What to Do Immediately Following a Truck Accident in Los Angeles
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A truck accident can inflict substantial damage on people and property, sometimes resulting in severe injuries or death. If you or someone you love has been in a truck-related accident in Los Angeles, the following information can help you protect your rights and pursue compensation for your medical costs, missed wages, and more.
Get Medical Assistance
Whether you or the other party are believed to be injured or not, you should take the necessary steps to ensure that emergency responders and medical personnel are on their way to the site as soon as possible. Injuries that may not be apparent in the moment may still require medical care.
In addition to providing immediate medical assistance, personnel may be needed to move the cars out of the way of traffic and ensure the safety of other drivers on the road.
Assess the Road
While people usually think of accidents as being one or another person’s fault, it is important to assess road conditions to ensure that nature did not play a factor in the truck accident. Factors like deteriorating roads and ice could increase the chances of an accident, and reporting their presence is crucial to an objective determination of fact.
Gather Evidence
Once all medical concerns are addressed, it is important to take photos and try to get as much evidence as possible to support your claim. Potential evidence could include any of the following:
- Photos of the vehicles
- Photos of the surrounding area
- Witness statements
- Police reports
Take note of whether there are any video or traffic cameras in the area that may have captured the accident. Video recordings are some of the strongest pieces of evidence you can have to support your claim in court.
Exchange Contact Information
An exchange of contact information should take place as soon as possible, preferably after everyone is safe. This step is crucial for contacting the other driver’s insurance company and attempting to hold them accountable. To this extent, any witnesses on the scene should also provide their information so they can be contacted if necessary.
When exchanging information, make sure to obtain the following details:
- Name
- Address
- Insurance policy numbers
- Name of insurance companies
- Driver’s license number
- Vehicle registration number
Additionally, there could be other relevant information that is dependent on the factors of the crash, so be aware of your surroundings and try to collect as much information as possible.
A Note on Liability
Keep in mind that, following a truck accident, you may be stressed out and potentially in shock. In these instances, people tend to seek comfort and are freer with their words than they should be. Your words can be used to invalidate your claim later, so do not admit liability or discuss details of the accident with the other driver involved.
As mentioned earlier, there could be other factors involved in the collision, and even though you remember events in a certain way, that does not necessarily mean that is how they occurred.
Contact a Lawyer Who Specializes in Truck Accidents
Not all personal injury lawyers will understand the nuances involved in successfully litigating a truck accident case. For this reason, it is a good idea to find an attorney with experience handling these types of cases. This type of lawyer will have a working knowledge of how to deal with insurance companies and the courts as it pertains to a truck accident.
If you are looking for a personal injury attorney in Los Angeles for your case, contact Saeedian Law Group for a free consultation.