What to Do After a Truck Accident
A truck accident lawyer can help you obtain compensation for either an injury or damage related to a vehicle accident. While trucks are safe vehicles, accidents can be quite scary considering the weight and height of the vehicle and whether or not you were injured in the crash. After an accident, you’ll want to contact an attorney as well as take these five steps to ensure you’re safe and secure going forward.
Remain at the scene of the accident
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 4,119 people died from truck accidents in 2019. Leaving the scene of an accident is a crime. Furthermore, if you leave, you could be missing out on an opportunity to gather more details about the accident. For a severe crash, you’ll need to get checked out for injuries, which may also be the case if you’re injured or not. Answer the questions asked by the officer at the scene or at the very least, make sure you have an understanding of how the crash happened. You’ll need to relay this information to your attorney and insurance company when you file a claim.
Double-check to ensure you don’t have injuries
Injuries related to crashes include whiplash, broken and fractured bones, concussions, and cuts and bruises, to name a few. Some of these injuries may remain hidden and will require a paramedic’s trained eye. At the same time, you need documentation of your injuries to support the claim you sent to your insurance company. Trucks are big vehicles and even if they don’t roll over, there is a good chance you may have lingering pains that could impact your daily living habits without treatment.
Contact your insurance company
You’ve been paying a premium for years, so why risk not contacting your insurance company? Some drivers may be tempted to work the disagreement out at the scene. However, this can increase the liability on your end and lower your chances of obtaining compensation you might have the right to obtain. A truck accident lawyer will want to see many of the same documents and details that you provided to your insurance company. But take the time to understand your insurance agreement and you’ll have a better chance of winning compensation.
Evaluate your driving
After a truck accident, the first thing you’ll worry about is whether or not you’re in the wrong. One way is to mentally review your driving history by taking into account previous infractions, accidents, and mistakes you make on the road. Aggressive driving makes up 54% of fatal car accidents. The issue may not even be directly related to your driving, but might be the result of how you’re feeling physically or mentally while you’re on the road. If driving a truck has been more difficult than usual, you may want to consider doing some self-improvement to get your mind, body, and spirit in gear so that you can get back on the road with confidence.
Buy a new truck if needed
A truck accident lawyer won’t necessarily recommend you get a new truck, but if the model you had was older, performed with less capacity, or simply wasn’t the safest drive you can find, now might be the time to consider getting a new truck. If you want to wait until you contact a truck accident lawyer to win a personal injury claim, then that’s understandable. But the last thing you want to do is climb back in the same truck if you know that vehicle isn’t up to par, or the same model isn’t going to be as safe as anything else. So, take a look at your finances and see where you can buy a new but affordable model.
Hiring a truck accident lawyer is easy when you have a case that an attorney can handle. Whether you’re looking for compensation or hoping to win a personal injury claim, you need an attorney to handle all the complications of winning a case. Even if you’ve already contacted your insurance company, having an idea of what you should do after your truck accident is the key to getting back to driving safely.
