Recovering Damages from a Truck Accident

It is always nerve-racking when you are driving and a large commercial semi-truck rushes past, making it feel as though they might blow your car right off the road. Semi-trucks are vital for our economy – however, that doesn’t make it any less scary when they have to drive near you.

The average 18-wheeler semi is 25 times heavier than a car, which means the impact of one of these can cause serious damage and often leads to fatalities. According to Legalinfo.com, approximately 500,000 trucking accidents happen every year. Out of this number, nearly 5,000 end in fatalities.  Generally the fatality is not the truck driver, but rather the driver of the other vehicle. 

If you are unfortunate enough to be involved in an accident with one of these large trucks in the future, there are several important steps you need to follow:

• Call the police immediately!  Make certain that there is a written report of exactly what happened.  Be careful what you say to the police though.  Obviously you need to cooperate, but don’t admit any fault on your part.

• Seek medical attention quickly!  Visit a medical professional as soon as possible, even if you are feeling okay at the time of the accident. Because of the initial shock, people often don’t realize they were injured right away. It may not be until much later that the symptoms become apparent. See your doctor to be sure.

• Never leave the scene.  Abandoning the scene of an accident you were involved in can be a criminal offense.

• Don’t move anything.  Wait until the police get there and write their report.  Keep things exactly the way they were at the time of the accident.

• Take notes. Write down all tag numbers and information of the trucks and everyone involved.

• Take photos of the scene. The more visual documentation the better.

• Call your insurance company right away.

• Consult any witnesses about what they saw happen. Also, be sure to get their names and contact information.

• Contact a local truck accident attorney for help and guidance through this tough situation.

Why is an attorney necessary?

Truck accidents are notoriously difficult to resolve – even trickier than car accidents.  There are so many details to iron out such as who is at fault and what are the damages. You also have to determine who to sue: the truck driver, the trucking company, or a third party driver?

The trucking company will certainly be sending out experts, so you want to make certain you have an expert on your side too. A lawyer with experience in these types of cases will be able to read contracts carefully and understand all of the language. They will also be able to discern whom the trucker was working for and what the procedure should be in order to have a viable case.

Final Thoughts

Be safe on the roads and always be on guard, especially for large trucks that may be driving out of control. A truck driver’s job can be grueling and unfortunately most accidents are caused by a driver falling asleep behind the wheel, carrying too heavy of a load, going too fast trying to reach a destination, or intoxication.

Learn more about the 7 Common Causes of Trucking Accidents in our Legal Resource Center.

If you or a family member have been injured by a truck accident—either financially or physically—and you are in need of legal assistance, please contact Denver attorney Mack Babcock for a free consultation.

Disclaimer

While the Babcock Law Firm tirelessly works to obtain successful outcomes for its clients, prior positive outcomes are no guarantee of future success. Indicating prior positive results is in no way intended to guarantee future results.