When a passenger vehicle is struck by or strikes a truck, catastrophic injuries are all too common. Even when a driver does everything they can to avoid a truck accident, nothing can prevent 100% of accidents. If you are in the unfortunate situation of being the victim of a truck accident, keep reading to learn what steps you can take to protect yourself afterward – and remember to contact Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas at 909-982-0707 for a free legal consultation.
Get Immediate Medical Care
It does not matter if the accident seems relatively minor, you should call for emergency help. Calling 911 alerts the police and medical services. If you have any visible or obvious injury, you should be taken to the nearest medical facility. Even if you decide that this is not necessary, you should still visit a medical professional soon after. You might be surprised to learn about the injuries that can show up with no warning days or weeks later.
If you choose not to get medical care, you could end up hurting your own case – and your own body. It is much harder to prove an injury in a personal injury case if you have waited days, weeks, or months to get medical care. Not only does this look as though the injury was not serious, but it is harder to prove that the injury was the result of the accident.
Gather Information
If it is safe to do so at the scene of the accident, gather information from others involves. You should get the name, contact information, and insurance information of the other driver involved. You can also get information from any witnesses. Take photos and videos with your phone. You can document the scene of the crash, the license plate numbers of those involved, and the damage done to all vehicles.
Contact a Personal Injury Attorney
You might think that your next step is to contact your insurance company, but we actually recommend calling a personal injury attorney first if you have suffered from any injury. Why? Because anything you say to an insurance adjuster can be used against you. This might seem to not apply if you know that you were not at fault, but remember that it might come down to your word against someone else’s.
When you have an attorney on your side from the beginning, we will have optimal access to the evidence, we will be able to help you avoid common pitfalls that you might experience with the insurance company, and we can help work toward the best possible outcome for you. Call Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas at 909-982-0707 now if you require a free legal consultation with an attorney.
