5 Important Steps to Take after an 18-Wheeler Injury Accident

5 Important Steps to Take after an 18-Wheeler Injury Accident

As the dust settles after an 18-wheeler wreck, the steps you take can substantially impact both your physical and financial recovery. To help you avoid any missteps that could derail or upset your recovery, below, we have uncovered the 5 most important things to do after an 18-wheeler truck crash.

1. Call 911.

This is the single best way to assure that emergency responders and law enforcement officers respond to the scene to help the injured, investigate the wreck, and remove the debris. After calling 911, it’s important to:

• Remain at the scene until officers give you the green light to leave – Leaving before this can raise questions about your potential fault in the wreck and/or result in hit-and-run charges.
• Get out of the way of traffic while you wait for officers and other personnel – Move to a safe place, like the shoulder of a road. Also, it’s generally best to try to leave the vehicles and wreckage where the accident has left them so photos can be taken and police can carry out their investigation.

2. Get Medical Attention.

Let emergency medical technicians (EMTs) check you out at the accident scene, and/or have your physician check you out as soon as possible after the crash. Getting medical attention after an 18-wheeler wreck is critical for a few reasons. Specifically, medical attention is critical to:

• Diagnosing and immediately treating the crash-related injuries
• Creating records of the physical injuries caused by the crash
• Preventing insurance companies (or others) from alleging that the injuries were caused by an incident other than the wreck.

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3. Obtain Identifying Information for the Involved Parties.

Gather the name(s), contact information, and driver/auto insurance information from all others who were a party to the crash. Also, try to collect the name(s) and contact information for any witnesses to the crash.

Here, please be aware that, if you need to be immediately transported to a hospital due to your injuries (and you are, therefore, unable to gather this information at the accident scene), you can and should request a copy of the official police report for the accident.

This report can include all types of essential information and potential evidence. In fact, in addition to containing the identifying information for the involved parties and any accident witnesses, the police accident report can include details like (but not limited to):

• Whether any involved party was cited or arrested after the crash
• The statements witnesses made after the accident
• The nature of the damage police observed in the immediate aftermath of the wreck
• Investigators’ findings and determination regarding fault for the accident.

If your wreck occurred in Texas, here is where you can find and request the official police report for your crash.

4. Collect Photographic Evidence.

If possible, try to take as many pictures as you can of the accident scene, the damage to the involved vehicles, the road conditions, and/or damage to surrounding features (like guardrails, signage, etc.). Accident scene pictures can be important pieces of evidence when it comes to determining factors like (but not exclusive to):

• The point(s) of impact
• The at-fault parties
• The extent of the damage caused by the wreck.

5. Consult an Experienced 18-Wheeler Truck Accident Lawyer.

An experienced truck wreck attorney can help you:

• Determine who is liable for the crash
• Hold all at-fault parties accountable
• Gather all essential evidence in order to build and present the strongest possible claim
• Position your claim for any possible recovery.

With a trusted trucking accident lawyer at the Amaro Law Firm on your side, you can:

• Focus on getting medical treatments and working on your physical recovery
• Be confident that you have exceptional, dedicated allies in your corner doing everything necessary to help you successfully resolve your claim and financially recover.

Get Essential Answers & Advocacy: Contact a Truck AccidentAttorney at the Amaro Law Firm

If you or a loved one has been harmed in any type of trucking wreck, an experienced truck accident attorney at the Amaro Law Firm is ready to provide you with superior advocacy in the pursuit of justice and compensation. We represent motorists, commercial truck drivers, and others in all types of truck accident claims.

Call 1-866-445-5645 or Contact Our Firm for your FREE, confidential, no obligations consultation.

During your case evaluation, we will review your situation, answer your questions, and explain your legal options. Free virtual and mobile consultations are available to anyone who cannot visit our offices.

The Amaro Law Firm is proud to provide truck accident survivors with the highest quality representation so they can obtain the full compensation they deserve for their injuries, suffering, and losses. Our outstanding record of success in truck accident cases has earned us exceptional testimonials from former clients and 5-star ratings on Google and Facebook.