6 Ways to Protect Your Rights after a Truck Accident

Truck accidents, unlike other forms of accidents, are quite complicated, and in most cases, fatal.

When seeking compensation for truck accidents, you'll realize that the process is even more sophisticated as you'll have to deal with the truck driver, trucking company, and the insurance.

To ensure that you are not stuck at footing someone else's bill, you must protect your rights after a truck accident.

With that said, here are some of the ways to protect your rights after a truck accident.

Gather Information at the Scene

Often, truck accidents are gruesome, and normally leave victims with severe and life-threatening injuries.

Whatever happens, your well-being should be the priority, and so, you should seek immediate medical attention.

Otherwise, if you can stay at the scene long enough, here's what you can do to collect information;

• Take pictures of the scene, including that of the wrecked truck.

• Call the police to report the accident.

• Exchange contacts with the truck driver

• If possible, get contacts of the trucking company insurance.

• Talk and gather information form the witness

The more data you collect from the scene, the better, and it will help you and your lawyer in building a strong case.

Don't Accept Fault

Instinctively, humans are wired to say sorry or be apologetic after something bad such as an accident, happens.

However, in a truck accident, you would want to be extremely careful about what comes from your mouth.

Sometimes, you might be unknowingly incriminating yourself.

And in most cases, at-fault insurance will be looking for ways to reduce compensation, so you would not want anything misconstrued as admitting fault.

Ideally, you should stick to the act, and after reporting the accident, avoid too much contact or communication.

Call your Attorney

After calling the police and collecting the basic information, the other crucial step is to call your attorney.

Regardless of the magnitude of the accident, it's crucial to have an accident by your side.

Attorneys understand the complexity of truck accidents, and they'll help you to pursue an air settlement.

However, understand that time is of the essence after a truck accident or any accident for that matter.

In Los Angeles, for instance, you have two years from the date of the accident to the time you file your injury claim.

If you try filing a claim after that, you'll not get any compensation, but fortunately, Los Angeles truck accident lawyers near me can expedite that filing process.

Get Medical Attention

If you didn't receive treatment right after the accident, you need to quickly because there's a likelihood that injuries can worsen.

If anything, they are more often serious than they might seem.

Away from treating your injuries, seeking medical care is also a critical part of securing your rights since their report can be used during the compensation process.

The medical practitioner will create a record of your injuries, which they can use to show to the insurance company that you were seriously injured.

If you wait for too long or fail to visit a doctor, the insurance might claim you're not as badly hurt as you claim to be, and this can greatly reduce your compensation.

Keep Track of All Expenses

Accidents are expensive for victims, and you're likely to incur losses like:

• Medical bills

• Prescriptions

• Lost wages

• Loss of earning

• Pain and suffering (non-economic damages)

Therefore, you need to keep track of all these expenses; don't discard any bills, receipts, or quotes relative to the accident, as you'll use them for filing compensation.

Don't Accept First Settlement Offer

It's normal for insurance to under-quote your compensation in a bid to pay less.

Now, even if the quote sounds like a great offer, don't accept the first offer, as it's more likely to be a lowball settlement.

Instead, talk to your lawyer, and don't sign, accept money or make any recorded statement.

Otherwise, you might just give away all your legal rights.