Trucks are enormous, heavy, and fast. It is no wonder that truck accidents often leave other drivers badly injured and in need of emergency help. If you were involved in such an accident, call a lawyer to talk about getting compensation.
After a truck accident, there are certain things you should do to get help and certain things you should avoid to protect your best interests. Talk about what you did and did not do with your lawyer. They can help you prepare to claim fair compensation. Numerous parties might be responsible for the accident, even parties who were not present when the accident occurred. Truck drivers, other drivers, and even trucking companies might be liable to pay you compensation. To get compensation, you need evidence of the accident. Photos from the scene, witnesses, security cameras, and logs and records from the truck driver might all play vital roles.
Call Howe Law at (844) 876-4357 and our truck accident lawyers can schedule a free case evaluation to begin your claim.
What You Should and Should Not Do After a Johnson City, TN Truck Accident
Truck accidents are rarely minor, and feeling overwhelmed and losing your grip can be easy. Above all things, you must remain calm and call for help if you can. While waiting for help to arrive, you should try to take certain steps while avoiding others. Talk to your lawyer and let them know everything you did or did not do so they can begin preparing your case.
What to Do
One of the first things you should do is document the accident scene. If you have a camera, take photos and record videos of the crash. Photos of the vehicles, people involved, surrounding area, tire marks on the road, road signs, and more might be crucial to your case. If you cannot take any pictures or videos, you can at least try and commit important details to memory. You will likely be interviewed by the police later, and a detailed recollection of the accident may be key to your official statement.
You should also exchange information with the truck driver who caused the accident and with various other drivers, passengers, and passersby. While there is a good chance the truck driver played a role in causing the accident, other drivers might share responsibility. You should try to get as many names and contact information as possible. People who are not implicated in the accident might be important witnesses.
What Not to Do
You should avoid doing certain things immediately after the accident to protect your legal interests later. One thing to avoid is apologizing or saying something that might be misconstrued as an admission of fault. This might seem rude at the moment, but even an apology might be weaponized against you. An insurance company might try to claim you would not apologize if you did nothing wrong. An apology could cost you compensation.
Another important thing to avoid is panic or becoming hostile to other drivers at the accident scene. Being in a truck accident can be very scary, and people respond to this intense fear and stress differently. If you panic, you might not get the help you need as quickly as you need it. If you become hostile to other drivers, even if they were responsible for the crash, they might be less willing to cooperate later, and your case against them might be harder.
Perhaps one of the biggest rules to take heed of is to avoid leaving the accident scene. Unless you have spoken to the police or are being transported to a hospital, you should remain at the accident scene. Leaving before the police arrive might be considered a hit and run. Even if you did not cause the accident, leaving the scene before the authorities get there might be a major complication in your case.
People You Should Include in a Truck Accident Case in Johnson City, TN
Truck accidents are often large-scale events involving many drivers, passengers, and pedestrians. While it is easy to point the finger of blame at only the truck driver, others might be at fault, too. Our truck accident attorneys can help you determine who should be held liable before you begin your case.
Truck drivers are often the primary defendants in these kinds of cases. Trucker negligence is a major factor in truck crashes. For example, the trucker might have fallen asleep at the wheel after driving for hours without a rest. They might have been speeding on wet roads. They could have been intoxicated. In many cases, a trucker’s negligence is at the heart of the accident, and they should be included in your case.
Injured drivers might not realize it at the time of the accident, but the trucking company that hired the truck driver may be held responsible for the crash. Often, employers can be held vicariously liable for injuries and damages caused by an employee’s negligence when the employee is acting within the scope of their job. The trucking company might also be responsible in more direct ways. For example, they might have required the driver to drive dangerously long hours without resting, leading to the trucker to doze off and crash.
Where to Get Evidence for a Truck Accident Case in Johnson City, TN
As mentioned earlier, you might have already begun collecting evidence at the accident scene. In addition to photos and videos from the crash, your attorney can help you obtain other important pieces of evidence.
Security or traffic cameras might be nearby, and they might have recorded the accident. If these videos exist, obtaining them as soon as possible is best. Security and traffic camera footage is regularly deleted if nobody comes forward to claim it.
We can also use various trucking and business records from the truck driver and their employer. For example, the trucker might have kept logs of their travels. Details about how long they were on the road and when was their last rest might be written down. We might also obtain records from the trucking company revealing dangerous business practices, like rules that keep drivers on the road for too long without breaks.
Many trucks are equipped with event data recorders (EDRs), or black box devices. These devices record bits of data about the trucker’s journey. Details about speed, the duration of trips, braking, and stops might all be recorded by the EDR. This data might shed light on the driver’s actions leading up to the accident.
Contact Our Johnson City, TN Truck Accident Lawyers for Help Now
Contact us at Howe Law by calling (844) 876-4357, and our truck accident attorneys can arrange a free case assessment to begin your claim.
