Truck accidents can result in serious damage, both physically and emotionally. Some severe ones can even lead to permanent emotional trauma and financial burden for victims and their families. If you have also been a victim of any accident involving a truck or any other heavy vehicle, it is important to know what to do next.
With the right tips and strategies, you can get the right amount of compensation you deserve, as well as protect your rights. Most trucks are commercial vehicles as they are used for intrastate, interstate and commerce transport.
It is a safe operation in most cases however, at times due to carelessness and negligent actions, truck accidents do happen. Below in this article, we will outline the top 4 things you will need to do in the aftermath of being a victim of a truck accident.
How Might It Happen?
There are several reasons due to which a truck accident might take place. In different states of the US, there are several semi tractor trailers and commercial trucks can fill the roads. It is the truck drivers who are responsible to carry out the operations carrying out a safe operation.
Unsafe Speed
Most of the truck drivers follow a speed limit of 70 miles per hour however, at times the drivers do not follow the speed limit. Based on the records, there are 18% of accidents or crashes happening because of the speed limit not being followed.
When accounting road conditions, traffic and weather, the speed limit of 70 is also not safe even though it is the acceptable limit.
Drowsiness And Fatigue of Truck Driver
There are Hours of Service (HOS) regulations which at times many drivers and even truck companies do not follow because of work pressure and need for money. At times, the specific regulations and rules are not observed as the truck accidents might take place because the drivers are probably drowsy and tired.
Fatigue is a common aspect of the truck drivers especially with their work that continues for a long time. This is something that puts situations at higher risk as they might fall asleep while driving leading to truck accidents or crashes.
Distracted Drivers
Truck drivers might get bored as they are driving for a long time hence, they become distracted. There might be a number of distractions such as texting, tablet use, mobile phone use, web browsing, social media browsing and other activities.
As the truck driver texts on the phone or scroll through your social media platforms, it can easily distract them. To take their mind off the boredness, they use their hands and eyes to do something else which can distract them causing an accident.
It is better to avoid emails and text messages when driving trucks especially when the vehicles are so big!
Negligent Truck Repairs And Maintenance
The truck companies and truck drivers maintain log books to document repairs and other activities with the trucks. Anything related to maintenance, repair and inspection is recorded and reported in these log books.
So when there are trucks which are not maintained well or significantly repaired might lead to truck accidents. The people involved in these activities might not be as aware of the changes that need to be implemented thus, leading to unsafe driving!
Prioritize Your Health and Safety
Immediately following a truck accident, your top priority should be your health and safety, as well as the safety of others involved. If you or anyone else is injured, get medical attention as soon as possible. You should go through any medical evaluation even if you feel that the injury from the truck accident is serious enough.
There are injuries from truck accidents which might not affect you immediately but might be a problem later. Getting medical attention right away will help you find the right treatment for your injuries. You might try to avoid any future harm or injury if there is oncoming traffic hence, try to move to somewhere safer!
In case you’re unable to move, turn on your hazard lights and use other signs of help to alert other drivers to the accident scene.
Report the Accident
After ensuring your safety, the first thing you will need to do is report the truck accident to the appropriate authorities. Call 911 to notify law enforcement and request medical assistance if needed. When the police arrive, provide them with detailed information about the accident.
This will include the exact location, vehicles involved, and any injuries sustained. Be honest and cooperative, but avoid admitting fault or making false statements about the cause of the accident.
In addition to reporting the accident to the police, you will also need to notify your insurance company as soon as possible. Provide them with the necessary information about the accident, but don’t sign any documents without consulting with a legal professional first.
Collect Evidence
If you want to build a strong case, you will need to collect evidence at the accident scene. This is especially important if you want to pursue legal action against the negligent party. To collect the evidence, take photographs of the accident scene, including the vehicles involved, any visible injuries, skid marks, road signs, and traffic conditions.
If there were witnesses to the accident, obtain their contact information and ask them to provide a statement to corroborate your account of what happened.
Get Legal Representation
You cannot go through the legal complexities of a truck accident on your own. These things can be really difficult and can get you overwhelmed. To pursue these things in the right way, you will need to hire an experienced truck accident attorney in your area.
For example, if the accident occurred in Houston, you will need to hire a reputed attorney from a Houston trucking accident law firm. They will be well aware of the local laws and can provide you with the right guidance to receive the compensation you deserve.
Conclusion
After learning the 4 ways in which you deal with the truck accident, you should be more aware of the ways in which you can be better equipped! This is not because we think you might have an accident but to make you more aware of the ways in which you can manage the conditions in a crisis situation.
The carelessness and negligence part of these accidents might help you to understand how important it is to be responsible. It is also significant for people involved to learn about secure compensation for the victims involved!
Comment on what you think can be done to deal with the overall accidents, dealing with victims along with their families.
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