No one wants to be in an accident, but sometimes the choice is taken away from a person. A commercial truck driver who acts negligently can cause an accident with one or more cars resulting in a lot of damaged vehicles and injured people. The person who gets all the needed information at the accident site and contacts an attorney for help will be first in line for compensation. Trucking companies and their insurance companies don’t want to pay any more money out than they have to, so it is important to get legal help right away.
Get Legal Help for Trucking Accident
Any commercial trucking accidents are serious and may involve injuries and ruined vehicles. But, trucking companies don’t want to pay out any more money than they have to, especially if more than two vehicles are involved. Their priority is to limit financial liability. But, the accident victims need to collect as much money as possible to cover damages and injury costs. Acting quickly on your own behalf is important.
If you are involved in an accident with a commercial truck, these are some steps you should take if you are able.
- Be sure to call 911.
- Try to collect evidence at the scene, including taking lots of photos.
- Get information for insurance companies, driver’s licenses, phone numbers, and addresses from everyone involved in the accident.
- Take information from potential witnesses to the accident.
- Get the responding police officer’s opinion on accident liability.
- Get medical help.
- Contact insurance companies.
- Talk to an accident attorney.
- Get proof that the driver was employed by the trucking company. There are independent truckers who act as independent contractors.
- Have your attorney draft a demand letter for each involved insurance company.
- Now is the time to file an insurance claim.
- If the insurance company will not offer fair compensation, file a lawsuit and go to trial.
The Law Firm Will Seek Compensation From All Liable Parties
The person injured in a commercial truck accident might not realize all the parties that may be liable. Since each party might have limited funds, it is important to have a qualified lawyer acting on your behalf who knows the rules about liability in a commercial trucking accident. The liable parties might include:
- The driver of the commercial truck
- The trucking company
- The owner of the truck
- The trucking company dispatcher
- The manufacturer of the truck
- The truck trailer manufacturer
An experienced commercial truck accident lawyer will be able to determine liability for the accident and guide the accident victim through the legal process required. In addition to the damaged vehicle, the accident victim might have serious injuries that need medical attention now and into the future and include huge medical bills. There could be missed work and paychecks and other costs and damages that the victim needs compensation for.
Large Trucks Are Involved in Many Road Accidents
In 2019 alone, over 5,000 large trucks were involved in road accidents. This is a large increase from previous years, and the increases are continuing. A significant number of those accidents involved injuries and deaths. The worst month for fatal truck accidents is September, and 64% of accidents happen during daylight hours. The accidents happened on both rural roads and interstate highways. This shows that a person has to be cautious when driving in the vicinity of large commercial trucks regardless of their location.
Getting Medical Help
When a person is injured in a commercial trucking accident, they may have varying degrees of injuries. People seriously injured may be transported to a hospital in an ambulance. Less-seriously injured people may be left to get their own transportation to obtain medical help.
When deciding where to go for medical injury help, consider choosing a doctor with experience in car accident injuries. They know which injuries to look for and treat and can prevent some accident injuries from getting worse. Doctors specializing in accident injuries are used to billing insurance companies for their patients.