Trucking accidents are some of the most dangerous and consequential accidents that happen on Pennsylvania roads. It’s not uncommon for trucking accident victims to suffer serious injuries and financial losses, and if this happens to you, you need to know exactly what to do to ensure that you and your trucking accident lawyer can get you the compensation you deserve.
Whether you are a recent victim of a trucking accident or just want to make sure that you are prepared just in case, here is everything you need to know about what to do after a trucking accident.
Call the Emergency Services Immediately
As soon as the trucking accident happens, you need to contact emergency services as quickly as possible. Your safety and the safety of others are always of the utmost priority in these situations, and if you sustain any injuries, you need to ensure that you get the medical care you need immediately.
It’s also essential that the police come to file a report on the accident. Gathering and recording evidence is crucial to the success of your case, and having the police there to document the scene of the accident will go a long way to helping you justify your trucking accident claims.
Exchange Contact Information With Witnesses
Once you’ve contacted emergency services and ensured that everyone is safe, you need to look out for witnesses. Witness testimonials can hold a lot of weight with insurance companies and during legal proceedings, and the more witnesses you have to recount the accident, the better.
Make sure that you exchange contact information with them and point them out to the police as well, as having witnesses included in the official police report can further reduce speculation and increase your chances of maximizing your compensation.
Document All the Evidence You Can
In addition to the police report, it’s also essential that you document all the evidence you can. Be sure to take plenty of pictures of the scene of the accident, including photos of all the vehicles involved in the crash, as well as pictures of your injuries, destroyed property, and more. Even something as simple as setting aside the torn clothes that you were wearing during the incident can act as significant evidence to support your case.
You should also encourage any witnesses to take pictures, too, and see if any of them happened to take a video of the accident as it occurred.
Choose Your Words Wisely
As high as tensions can be after an accident, it’s also incredibly important to stay calm and choose your words wisely. Remember that everything you say, including via text messages or phone calls, can be used as evidence both for and against you and lashing out in anger will do nothing to help your case.
Most importantly, make sure that you never admit fault at the scene of the accident. No matter how you feel about what just happened, avoid saying anything that could implicate you as the at-fault party. Just focus on collecting evidence so that the evidence can speak for itself.
Don’t Post Anything on Social Media
Social media has become a ubiquitous part of everyday life, but whatever you do, avoid posting anything on social media after an accident. Again, every bit of information that you communicate after an accident, whether verbal or electronic, will be considered evidence that could compromise the merit of your trucking accident claims.
Public social media posts that convey information about your physical or emotional state are much more likely to hurt your case than help, so stick to taking pictures and talking to witnesses, and stay off social media at all costs.
Complete a Preliminary Accident Report
In addition to physical evidence, it’s also important to record all the information you have in a preliminary accident report. You don’t need to stick to a specific format, but you should be sure to write down all relevant details of the accident, like the date, time, and location of the accident, as well as a general description of what happened, including the weather conditions and any other relevant information.
Contact a Reputable Trucking Accident Lawyer
Once you’ve dealt with the immediate aftermath of the accident, you should contact a trustworthy trucking accident lawyer like HoeyLegal as soon as you can. Navigating the complex legal system and negotiating with insurance companies is simply too difficult for any individual to deal with on their own, and a professional trucking accident lawyer will be able to ensure that you get the maximum amount of compensation for your losses.
When it comes to any type of personal injury case, the sooner you are able to get in contact with a lawyer, the better, so be sure to waste as little time as possible before calling.
Contact HoeyLegal Today
Are you a recent victim of a personal injury due to a trucking accident? Are you looking for a Paoli injury lawyer that you can trust to get you the compensation you deserve? Give HoeyLegal a call.
Here at HoeyLegal, we’re proud to be Chester County’s leading personal injury law firm, specializing in everything from car, trucking, and motorcycle accidents to slips and falls, medical malpractice, nursing home negligence, and more.
Our team of legal experts is always here to answer your questions, and we’ll happily take the time to get to know you and your case so that we can tell you more about your best path forward. We even offer free legal consultations so that you never have to pay just to get the legal advice you need to win your case.
Personal Injuries from trucking accidents can be incredibly stressful to deal with, and we believe that no one should have to go through all of that alone. Contact HoeyLegal and get the trusted advocate you need to win your case today!