If you are involved in a vehicle accident, there are a number of things that you need to do after a truck accident. Not taking the right steps can be detrimental to any claims you need to make regarding the accident. You could also find yourself on the wrong side of the law or the insurance companies.
Stop And Report
By law, anyone who is involved in any vehicular accident will need to stop at the scene and remain there. You will need to remove the vehicle from the road and ensure that you are safe. To make the area safe for other vehicles, you will need to put your hazard lights on and put cones around your vehicle.
You will also need to call the police or state highway patrol. If someone was injured in the accident, you will also need to call the emergency services. When the police or patrol arrives, you need to fill out an accident report and request a copy of this for your records.
Get Medical Treatment
After a truck accident, you need to seek medical attention whether you think you have been injured or not. It is possible that the adrenaline released during the accident has kept you from noticing an injury. If you are not seen to at the scene of the accident or taken to a hospital, you will need to visit your doctor as soon as possible.
If you do not get medical treatment after an accident, you could run into problems with any personal injury claims. It is important that you not wait too long to see a doctor as there are many injuries that could become dangerous if left for too long.
Identify The Other Parties
Before leaving the scene, you need to find any identifying marks or signs on the other vehicles. While the truck driver could be at fault for the accident, it is their employer that could be liable for the damages. You should also get the necessary information from the other parties involved in the accident.
This information will need to be exchanged at the scene of the accident. Once the other parties leave the scene, it could be impossible to track them down. You need to get their contact information as well as any insurance information that they can provide. You also need to get their driver’s license number and the contact information for the employer of the truck driver.
It is not only the other people involved in the accident that you need to identify. Witnesses are also important and you need to collect their contact information or a witness statement. You can also check the accident report to see if the police or patrol interviewed witnesses that you missed.
Speak Carefully
After the accident, it is likely that you will be contacted by an insurance adjuster. You need to be careful when talking to them as anything you say can be used against you. Ideally, you will want to hire an attorney before the adjuster calls you and they will be able to advise you on what you should be saying.