Most drivers get nervous when they see large semi trucks pulling up beside them. They don’t like to pass them, and the last thing they want is to get into an accident. Like most drivers, you have to drive alongside these big truck drivers. Know the right steps to take if you ever get into an accident with a truck driver.
Know About Basic Trucking Laws
At the state and federal levels, trucking laws control the safety of truck driving. You cannot change the law yourself, but it’s important that you know the basics. The more you know about the law, the easier it becomes to build a case. You are better able to prove who is at fault for an accident.
For instance, truck drivers are limited at the amount of weight they can carry. Bus and truck drivers are required to drive with commercial licenses. There are many cases of accidents that involve unlicensed drivers and items falling off trucks.
Collect Evidence
You need the legal system to receive compensation for a trucking accident. You don’t have to wait for a lawyer to handle all of the collection work either. Return to the scenes of the crash, which include the damaged car and the crash site, to collect evidence.
Immediately after an accident, you should receive a medical checkup. You need a doctor to help you receive compensation for medical bills. From the doctor, retrieve the proper documentation of your injuries and treatments.
Contact a Lawyer
After an accident, you have to deal with truck drivers, insurance companies and police investigators. Without a lawyer, you still have to deal with the trucking companies and their own lawyers. They have a team of lawyers to handle road accidents and avoid being sued by crash victims.
Some of their lawyers survey the crash scene before the police arrive and start preparing the cases right away. Contact an attorney if in an accident with a truck, and prepare your own case immediately. Find an experienced lawyer who will react just as quickly and aggressively as one from a trucking company.
Like natural disasters, accidents with big trucks are catastrophic. If you are lucky enough to survive the crash, you are left with extensive medical injuries and bills. Many victims become unemployed and cannot receive enough wages to live normally. You need legal assistance to deal with the effects of a trucking accident.
Author Harper Harmon is a freelance writer and blogger who focuses on business, health and other various topics. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in communication from UCLA and currently resides in Santa Cruz with her dog, Sassy.
