Legal facts transport businesses should know about truck-related accidents
Photo by cottonbro
Unfortunately, truck accidents are not as rare as some may think. Companies must prepare their drivers for these types of occurrences. Having a plan in place is typically the best thing your business can do to keep them safe.
Besides that, an accident response plan is another thing that can help your firm investigate the root cause of the collision so you can develop policies to avoid these types of events in the future.
Generally speaking, any type of road accident can be very disturbing, and it would be advisable to get yourself familiar with the steps you must take after one happens. Below we’ll tell you exactly what to do.
Important steps trucking employees must take after a crash
First make sure you’re okay
After being in a heavy-duty truck accident, the first thing that you must do is to execute a self-examination to see whether you’ve sustained any injuries. If you notice that you’ve been injured and/or bleeding, it’s essential to call the police or emergency medical service.
If the driver is incapable of doing that, then another passenger or co-driver should do it instead. If you conclude that you or any other passenger is injured, don’t move and just wait for medical staff to arrive.
It doesn’t matter if you’ve gone through a minor fender bender, or something more serious, medical help mustn’t be ignored or postponed. Even if you do not see any visible injuries, there’s always a chance that you have suffered internal injuries or contusions, hence it’s crucial to get adequate medical help.
Don’t forget to call a truck accident advocate
The good news is the fact that a lot of truck accident solicitors work for a contingency fee. What does it mean? It means that in most cases, a personal injury attorney will not ask you to pay anything upfront unless you win the case. In these instances, payment is completely contingent on the success of the case.
To make things clearer, a lawyer is not going to receive any money, unless you receive it first. Furthermore, legal fees are taken from a percentage of a final settlement reward. In terms of percentage, that’s something that you’ll discuss with an advocate during the initial consultation.
Gathering information at the scene
If a driver feels relatively fine, he or she should gather information at the scene that might be helpful to the police and attorney. At first glance, a vast majority of people think that minor incidents of this kind are benign, but what’s interesting is the fact that they can actually be a lot more serious than you may think.
That’s why it’s of huge importance to collect as much information as possible. What’s the most essential thing to gather?
- Names, contact info, and addresses of both victims and witnesses, including insurance policy information
- Description of every vehicle involved (model, make, VIN/license numbers)
- Information regarding property damage and/or injuries
- Information about tow trucks, police department, and ambulance service
- Crash description, including location and time
- Weather, road, and lighting conditions
Let’s not forget pictures & videos as well!
If it’s safe to execute this, a driver can take pictures and record videos of the scene as well. Besides taking pictures of the damage itself, photographs of the traffic signals, roadway, and signs can also be very beneficial.
Bear in mind that images can offer info on potential witnesses or things that have potentially caused the crash, like overgrown hedges and/or malfunctioning traffic lights. Photo/video of the scene:
- Vehicle positions before they are moved
- Both close-up shots and mid-range shots from every angle
- Signals and signage
- Surroundings and approach
- Skid marks and debris
- License plates (these can help identify the owners)
Document your medical treatment
Photo by Gustavo Fring
If you receive medical attention to heal the injuries that were caused by the crash, then you should jot down the dates, names, and specialties of any physicians, chiropractors, and specialized medical practitioners that are helping you recover faster.
Don’t forget that you’re supposed to keep an extensive record of any medicines or treatments that you are receiving. Additionally, you should keep copies of every single medical report and bill too.
Why is this important? Well, that’s because these files will prove your medical costs later. Luckily, these things are generally very simple to record and are very essential for your case.
Sadly, these types of accidents can frequently cause catastrophic damages, which is why it’s of huge importance to know how to react if you’ve been involved. We hope that this information here has made things a bit clearer.
