What should I do after a truck accident?

The Answer

If you've been in a truck accident, the first thing you need to do is get safe. Stay calm and take a breath. Call 911. If you can, stay at the scene until police officers arrive. Swap the essentials with the other drivers (name, phone, license, and insurance information). Document everything as much as you can: photos of vehicles, skid marks, traffic signals, the weather, lighting, your injuries, and any property damage. If there were witnesses, get their names and phone numbers.

Then go to the emergency room, even if you "feel fine." Hidden injuries surface later, and the medical records help anchor your claim to the truck accident. Don't worry about how you will pay for medical bills if you don't have health insurance, as the auto insurance companies will almost certainly cover the bills.

Even if you think you might be at fault, don't admit fault yet. A proper investigation might uncover that you weren't actually at fault, so best not to admit anything yet. Don't leave without exchanging info with the other parties or notifying the police, as this could make you seem like the at-fault driver or worse, a hit-and-run. Don't give a recorded statement or sign anything until you have spoken to a lawyer. And don't accept the insurance companie's initial lowball settlement offer.

Finally, contact a Denver truck accident lawyer that is willing to take your case to trial. A truck accident lawyer will investigate, secure footage and 911 tapes, chase down witnesses, preserve vehicle data, manage your medical treatment logistics, and build the damages file (with medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, future care, and physical impairment documentation).

For the law, the deadlines, and how these cases actually get built, start with our truck accident playbook.