As soon as you experience a truck crash, your first priority is to seek emergency medical treatments. Once this has been done, you should look up a truck accident lawyer as soon as possible.
Even though you might be experiencing trauma or spiking adrenaline, you have to make a conscious effort to preserve any vital piece of evidence you can get your hands on. For instance, you can try to take photographs from helpful angles and record statements of witnesses or other victims.
Doing all of the above is critical because, in your absence, all of these vital pieces of evidence may be misplaced, lost or even intentionally destroyed by trucking companies. For this reason, the preservation of all evidence is going to lead to proving which party the liability for the collision is going to be transferred to.
Trailer and tractor accident trials require thorough investigation, the creative use of discovered evidence and the unbiased opinions of witnesses. You should also know that it is normal for trucking companies to dispatch their own team of investigators while your attorney conducts their investigation of the scene of the accident.
Of course, trucking accident lawyers are trained to routinely visit such gruesome sights to take photographs of the physical evidence available. They are also trained to document radiator, gas or oil stains, accident debris, skid marks and eyewitness accounts at the scene of the wreck.
Additionally, these lawyers will also seek out police reports, witness statements and photographs with the police, motor carrier records and safety logs. Keeping all of these vital pieces of information in mind, the sooner you contact an accident attorney, the sooner your legal team can get to work.
If you are still at the scene of the truck accident, you should try to:
- Remain calm and inside your vehicle, if it is still safe to be inside
- Switch on your vehicle's hazard lights
- Call 911, even if you think your injuries are negligible
- Not leave the scene of the accident until it is absolutely essential
- Note down the names, phone numbers and addresses of each party involved or eye witnesses
- Make a note of the badge number or name of the police officers who arrived at the scene
- Take pictures of the truck, your vehicle and any injuries you may have received
- Never admit responsibility or even a percentage of the fault
- Not discuss the events that led up to the truck accident with anyone except your lawyer or your insurance agent (This also means that you aren't answerable to the truck driver's insurance company)