4 Tips To Avoid Compromising Your Truck Accident Case

If you are ever in an accident involving a truck or other commercial vehicle, what you do immediately and in the weeks following the accident can significantly impact your case. There are ways you can avoid comprising your case if you are not at fault.

Seek Immediate Medical Care

For various reasons, drivers may not seek immediate medical care after a minor accident. They may be eager to reach their destination or they may be concerned about the cost of seeking medical treatment. Even if you feel like you did not experience any injuries or they are minor, it is best for your own protection to allow paramedics to take you to the hospital for evaluation.

You have no way of knowing you did not sustain any minor or serious injuries without a thorough exam. For example, blunt force trauma to the abdomen from the seatbelt during an accident can cause internal injuries that may not be noticeable until hours later. If you have any problems hours or days later, lawyers for the other party can easily blame other causes since no one can definitively conclude the problems arose as a direct result of the accident.

Follow Treatment Protocols

Depending on the extent of any injuries you experience, you may be advised to take specific medications, follow up with a specialist, and/or engage in types of therapy. Some people decline to follow discharge instructions because they feel the extra treatments are unnecessary or they may be concerned about the surmounting medical bills. By not following a treatment plan, you risk making injuries or conditions worse.

For example, if you suffered a broken bone or dislocated joint during an accident, not engaging in prescribed physical therapy may leave you with permanent gait problems or a limp long after the original injury has healed. Furthermore, you may be trivializing your own condition when it comes to accountability for the accident. Even when the other party is at fault, if you are minimizing your own injuries, so will their lawyers.

Immediately Play Defense

From the moment of an accident, you should protect the information about your case. You should not discuss the accident with the other party while you are waiting for police or first responders to arrive. Anything you say to law enforcement and medical personnel will become part of your case. Therefore, being thorough and truthful in the beginning will be to your advantage. If there are ever discrepancies between what you say to the police or medical personnel and during a court hearing, you will lose credibility and could compromise your case.

Once you have the opportunity to do your own research or speak with family members, you should start looking for an attorney. You should also make sure nothing about the accident or your injuries is disclosed to anyone beyond your immediate family. Even information leaked by a trusted family member or shared on social media can compromise your case. If you are ever confronted by legal or insurance representatives for the other party, simply say, "No comment." until you can secure legal representation. Once you have found an attorney who will take your case, you can refer all correspondence to them.

Find Specialized Legal Representation

Although all motor vehicle accidents share similarities, being in a truck accident can create unique problems. It is important for you to find legal representation that is familiar with handling truck accident cases. In the case of an accident where the other party is a commercial truck driver, accountability may be spread among several parties, such as the truck driver, a possible contracted trucking company, and the major company. The issues of accountability and liability can become complex, and it is best handled by an attorney who is accustomed to accident cases involving major companies.

Although no one plans to be involved in a truck accident, it is a good idea to have general knowledge of how to best handle the situation. Knowing the appropriate actions to take can help you avoid comprising a winnable case. For more information, contact a local truck accident attorney.