Trucking Accidents: What To Do When You Lose Everything

If a trucker injured you and totaled your vehicle, you may face a long recovery and other seemingly insurmountable odds. Although trucking accidents are some of the most serious accidents on the road today, you can take every action possible to fight back. You just need to know what to do and how.

If you lost everything during your trucking accident, don't give up. Here are key things you can do to fight for your compensation today.

Recall as Much as You Can About Your Accident

Vehicular accidents of any kind and magnitude can be emotionally painful for the victims involved. If your accident caused you great stress, pain, and fear, you may try to forget the incident ever occurred. However, this can be bad for your case. To secure a sound case against the trucker, try to recall everything you can about your accident.

If you're currently recovering in the hospital, ask your visitors to leave the room and return later. You may be able to relax and recall the events of your accidents when your environment is quiet and calm. If you can't write down the events, ask someone close to you to remain in the room and record the events for you.

Some of the important things you want to recall are the time, date, and location of your trucking accident. This information can help you file the correct claim for your case. You also want to recall details about the truck driver's actions prior to your accident.

If necessary, ask yourself the questions below:

• Did the driver operate the vehicle carelessly or erratically, such as driving too fast or moving too slow?
• Did the driver change lanes without signaling or giving other vehicles sufficient warning and time to move over or slow down?
• Did the driver exhibit caution and respect for traffic lights, signs, and other warning signals?
• Did the driver carry their load properly or did the load appear mishandled and improperly secured?

The questions above may be only a few things you recall about your accident. In any case, document as much as you can and store the information in a safe place for future reference.

Once you complete your recall list, you can move to the next step below.

Keep a Log of Your Medical Visits

Your medical care is just as important as recalling the events of your accident. If you sustained internal injuries, such as abdominal bleeding or blunt tissue trauma, you may require specific treatments to heal. These treatments may be ongoing, depending on the extent of your internal injuries.

In addition to internal injuries, some truck accident victims experience emotional turmoil from their accidents. Emotional turmoil may cause symptoms, such as insomnia, nightmares, and flashbacks. Your symptoms may be worse when you're alone at night or facing uncertainty about your future.

If your doctor schedules you for procedures, therapies, or other treatments, be sure to attend every appointment. Also, keep a log of your doctor visits in a small book or tablet. If you keep your log on your phone or computer, create backups of your data. You may need to rely on the logs later.

The next thing you want to do is avoid sabotaging your claim or case by communicating with the trucker's attorney or insurance company.

Avoid Conversing With the Driver's Insurance Company

Many trucking companies have their own litigation team to represent them in accident cases. Some litigation companies can be aggressive in how they handle their clients' cases. The compensation offered by the attorneys may not be enough to replace your vehicle or cover your medical expenses.

If the trucking company's legal team contacts you by phone, don't engage in conversation with them. Also, avoid submitting written responses to any letters you receive from the trucking company's attorneys. Refer the company or their legal team to a truck accident attorney instead.

Hire a Lawyer

A truck accident lawyer can relay your concerns to the other party's insurer and attorneys for you. A lawyer may also pursue compensation to pay for your medical bills and a replacement vehicle. An attorney may do these things by:

• Filing a claim on your behalf
• Submitting evidence of your injuries and medical expenses
• Providing evidence of your vehicle's damage

If the trucking company's legal team doesn't agree to a fair and comfortable settlement, a truck accident lawyer may file a case in a personal injury court in your district. The case may include all of the information you obtained on your recall list, copies of your medical visits, and any information obtained from eyewitnesses of your accident.

Once your case goes to court, an attorney will update you regularly. Truck accident cases can vary from location to location, so try to be patient until your case concludes.

If you lost everything because of a truck accident, contact us at Todd East Attorney at Law for a consultation today.