Almost everyone who rides or drives in a small car can be involved in an accident. Fortunately, most auto car accidents are minor – sideswipe collisions, rear-end accidents, and fender benders – and don’t lead to fatalities or serious injuries.
However, everything can easily change when you get involved in a fatal truck accident. Usually, truck accidents are more likely to lead to severe injuries. Ideally, the impacts that truck accidents cause are around 20 times more than many small cars.
So, if you get involved in a truck accident in California, take your time to analyze your next move. Some of the steps you will need to take may include the following:
1. Get Medical Care
If your injuries seem minor, you must schedule an appointment with a doctor. You could be suffering from an internal injury that only a medical doctor may diagnose. In addition, not every injury shows symptoms immediately, but a medical doctor will detect them early enough.
Waiting until signs and symptoms start appearing may enable the other party’s insurer to claim that your injuries happened because of another accident. So, seeking medical attention following a truck accident is important for your health and case.
2. Contact a Truck Accident Lawyer
Talking to a professional California truck accident attorney with enough experience to represent your case is a great idea. When talking to the truck driver’s insurance companies, a lawyer will advise you on what to say and what not to do.
Getting the best attorney from the state will help you in the long term in case you want to negotiate a better settlement and file a claim for your injuries and damages.
3. Dial 911
One of the first steps you need to take following a fatal truck accident in California is to dial 911 and ask for help. When police officers arrive, give a clearer account of every event that led to the accident.
You also need to ask for a copy of the police report. While a police report is hardly accepted as evidence in the courtroom, it usually has helpful information, which can help in investigations.
4. File a Report with the DMV
The state requires every party to submit their report to the DMV (Department of Vehicles) within ten days following an accident. People who have sustained injuries or suffered death with some physical damages amounting to exactly $1,000 and above need to file a DMV report. You can also ask your trusted insurance agent or attorney to submit a DMV report on your behalf.
5. Gather Evidence
If there is no immediate medical concern, you need to collect and gather the necessary evidence to help your chance of building a strong claim and case against the party at fault. This may include police reports, personal information of the at-fault party, witness statements, photographs, etc.
Accidents involving commercial trucks can be dealt with like other forms of accidents. Insurers will use their high-powered attorneys, influence, and resources to fight your personal injury claim because they risk losing a lot if they don’t succeed. This is why it is crucial to enlist the services of a truck accident lawyer in the state to help you.
