Do you know what to do when you collide with a truck? Probably, calling an attorney is not the first thing that might pop up in your mind. But – it is still an important thing to do.
The thing is truck companies instruct and train their drivers that as soon as there is an accident – the first phone call that the truck driver is supposed to make is to the dispatcher at the truck company. Subsequently, the dispatcher, in turn, gets in touch with the insurance company, and the insurance company dispatches its rapid response team.
The team is made up of an investigator, an accident reconstructionist, an adjuster, and also a photographer. As soon as the insurance company gets notified about a crash, they dispatch their team to the site of the truck accident, and they often get to the scene of the crash before they have even gotten all the vehicles off the road.
The team deployed this quickly has one objective: to collect evidence to start building a defense.
Suppose you get into an accident with a truck and you have sustained injuries. As an injured person, you will need to have someone on your side who can kind of do the same thing for you. You will want a lawyer by your side who can then dispatch their team of professionals who can go gather evidence and document what needs to be documented.
Delay in calling an attorney may result in a disadvantage
You wouldn’t want to be at a disadvantage by delaying the phone call to an attorney, such as the injury lawyers fighting for Chicago. You will want to get one by your side as soon as possible so you can have the peace of mind that you have legal support while you can focus on healing from the injuries and shock.
If you look at this advice and the importance of getting in touch with an attorney – you see that this advice is not only useful for the person who is in the accident. But – if they are injured to the point where they cannot contact an attorney – this is good to know for loved ones, such as family and friends, who can contact an attorney on their behalf.
Often, attorneys get contacted by family members and friends and whoever is there to help. They often reach out to lawyers and engage them in the accident even before the affected person is able to do anything on their own.
Determining the root cause of the accident
When it comes to truck accidents, it is not always the truck driver who is at fault. There could also be other things that need to be figured out to determine where the fault lies. Obviously, the initial focus is always on the truck driver, as they are the ones driving the truck.
The truck driver is responsible for operating the truck. But – the lawyer will try to get to the real bottom of the root cause and what caused the crash. This aspect usually takes the lawyer to the truck company because truck companies hire drivers to drive these big rigs – they have a duty to ensure that the truck driver has both the skill and the knowledge to safely operate the truck.
A lot of times, corporations tend to get distracted by focusing on making money and not being safe or following the safety standards. And usually, when this happens – this is when crashes occur.
Understanding how contributory negligence works in your state
Typically, when someone gets in a crash with a big truck – they usually have a claim for negligence against the truck driver. In other words – the truck driver wasn’t acting reasonably under the circumstances, and that is what led to the crash.
But in some states – if the injured person is found to be even one percent at fault – they cannot make a recovery. This aspect perfectly explains why it is absolutely mandatory to be very careful when you make a recorded statement to an insurance adjuster or the trucking company.
The insurance company or the trucking company will be looking for ways to use your words against you later and prove that you have been at fault too.
Initially, they will act like your best friend – but – in reality, they are only gathering information that they can use as a defense. And we cannot stress enough the importance of never engaging in a conversation with the trucking company or the insurance company.
Let your lawyer handle the trucking company and the insurance company while you shouldn’t, under any circumstances, give a recorded statement.
This aspect perfectly explains why you will want to get an attorney on your side working for you before you may do or say something that could potentially hurt your case. If you give a recorded statement and then you go to hire a lawyer, the damage may already be done.
And once the damage is done – there is really not much that your lawyer can do to undo it.
The takeaway
You get the point – if you find yourself in a truck accident, there is no excuse for not contacting a lawyer immediately. Usually, a law firm handles such cases on a percentage of the total recovery – also known as contingency.
The lawyer’s fees, in this case, are contingent on them making a recovery for the client. If they don’t make a recovery – there is absolutely no fee, which means that you, as the client, have every incentive to contact an attorney early. If you are injured, your family or friend might contact an attorney for you but – contacting a lawyer is absolutely mandatory – not only to preserve evidence – but also for your legal and emotional support. While you will be focusing on healing, you will have peace of mind that a legal team has taken up the case for you and will work in your best interest to help you recover from your economic damages.