways.
- Your injuries might not hurt but be severe. The condition might even worsen in time. It is best that you visit a hospital in time.
- The insurance company might use your failure to get immediate attention against you. The insurer might argue that you were not seriously hurt since you did not see the need to see a doctor.
- When you go to the hospital, the information about your injuries will be recorded, and these records can be helpful in your fight for justice if you ever need to.
3. Take Pictures Of The Scene Of The Accident
You can use whatever you have at your disposal, a phone or a basic camera. It is a clever way to document the accident. You should focus on capturing as many areas of the accident scene as possible.
- You should capture the position of both vehicles
- Capture all the injured persons in the accident
- Capture the damages sustained by your vehicle
- Anything else like tire marks on the road that might explain what transpired
4. Talk To Witnesses
A witness could be a passerby or just passengers in any of the vehicles. Witnesses will help your case in case you end up in one. You should not talk to them but also get their contact details and addresses, perhaps. The police will take statements from bystanders, but you should have several you can reach easily. Your truck accident lawyer might use them when preparing for your case.
5. Watch What You Say
The least noble thing you can do after an accident is apologize, but you should not do so. The other party might use this to discredit your story in court. The other party might assume you apologized because you were at fault. Refrain from answering questions regarding the accident until after you have talked to your lawyer.
6. The Driver At Fault Is Not Your Friend
The truck driver might try to convince you that the issue can be handled without involving the law. It could be a trap since the other party knows that it will be hard for you to sue them without proper records of the accident.
7. Exchange Relevant Information
You should talk to the truck driver and try to get some personal information. Get their contact information and that of the truck’s owner. Ask for contact information for the truck’s insurer. Offer any relevant information the other driver might need from you.
8. Get A Damage Valuation Done For Your Car
You will, in due time, demand compensation from the party responsible. The documents obtained after the damage valuation will ease the process of calculation compensation.
It is not unexpected for the party at fault to try to evade compensating victims, but with knowledge about the basic truck accident procedures, they know how to safeguard their rights. Road accidents involving trucks can be complicated and draining. The party at fault might try to prevent compensation. If you followed proper procedures after the accident, you would have accurate records to support your case, and the other party cannot defraud you.
