Because your personal injury claim starts the moment that the accident happens, personal injury attorneys advise you to follow the proper steps to safeguard your health and reduce your liability.
Check On Others And Call 911
After being involved in a truck accident, you should always check yourself and the other driver involved for injuries. You should then immediately call 911 in order to have law enforcement and paramedics arrive at the scene of the accident. When the police arrive, they will want to write up a police report consisting of your narrative of what happened and what you remember seeing or hearing immediately before and during the accident.
Exchange Information
You are obligated to exchange information with the other driver. Write down each other’s name, address, email address, phone number, and auto insurance information. You should also get this information from anyone who witnessed the accident since their testimony may be helpful later on.
Seek Medical Attention
Immediately go to the nearest emergency room to be evaluated by a physician. They will be able to order the proper diagnostic testing to determine whether or not you are suffering from injuries. Latent truck accident injuries are common because, at first, they seem to appear as simply bruises that you think will heal with time or neck pain that is not severe. These injuries aren’t obvious at first but can turn into significant medical issues if left untreated. Internal bleeding, for example, can be hard to feel at first, but after several hours you may be in extreme pain and facing a life-threatening situation.
Call A Personal Injury Attorney
Your attorney will give you the legal advice you need now. The insurance company will require that you file your claim within 24-72 hours, depending on your policy. If they start asking you questions, you can refer them to your personal injury attorney. This is a wise idea because the insurers are notorious for trying to twist the words of victims, but they won’t dare to treat your attorney the same way.
Capture Photographic Evidence
Before the police tow away the vehicles, you should carefully take pictures from a place where you can’t get hit by oncoming vehicles. The goal is to tell the story of what happened, so you should take wide shots of the entire scene and close-ups of the damage. No other time will you have an opportunity to take these photos. If you have a dashcam in your vehicle, you should get the footage to provide to your attorney.
Keep Comments Off Social Media
Sites like Facebook are great to keep up with friends, but the attorney for the opposing party will use your pictures and statements against you in negotiations and court. The insurance company is concerned about saving its bottom line and protecting itself from fraudulent claims. If you post a picture of yourself a few days after your accident smiling, then the attorneys for the insurance company will try arguing that you weren’t as injured as you said you were, and they will have photographic evidence that they will try to use to bolster their argument. You should definitely not post photos or videos of the crash scene.
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