Legal Points to Ponder When You’re Involved in a Semi-Truck Accident

The worst type of road accidents are often caused by larger vehicles. For sure, thousands of semi-trucks traverse American roads and while trucking companies ensure that their drivers and vehicles are road-worthy, there’s nothing that can adequately prepare you for a head-on collision with a 15-ton machine.

Anything can happen on the road and crashing into a semi-truck is one of many life-threatening possibilities. If you will ever be involved in one, the best you can do is to go through the legal options available to you as a victim of possible negligence. Here’s a guide to help you navigate the legal challenges you will be facing as you demand accountability and get properly compensated:

1. Call emergency services and document the scene

Whether or not you have the capacity to get help, you will need to ask for assistance from first responders stationed near the collision site. If you’re unable to stand up or use your phone, get people on the scene to call emergency responders. As you do so, you may need another person to document the details of the scene, unless you’re in the right condition to do it yourself. Take pictures of your vehicle and the truck. 

Focus on the points where the vehicles crashed into each other. You might also need to interview witnesses who saw the accident or reach out to business owners with CCTV cameras that could provide a good vantage point for determining what happened. You will need all of these details in structuring your legal claim. 

2. Opt for medical checkups and follow-up visits to your doctor

Even if you think you have sustained minor injuries, you still need to have yourself checked for potential complications that might take a long time to manifest. There are car crash injuries that may take weeks or even years to show up, concealing more serious issues. There could also be a possibility of developing post-traumatic stress disorder which could further disrupt your well-being. 

By seeing medical attention immediately and requesting additional tests and visits to the doctor, you will have a more comprehensive view of the actual extent of your injuries. You will need this especially if you’re filing a claim against the truck company itself.

3. Get an experienced lawyer by your side

Filing a claim that involves a large logistics company, the details might not fall in your favor. There’s a good chance the company will only cover a small portion of the insurance claims you’re entitled to, so you should get a truck accident lawyer who can pull all the facts together and come up with a compelling case. 

They can also represent your best interests at the negotiating table and help you decide whether to accept an offer or not. This will allow you to maximize your claim and ensure all of your expenses from medical treatment to property repairs are covered.

4. Follow your lawyer’s advice and avoid social media

As your personal injury claim progresses, it’s important to realize that the facts aren’t always at your side. For the most part, the other party will try within its power to reduce its liabilities and downplay your injuries. It could resort to monitoring your social media interactions and prove that your injuries aren’t as severe as you claim them to be.

Your best weapon against this is your lawyer’s advice. To ensure that you’re still on the right track toward getting the compensation you deserve, your lawyer may provide guidance on what activities are allowed. You may be prohibited from using your social media account while the case is ongoing. What’s more, your lawyer may also advise against taking part in backchannel talks with the semi-truck owner. No matter how tempting it is to accept an offer, your lawyer still knows best. 

Endnote

You wouldn’t want to be involved in an accident involving a semi-truck, but if ever you couldn’t dodge one, there’s always the guide above to help you recover physically and financially from the ordeal.