Due to the sheer mass of a commercial truck, accidents involving trucks are often catastrophic, especially for the drivers and passengers of any other standard-sized vehicles involved in the accident. If you or someone you love is injured in a truck accident, you may be entitled to compensation for damages caused by the negligence of the commercial truck driver, the trucking company, or the truck’s manufacturer.
Here are a few important steps to take if you are ever involved in a truck accident in Florida.
Get Medical Attention
If you are involved in a truck accident, it’s likely to have been a serious accident. Even if you think you weren’t injured or believe that your injuries are minor, it is absolutely critical that you seek out medical attention at the scene or at a hospital immediately after an accident. If you are able, call 911 to ensure that police and ambulance services are dispatched to the scene.
There are many injuries that may not be readily apparent in the immediate aftermath of an accident. Not only could those injuries pose a serious danger to your health and life, but you must have a medical record connecting your injuries to the accident if you later want to file a personal injury claim. Otherwise, the insurance company could claim that your injuries are a result of something else other than the accident.
Gather Evidence
If you are able to do so, you should collect insurance information for everyone involved. You should also take photographs and video footage of the scene, which could help to provide evidence to support your personal injury claim. If you can, take pictures of the following:
- All vehicles involved from multiple angles
- Any traffic control signs, lights, or intersections involved
- Video that shows the weather at the time of the accident
If you can’t acquire that information due to your injuries, you can ask a friend or attorney to go to the scene to gather photos on your behalf as soon as possible following the accident.
You should also write down your own recollections of the accident to preserve your own memory. Often people’s memories of stressful moments erode over time, so preserving them in this way can help ensure that they exist to support your personal injury claim.
Contact a Reputable Truck Accident Attorney
Whatever you do, try to avoid speaking with the insurance company on your own. The insurance company is going to want to resolve the situation while incurring as little expense as possible. A knowledgeable truck accident attorney can help you understand to what damages you may be entitled.
At Mitchell & West, LLC, our experienced personal injury attorneys understand that being involved in a truck accident can be an immensely frightening experience that can result in devastating injuries. We are dedicated to helping you pursue the compensation you deserve in the aftermath of an accident.
If you or a loved one has been involved in a commercial truck accident, contact us online or call us at (305) 783-3301 to schedule a consultation.