Can I Sue For Being Hit By A Semi-Truck?

What Do You Do If You Get Hit By An 18-Wheeler?

If you’re seriously injured after getting hit by a semi-truck, your only priority should be your health. You need to get quality care as soon as possible.

But if you are lucky enough to escape with minor injuries, there are a few things you can do to help with a personal injury case.

Stay At The Scene Of The Accident

You should never leave the scene of an accident before the authorities can arrive.

In some states, it is illegal to leave the scene, and if you do, you will face the consequences.

If it’s possible, leave your vehicle as-is and don’t move it after the accident. This will help preserve the evidence to make it easier to determine who and what caused the accident.

Check For Injuries

Even if you feel fine, you might still have injuries; they just may be masked by the rush of adrenaline in your body.

So always check to make sure you don’t have any visible injuries.

And, it is very common for multiple vehicles to be involved in accidents with semi-trucks, so make sure everyone else is okay as well.

Document Everything

As soon as it’s safe to do so, and everyone has been checked for injuries, you need to document as much as possible.

Take photos and videos of the accident scene, including the damage to all of the vehicles, any skidmarks at the scene, and make an audio recording of what happened during the accident.

Gathering this evidence is crucial because after the accident, your memory will fade as the days go on, and the trucking company will do all they can to prove that they were not responsible for it.

Having evidence gives you a better chance to prove liability for your semi-truck accident.

Also, don’t forget to check your belongings inside your vehicle. Sometimes the contents of your car, like laptops or smartphones, can be damaged as well.

Take pictures of everything in your car that was damaged because those values can be added to your final settlement.

Exchange Information

Now you need to exchange information with everyone involved in the accident.

Your personal injury lawyer will need this information later on, so it’s best to get it right away.

You will need to get everyone’s:

• Names
• Phone Numbers
• Driver’s License Numbers
• License Plate Numbers
• Insurance Company Information
• Insurance Policy Number

It can be tricky to do this after the accident because everyone is a little on edge, but this is still essential information.

Don’t Say Too Much

Finally, you need to say very little after your accident, even to the authorities and your insurance company.

Before you speak to anyone else in detail about the accident, you need to talk to a truck accident lawyer.

Your lawyer will be sure that you don’t say anything to incriminate yourself after the accident.

It’s very common for people to take responsibility for the accident without meaning to do so.

So, cooperate with the authorities, but don’t say any more than you have to.