Undefeated Texas Truck and 18 Wheeler Accident Lawyers
If you were injured or a loved one was tragically killed in a a truck or 18-wheeler accident, you might be feeling overwhelmed and unsure of what to do next.
Unfortunately, time is not on your side and waiting too long or hiring an inexperienced Truck Accident Lawyer could make the difference between a $100,000 recovery and a $5,000,000 recovery.
What you do in the hours, days, and weeks following the wreck will determine whether the trucking company is held responsible, whether you recover thousands or millions of dollars for your losses, and the quality of medical treatment you receive now and in the future.
To ensure that you’ll be fully compensated for all of your injuries and losses, it’s important that you avoid the biggest mistakes accident victims typically make after a truck or 18-wheeler accident.
Failing to Report the Accident to the Police
The police need to be notified after any serious crash, especially one caused by a big truck or another commercial vehicle. But sometimes, victims don’t immediately recognize the severity of the crash or are convinced by another party to leave the scene without calling 911.
Once the police arrive, they’ll start collecting evidence for a written accident report. If you decide to pursue a case against the trucking company and its insurer, that report will be extremely helpful in tracking down witnesses, determining how the crash occurred and who was at fault, and in identifying important evidence.
Failing to Get Information and Gather Evidence at the Crash Scene
Because of the shock and adrenaline after a crash, many victims fail to take down important information and record evidence that could be crucial to their case.
If you’re able and it’s safe to do so, you should try to take photos and videos of the accident site, including damage to all vehicles, any skid marks, lighting and traffic signals, and road conditions. You should also write down information from others involved in the crash and any witnesses, including:
- Names and Contact Information;
- Name of the Trucking Company;
- Truck Drivers License and Insurance Information; and
- Truck’s License Plate and DOT Numbers.
This is probably the only chance you’ll have to capture images and gather evidence from the scene. Take as many photos and videos as you can, even if something appears insignificant. Later, your attorney can go over the evidence you’ve collected to determine what is important to your case.
Failing to Seek Medical Attention
Because 18-wheelers and other commercial trucks are so much larger and heavier than typical passenger vehicles, occupants of cars, SUVs, and minivans are far more likely to suffer severe injuries in the event of a crash.
Major injuries may not be apparent for hours or days – especially when your adrenaline is pumping in the accident’s immediate aftermath. And even seemingly minor injuries can be the first sign that something is seriously wrong.
The fact is, it’s important to get checked out at the emergency room or by EMTs right after the accident, even if you don’t believe you’re injured. Not only will this ensure you receive appropriate and timely treatment, but it also guarantees that the exact nature and extent of your injuries are fully documented at the earliest opportunity. Those medical records will be extremely helpful if the trucking company and its insurer later attempt to claim you’re uninjured or trivialize the severity of your injuries.
Failing to Follow Medical Advice and Treatment Plans
It can be tempting to ignore medical advice and skip appointments for treatments and therapies once you start feeling better. But doing so could not only jeopardize your health, but also prevent you from obtaining the maximum compensation possible from the trucking company, which will be looking for any excuse to avoid responsibility and pay you as little as possible.
Talking too Much and Speculating About Fault
After an accident, you should absolutely collect the names and addresses of all witnesses and drivers involved, as well as their drivers’ license and insurance information. But any conversations you have with others at the crash scene should be entirely focused on obtaining that information. And while you should give a statement to the police if requested, you need to stick to the facts and only the facts.
Always remember that the trucking company and its insurer are only interested in blaming you for the crash to avoid paying full compensation for all of your injuries and losses. Now is not the time to speculate – or admit – fault, even if you think you contributed to the accident.
Failing to Notify Your Insurance Company
If you’re certain that you weren’t to blame for the crash, you might not think it necessary to notify your insurance company. But nothing could be further from the truth.
The fact is, failing to contact your insurer could result in a detail of coverage that would prevent you from receiving PIP, Med-Pay, and other benefits that could otherwise be used to help cover your medical bills and other expenses.
Assuming the Trucking Company’s Insurance Adjuster is Here to Help
Shortly after the accident, you’re going to get a call from the trucking company’s claims adjuster promising to help and “make things right.”
DO NOT TAKE THEM AT THEIR WORD!
They are only interested in paying you and your family as little as possible and are looking for any reason to downplay your injuries and blame you for the accident. Anything you say will absolutely be used against you.
You don’t have to talk with the adjuster or anyone representing the trucking company or its insurer. You’re also under no obligation to sign anything or give the insurance company a recorded statement. More importantly, it’s in your best interest not to do so.
Failing to Keep Adequate Records
Financial losses generally make up a large portion of compensation awarded to victims after a truck or 18-wheeler accident. To ensure you’re compensated for all of your losses, you must save every receipt related to your out-of-pocket medical expenses, including physician co-pays and bills for hospital stays, physical therapy and rehab, prescription drugs, and medical equipment.
Agreeing to an Inadequate Settlement Offering
Within a few weeks or months of the accident, you’ll probably receive a settlement letter from the trucking company’s insurance carrier. Once you sign that letter, you’ve agreed to accept the settlement and waive your right to file a lawsuit in the future.
An initial settlement offer from the insurance company is seldom enough to cover all of a truck accident victim’s injuries and losses. In fact, sometimes, the offer barely covers damages to their vehicle and the medical bills accumulated right after the crash. If you’ve suffered injuries that require ongoing treatment and prevent you from earning a living, it’s highly doubtful that the settlement offer comes close to compensating you for future medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages.
Under no circumstances should you agree to settle your case without first having the offer reviewed by an Experienced Truck Accident Lawyer with a record of winning against the largest trucking companies in the world, both in and out of the courtroom.
Failing to Hire an Experienced Truck Accident Attorney
Truck and 18-wheeler accidents are nothing like a typical car crash.
Because they’re so much more likely to result in serious or fatal injuries, the verdicts and settlements awarded to victims and their families tend to be much larger and frequently break records. With MILLIONS of dollars at stake, you can be sure the trucking company and its attorneys will do almost anything to avoid paying you and your family what you’re owed, even if that means destroying or losing logbooks and other critical evidence showing their driver was at fault, downplaying your injuries, and blaming you for the crash.
To avoid mistakes that could greatly reduce your recovery and prevent you from receiving the medical care that you need now or in the future, it’s CRITICAL that you contact an Experienced Truck Accident Lawyer as soon after the crash as possible.
An experienced truck and 18 wheeler accident lawyer will know how to address and defeat the insurance company’s tactics, locate and preserve vital evidence, and ensure that you recover the maximum recovery possible for your injuries and losses.
Undefeated Texas Truck Accident Lawyers with the #1 Largest Recoveries in History: Call 1-888-603-3636 or Click Here for a Free Consultation.
Our Undefeated 18-Wheeler Accident Lawyers haven’t just won Billions for Truck and 18 Wheeler accident victims across Texas, Louisiana, and throughout the United States – they’ve consistently recovered the Largest Truck Accident Verdicts and Settlements in History.
To learn more about our success, visit our “Results” page or Click Here to see what our clients have said about their experience with our firm.
If you or someone you care about were injured or tragically killed in a truck or 18-wheeler crash, call 1-888-603-3636, use the “chat” button on our homepage, or click here to send us a confidential email through our “Contact Us” form.
Our attorneys will answer all of you your questions, explain your rights, and provide all the information you need to decide what’s best for you and your family.
Consultations are always free, and you won’t owe us a penny unless we win your case.