How to Protect Your Rights After a Truck Accident

Any kind of accident is a stressful and challenging situation, but what if your vehicle is also your livelihood? For many truck drivers, damage to their truck is just as bad as an injury to their body. In many cases,

Be Careful What You Say

If you are not careful, saying the wrong thing can ruin your chances of a favorable outcome or even forfeit some of your rights. Even in the heat of the moment, right after an accident, you could accidentally admit to fault for the collision if you misspeak.

Take your time and think through the events leading up to and during your truck accident. If you recount the story with mistakes, your case will be weakened, or you could even be unfairly blamed. A lawyer can help you avoid keywords and phrases that hold extra meaning in the eyes of the law. Even a simple, reflexive apology can make you seem like the source of the problem.

If you are asked to give a statement by anyone involved, speak extremely generally and stick to broad, indisputable facts. You may want to secure legal help even before this step and certainly before you issue any detailed statements.

Document Everything

As in any car accident, documentation will be a lifesaver. Gather the contact information, including the insurance provider and driver’s license, of everyone involved in the collision. Getting the name and badge number of the responding police officer can also help if legal action is required. Talk to other third-party witnesses and get their contact information in case you need a statement later.

If you did not receive medical care at the scene of the accident and feel it may at any point be necessary, go that same day. The sooner you can start a paper trail for any sustained injury, the better. Insurance companies may argue claims for visits to the doctor taken days later.

Determine Liability

If your truck accident is not a straightforward collision or the other person involved is trying to avoid responsibility, the question of who is at-fault can be a major hurdle. A truck accident attorney can generally help determine who is liable for the accident by pulling on their experience with other cases.

If it turns out you may be liable for the accident, an attorney can also help you minimize your financial exposure and get back to the open road quicker. They will know what others expect from you and how to best handle each request, whether it is from the police, an insurance company, or your employer.

Insurance companies will try anything to avoid issuing large payouts, and expense long-haul trucks are no exception. Either you or the company that employs you has invested a considerable amount of money into your rig, so you should expect scrutiny at every stage of the process.

Liability is complex, and sometimes neither driver is at fault. The liable party may even be the manufacturer of a faulty vehicle part or the local municipality that is supposed to take care of the roads.

Contact Your Insurance Provider

File a claim with your insurance provider as soon as possible. Even if they need to wait on the other driver’s insurance claim, they will appreciate being kept in the loop and can help you determine all the proof and paperwork they will need. The longer you wait on this, the more difficult it will become.

Legal Action, If Necessary

Even if you do everything else correctly, sometimes legal action is still the only way to be compensated for damage or an injury. Sometimes the other driver is simply uninsured or underinsured, and you will have to take them to court for the cost of your medical care and truck repairs.

An attorney can assist you throughout this entire process, not just when legal action is required. Take care to protect your rights and assets, so you can return to driving as soon as possible.

About the Author

Samantha Alvord is a legal expert and a passionate writer who works tirelessly to inform people about the field of personal injury, her area of specialty. She has a talent for making complex legal concepts accessible to the public. It is Samantha’s goal to present a clear and structured piece to the reader, which can easily be used as a guide to solving legal matters.