5 Vital Steps to Take After an Accident with a Semi-Truck
If you have ever had the horrifying experience of being in an auto accident with a semi-truck then you know how dreadful the feeling can be and hopefully you found an 18-wheeler accident attorney. If you’ve never had that particular experience, it will of course still be dreadful and horrifying, however taking these steps can ease your anxiety and ensure that you’ll have at least a somewhat smooth or better yet, a not so horrifying experience.
Table of Contents
Here are 5 vital steps to take after an accident with a semi-truck.
1. Get Medical Attention
If the accident you are involved in calls for any kind of medical attention then you should do this right away. You should make sure you do this first and foremost. Tending to any medical needs first can save you lots of pain and heartache.
2. Don’t Leave The Scene
If you are not seriously injured and you are able to remain at the scene of the accident on your own volition then making sure you and the other party or parties involved remain there is paramount to keeping yourself out of legal trouble and avoiding added points to your driving record. Remember to wait until either police or the first responders tell you it is now okay to vacate the accident scene. However, while staying at the accident scene you should first move to a safe place near where the accident or incident happened.
3. Make The Call
If you happen to be involved in an auto accident that results in personal injury or death, you are required to notify the police. You should do so by calling 911 to give them the details so they can dispatch a police unit to take stock of the scene and collect evidence etc.
4. Take Down The Information
When the police arrive they will take down all of the vital information from both parties and subsequently file a police report. However, you should take down your own information such as the truckers name and contact info. As well as their drivers’ license and license plate number. You should also get the name of the company he or she works for. The insurance number of the trucking company and another important piece of information that the average person would never think about is to get the U.S. Dept. of Transportation serial number.
5. Statements and Photos
A couple last things to mention and remember are to take several photos of the all the motor vehicles involved along with any injuries debris and any other pieces of the scene you think necessary in telling the story of what happened before, during, and after the accident.
Wrapping Up
You should also get statements from witnesses if anybody saw what happened and stopped to help. When you do take down the statements you can choose to write them or do a simple video interview on your phone if the witness or witnesses will let you. Don’t forget to get their contact information as your lawyer will need to get in touch with them at some point.
