January 25, 2017
What to Do after a Truck Accident
A truck wreck can happen suddenly, disrupting your life and possibly causing significant injuries and losses. If you know what to do immediately after a truck crash occurs, though, you can start to take the right steps towards recovery (while avoiding mistakes that could undermine your rights and claim).
What You Should Do after a Truck Accident
- Call police as soon as you can – Police can provide important help and support immediate after a truck wreck has happened. Along with helping victims get medical care and removing the crash debris, police can also collect evidence, investigate the cause(s) of the crash and write up a formal crash report.
- Get immediate medical attention – Make sure you get checked out by emergency responders at the scene and/or a doctor as soon as possible after the crash. A physician can diagnose, immediately treat and officially document your crash-related injuries.
- Gather as much evidence from the scene as possible – This can include anything from photos of the wreckage to witness names/contact information. Of course, if you can’t take this step due to the severity of your injuries, a police report can contain this information, which may be central to proving fault later.
- Document your version of the events – As soon as you are able to, write down a thorough account of what happened prior to, during and after the accident. Include everything you can remember (including details like the day/date/time, the weather/road conditions, etc.). These facts can get fuzzy as time passes, so documenting as soon as you can after the wreck can be critical to ensuring they aren’t forgotten (or misremembered) later.
- Keep everything – Retain all accident pictures, as well as anything you get from police and/or insurance companies. It can be helpful to keep all of your accident-related documents and evidence in a single place (like a folder or binder) and to create electronic versions of each document (just in case something happens to the originals at any point during the recovery process).
What You Should NOT Do after a Truck Accident
- Do NOT admit any fault for the truck wreck – Even apologies for the crash can be construed to be admissions of fault. So stay tight-lipped. Admitting any fault for a truck accident can compromise a future claim for recovery.
- Do NOT stop pursuing necessary medical treatments – If your crash-related injuries require ongoing medical care, make sure you follow through with all prescribed treatments. Failing to do so can give insurance companies an opportunity to allege that your crash injuries are not as severe as you have claimed them to be.
- Do NOT give recorded statement to insurance companies – These statements rarely work in victims’ favor, especially if people are not ready to only discuss the facts of their case. So, don’t feel ANY pressure to provide a recorded (or official) statement if an insurance company requests one.
- Do NOT expect insurance companies to be looking out for you – One of the most crucial things for truck accident victims to remember is that insurers (even their own insurance providers) will NOT be on victims’ sides during the claims process. Rather, insurers and their agents are usually determined to preserve the company’s profits by limiting or avoiding payouts. So, don’t make the mistake of trusting an insurer to explain your rights or ethically handle your claim.
- Do NOT overlook the importance of legal representation – You do NOT have to recover from a truck accident alone. In fact, with the help of an experienced truck accident lawyer, you can be assured that your rights are protected and that you’ll have the best chances of securing all of the compensation you’re entitled to for your crash-related losses.
Contact a Denver Truck Accident Attorney at McLaughlin Law Firm, P.C.
Have you or a loved one been injured in a truck accident? If so, an experienced Denver truck accident attorney at McLaughlin Law Firm, P.C. is ready to meet with you. Our attorneys are skilled at aggressively standing up for truck accident victims’ rights to compensation and helping them hold negligent and reckless parties responsible.
We invite you to learn more about your rights and get a thorough, professional evaluation of your case by meeting with us for a free, no obligations initial consult.
To set up this meeting today, call us at (720) 420-9800 or email us using the form on this page.
