Are You Involved In a Semi-truck Accident? – Check What to Do
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There’s no doubt when we say that a truck accident can lead to fatal and disastrous injuries. Most of the time when a person meets with a truck accident, the only thing of concern for him is to seek medical help. The injuries of a semi-truck accident are usually catastrophic and require immediate attention.
However, if you’ve met with a truck accident and you are lucky enough to have faced minor injuries, you should know about the few steps to take in order to make the aftermath tolerable and hassle-free.
Are you a family member of someone who has faced a wreck with a semi-truck? If yes, there are several things that you should do to protect the rights of your loved one. Keep reading to know more on this.
Steps To Take Immediately After A Truck Accident
The foremost step after an accident would be to determine your condition, the state of the passengers, and the people in the other vehicle involved in the crash. If you are able to take this step, here are a few of the next steps to follow.
1. Make a call to the police
In the majority of the cases, 911 is the number. But when you’re driving on a highway, the number 911 will direct your call to the law enforcement agency. Disclose every single detail about the accident to the dispatcher. How many people were involved or injured during the crash? How many vehicles were there? With the correct details, they can send you the right number of ambulances.
2. Get medical help
Even though you may feel you’re fine, it is better to seek medical attention for yourself and for the other passengers. In case you seek medical help later on for harm caused during the accident, you may find it tough to prove that the injury was related to the truck accident.
3. Get proofs of the entire scene
Now, this step can be taken by someone who is left uninjured and is safe to document everything. Documentation includes clicking pictures of the scene, gathering contact details of the eye-witnesses and people involved in the accident, and taking down notes of weather or road conditions.
Causes Of Truck Accident – Commercial Drivers Or Passenger Vehicle Drivers?
Commercial Truck Drivers
In case the driver of the semi-truck is a commercial one, which means he is an employee of a company, here are the two most common reasons behind an accident.
- Insufficient training on the best techniques of driving a semi-truck, maintaining its safety and defensive driving. Here’s how you can stay safe on roads.
- Tiredness or lethargy due to hectic schedules of the truck companies, spending maximum hours on road, and giving in to the pressure of moving speedily between locations.
Passenger Vehicle Drivers
Not all truck accidents are caused by semi-truck drivers. There are times when the driver of another car makes a mistake which leads to a collision. Here are few ways in which truck accidents occur due to passenger vehicle drivers:
- Driving the car in the blind spots of the truck driver
- Driving between two huge trucks
- Abrupt and sudden lane changes to overtake the truck
- Moving towards the right side of a truck that is going to take a right turn
- Making a left turn without having an idea of the speed of the truck
- Not being able to speed up or slow down when the truck changes lanes
Conclusion
When you’ve faced a truck accident, you would certainly wish to handle the case in a different manner. In case of significant harm and loss, it is better to seek the help of a truck accident lawyer who can settle things legally on your behalf.