What to Do Immediately After a Truck Accident in California: Steps to Protect Your Rights
Getting involved in a truck accident can be even more traumatic than other types of motor vehicle collisions. The large weight of tractor-trailers means these crashes often inflict a severe amount of damage, including catastrophic injuries and deaths. Knowing what steps to take in the immediate aftermath of a truck accident in California can help you protect your legal rights.
Seek Medical Attention
Your safety always comes first. Check yourself for injuries at the scene of the crash, bearing in mind that your adrenaline may be masking pain connected to an injury. Even if you initially feel fine, seek immediate medical attention. In an emergency, request an ambulance. Otherwise, visit the nearest hospital for a comprehensive checkup and appropriate medical tests to diagnose any injuries.
Call the Police
Immediately call 911. All truck accidents in California should be reported within 24 hours, as they generally meet the reporting threshold by causing injuries, deaths or more than $1,000 in property damage. Involving the police can give you a police report, which provides official documentation of the crash to help you during your insurance claim.
Collect Evidence
Exchange information with the truck driver while you wait for the police, but do not admit fault for the accident. If you can, gather the following:
- The truck driver’s name
- A photograph of the trucker’s driver’s license
- The name of the trucking company
- The Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
- The US DOT (Department of Transportation) number on the side of the truck
- The truck’s license plate number
- The trucking company’s insurance information
- Eyewitness information
- Photographs of the crash scene
Take pictures of all property damage, injuries, road conditions, traffic signs and the positions of the vehicles. The evidence you collect at the scene of your crash can help you build your injury case.
Notify Your Insurance Company
California is a fault-based insurance state, meaning the person or party at fault for causing a truck accident can be held responsible rather than seeking compensation through your own car insurance company. However, you can start a claim by notifying your insurer. Explain that you were in an accident, but do not give too much detail or admit fault.
Your insurance provider will conduct an investigation into the truck accident. If it does not believe you were at fault, it can seek coverage from the at-fault party’s insurer on your behalf. Trucking companies can be held financially responsible for accidents involving their trucks and drivers in California if the company or one of its workers was negligent, meaning they failed to use proper care.
Avoid Posting on Social Media
Protect yourself by resisting the urge to discuss your truck accident with anyone or post about it on social media. The truck company’s insurer can check your social media accounts for evidence to use against you, such as photos of you out with friends to disprove a pain and suffering claim. Avoid compromising your case by staying off of social media altogether while it is pending.
Consult With a Truck Accident Attorney
It is important to contact a truck accident attorney in California to discuss your case before you accept a quick settlement offer from an insurance provider. An attorney can accurately determine how much your case is worth and help you fight for maximum financial compensation for your losses, which may include medical expenses, lost wages, and property damage repairs. A lawyer can prevent a trucking company or its insurer from taking advantage of you.
