Any type of accident can be extremely scary. It happens unexpectedly and can truly terrify you. No one is prepared for something like this. Accidents involving commercial trucks can be even more devastating. Your injuries may be more severe and long term. Liability for these kinds of accidents can be complicated. The people who could be held liable include the driver, the manufacturer of the truck and/or the truck parts, or the owner of the truck. It’s essential to know what you should do at the truck accident scene. It’s also essential to know how liability is established.
What should do at the scene?
When you get into any type of accident, you should take these steps at the scene. You should first call the police. They will provide you a written police report you can bring to court and use as evidence.
Make sure you should seek medical attention immediately. This is especially important even if you may feel that your injuries are not severe enough. Many symptoms can take hours or even days to present themselves. Underestimating your injuries could make you receive less compensation than you deserve.
You also should get the name, address, and phone number of the truck driver and other drivers who were involved in the accident if any. If there were any witnesses to the accident, get their information as well as they may be able to testify for you. When you’re involved in an accident, having visual evidence is can convey a lot of information. With that being said, make sure you take as many pictures and/or videos of the accident scene. Make sure you include anything you feel that’s relevant to the accident including, any damages that may have happened to your vehicle, traffic signs within the area, as well as an overall view of the accident.
Who is liable?
As mentioned before, liability in these cases can be complicated. The driver may be held liable. They can be held liable whether they are an employee of the company or they are an independent contractor. Even the loader of the cargo may be responsible (if the cargo was loaded improperly.) Companies that are labelled on these trucks can be held liable for the accident. For example, if a grocery store truck hits your vehicle, then the grocery store is liable. You may be able to sue any or all of these entities.
Getting into an accident with a commercial truck is a big deal. These trucks can do way more damage than regular vehicles. You are more than likely to have injuries and these injuries tend to be serviere. It’s scary and stressful to be in an accident because it’s out of your control. You shouldn’t have suffer because of the fault of someone else. You need someone who fight for your rights. The legal team at Compass Law Group, LLP will provide you with aggressive representation and personal attention to your needs.
