Thousands of accidents involving trucks happen every year in the US, and most of them severely injure or kill passenger vehicle occupants. These injuries are often overwhelming, and survivors face many obstacles on their road to recovery.
Some of those obstacles are financial. Truck accident victims often can’t work for an extended period after the crash, causing lost wages. In addition, medical bills and related costs keep pouring in.
While the insurance company of the at-fault party is obligated to compensate you for your damages, they will try every trick in the book to get you to agree to a low settlement offer for your damages. In many truck accidents, multiple parties are liable, bringing more insurance companies into the mix. Although they represent different entities, they all have one thing in common: they don’t want to pay you.
Enter Jason Stone Injury Lawyers. We won’t allow insurance companies to take advantage of you. We will use all of our extensive resources to fight them and obtain maximum compensation for you.
What Should You Do After a Truck Accident?
Truck accident survivors are often severely injured and incapable of doing much at the scene of the crash. Do what you’re capable of doing, but if you can’t, attempt to have someone do these things for you.
Assist Other Victims
The chances are that more than one automobile was involved in your truck accident, and all occupants probably sustained injuries. If you can, attend to the other occupants of your vehicle and then try to help others involved in the collision.
In addition to potentially saving lives, your account of injuries present will enable 911 dispatchers to send the right number of appropriate first responders to the scene.
Dial 911
Although almost everyone has a cell phone, don’t assume that someone else has already called the police to report the crash. It’s better for the accident to be reported multiple times than not at all.
Try to give the 911 operator as many details as possible about the entire accident scene, including the number of vehicles involved, the condition of all vehicles, the number of injured people, the types and severity of injuries they sustained and the presence of any leaking fluids or hazardous and potentially flammable substances.
Use Your Phone
Smartphones are an excellent resource at accident scenes. Not only can you use yours to call 911, but you can also take photos and make video and audio recordings. The photos, videos and recordings you make are often used as evidence for your truck accident claim.
Attempt to photograph or record:
- Your injuries and those of other victims
- Damage to your vehicle
- The entire accident scene from different angles showing as much detail as possible, including skid marks
- Witness statements
- Your recollection of how the accident occurred while it’s fresh on your mind
- The location of any video surveillance cameras in the area that may have recorded the accident while it was happening
Accept or Seek Medical Assessment and Assistance
Paramedics are usually dispatched to truck accident scenes. Even if you don’t think your injuries need treatment, you must allow medical personnel to examine you.
Some injuries aren’t initially apparent. Your adrenaline flow can mask associated pain, while other wounds develop over time. These include internal bleeding, organ damage, whiplash and herniated or ruptured discs. If you sustained this type of injury but aren’t examined, they often become life-threatening issues.
Any successful personal injury claim requires proof that your injuries were caused by the accident. If you’re not immediately assessed, insurance companies can argue that your injuries weren’t a result of the accident. Your initial medical examination provides crucial proof that the truck accident did cause your injuries.
Contact a Truck Accident Attorney
Hiring a truck accident lawyer as soon as possible after your accident allows them to get to work quickly and obtain crucial evidence while it’s still available. This evidence can include:
- Video surveillance recordings
- Witness accounts
- Trucker logs and records of communications between the trucker and their employer
- Evidence found during a thorough examination of the accident site
- Cell phone records of every driver involved in the crash
Your attorney will also advise you of things you shouldn’t do because they might hurt your case.
Don’t Admit to Any Degree of Fault
Your degree of fault can affect the amount of damages you recover, and investigators will question everyone they can find to see if you told anyone that you were responsible for the crash.
Don’t Make Any Social Media Posts
Many people post about everything that happens to them on social media. It’s crucial that you don’t post any pictures, videos or statements on social media regarding your truck accident. Asking for support is ok, but sharing details is not.
Investigators can and will scour your social media accounts for any posts you made regarding the crash and all posts afterward. Survivors who post a selfie skiing a month after their accident can’t later claim that they haven’t gotten out of bed since the incident.
Don’t Pause or Cease Medical Treatments
You deserve every opportunity to recover from your injuries. Medical treatment plans are designed to give you that opportunity. If you pause or stop accepting physician-recommended remedies you may relapse or not recover as fully as you could.
In addition, your injuries are a requirement for your truck accident insurance claims. Investigators can obtain copies of your medical records and possibly request an independent medical examination to determine your medical condition. If they find that you refused treatment, they may use that as grounds to try to dismiss your claim by arguing that if you’re severely injured you would have continued.
Don’t Sign Paperwork or Speak to Insurance Company Representatives
Your attorney needs to inspect any documents related to your truck accident before you sign them. They can spot hidden loopholes that you don’t necessarily see.
Insurance company investigators may attempt to trick you during recorded conversations, getting you to say things that could damage your case. Your lawyer will either speak to representatives on your behalf or advise you if you choose to speak to them on your own.
Why Is Hiring Jason Stone Injury Lawyers the Right Choice?
We have vast knowledge and experience handling truck accident claims and we will use that to your advantage when we go up against insurance companies to obtain the maximum compensation you deserve.
We care about every one of our client’s well-being, and we prove that with our actions. Our Stone Cold Guarantee ® tells you in writing the promises we make to each client. Some of the highlights are:
- We work on a contingency fee basis, which means that you don’t pay us until you get paid.
- We give you personal attention, starting with your initial free consultation — There’s No Obligation, Just Information ®.
- Someone from our firm is available to speak to you 24/7.
- We won’t let insurance companies take advantage of you.
- We will be at your side during your entire recovery process.
Truck accident survivors aren’t always able to come to our offices for appointments. We make things easier for you by offering video meetings; making things easier for you is one of our main goals.
If you need a Massachusetts truck accident attorney, Better Phone Stone at (800) 577-5188. You can also contact us through live chat or request your evaluation using our online form.
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