Steps to Take After a Truck Accident
Utah’s strategic location in the center of the western United States makes its roadways a vital portion of the trucking industry. Although trucking is crucial to the country’s supply chain, it also means that Utah’s roadways are crowded with large commercial trucks that outweigh standard family cars by as much as 76,000 pounds when fully loaded. Truck accidents cause far more injuries to other motorists than to the truck driver. After an accident involving a large commercial truck, it’s important to know what to do to protect yourself physically and financially.
Contact a truck accident attorney in Salt Lake City today — call (385) 404-6398.
Steps to Take at the Scene of a Truck Accident In Utah
The aftermath of a truck accident is chaotic and frightening, especially for those who’ve suffered serious injuries or when fatalities are involved. Although a truck accident victim may be too gravely injured (spinal cord damage, head trauma, etc…) to take any actions on their own behalf, sometimes a truck accident victim can use their phone safely at the scene to take purposeful action to protect their physical and financial future. When possible, use a cell phone at a truck accident scene to do the following:
- First, call 911 to report the accident and apply emergency first aid
- Then, use the phone’s camera to snap photos of the damaged vehicles, including the truck’s identifying information
- Take photos of the accident scene and anything relevant to the accident’s cause, such as traffic signs, signal lights, and skid marks
- Photograph any visible injuries
- Add the driver’s contact information to your phone
- Add the contact information of any nearby eyewitnesses who saw the accident
Eyewitnesses are often the key to proving fault and liability after a truck accident, particularly in areas lacking traffic cameras or nearby security cameras.
Steps to Take During the Days After a Truck Accident
It’s always best to go directly to a hospital from the accident scene, even if you feel that you aren’t seriously injured. Some injuries, such as whiplash, internal organ injuries, and traumatic brain injuries, can take hours or days to develop symptoms. Going directly to a hospital in an ambulance or by arranging transportation ensures that you receive emergency treatment and also provides evidence that your injuries occurred in the accident and nowhere else.
At the hospital, ask for a full medical evaluation as well as treatment for obvious emergency injuries. Then, do the following:
- Obtain a detailed copy of the doctor’s medical report, listing every injury, the doctor’s treatment recommendations, and the prognosis for your recovery
- Be sure to carefully follow your doctor’s treatment plan, attend every appointment, and fill all prescriptions
- Report the accident to your insurance company within the timeline specified in your policy
- Obtain a copy of the accident report
- Contact an experienced Salt Lake City personal injury lawyer
Never accept an early settlement offer by the trucking company’s insurer. These are almost always lowball settlements intentionally offered before you know the true scope of your injury damages. It’s never a good idea to speak directly to the at-fault party or their insurance company, especially on recorded lines. Instead, hire a truck accident lawyer and direct the insurance company to speak only to your attorney.
During the weeks and months after the accident, it’s always best to avoid posting about the accident or your injuries on social media. Insurance companies protect their profits at the injury victim’s expense and often take recorded phone calls and social media posts out of context to use against the accident victim in an attempt to deny claims or shift liability to the victim. A skilled attorney protects their client against powerful trucking companies and their insurance providers.