What to do After a Truck Accident

Truck accidents can be severe and may require assistance–find out how to react.

Unfortunately, accidents occur daily, with a significant portion of these incidents involving large vehicles, like trucks. These larger vehicles can lead to significant damage and health risks on the road. Due to their large size, they pose a noticeable threat. If you are involved in a truck accident, it is imperative to understand your rights and the legal processes that may follow. In this article, we will discuss what steps to take after an accident with a truck.

What Steps to Take After an Accident

When involved in a truck accident, it is crucial to take specific actions to protect yourself and your interests. The first and most important step is to remain at the accident scene. It is a criminal offense to leave the scene of an accident, regardless of the collision’s severity. There are a few other steps you may need to take.

Protect Your Safety

In a vehicle accident, it is essential to prevent further incidents and ensure the safety of all parties involved by getting to the side of the road or creating a visible warning. One effective method is to set up flares or activate your emergency flashers to alert other drivers of the accident and warn them to exercise caution.

Check Safety Levels

Commonly, injuries caused by motor vehicle accidents are not immediately apparent. Most people involved in an accident report what they are feeling the most pain in a day or two following an accident. Unless you are sure you were not injured, you should seek medical attention at your local emergency room or by seeing your family physician. Even in accidents involving minor impacts, you can sustain a serious and permanent injury to your body.

Contact Police and Exchange Information

Even if there are no severe injuries, it is a good idea to call the police. You may need a police report to file a claim with your insurance company, even if it is just to claim for damage to your vehicle. The vehicles involved in the accident should remain where they are unless they interfere with traffic.

If you have a phone equipped with a camera, you should take pictures of the car if there is visible damage. If you have visible injuries, you should photograph them as well. However, you should in no way interfere with the ongoing police investigation. If you cannot take pictures at the scene of the accident, take them as soon as possible after the accident.

You should also obtain the name, address, and telephone number of all persons involved in the accident, drivers and passengers alike. If there are witnesses, you should also get information from them so that you or your attorney can contact them in the future. You can use that number later to obtain the police report.

The Takeaway

After you have been involved in a truck accident, you may consider legal representation. If this is the case, it is essential to ensure you know what you are looking for and what type of attorney would be the best fit for your situation. After an injury, you may need a Denver personal injury attorney for support. If you have been in an accident, contact us to get the help you need.