Victim of a Kentucky Truck Accident? Take These Steps
Weighing in at up to 80,000 lbs, large trucks and tractor-trailers are capable of doing an enormous amount of damage, and collisions with these machines can leave those in passenger vehicles seriously injured. If you’re involved in a crash with a semi-truck or 18-wheeler, take these steps to ensure your claim for damages is successful.
Most importantly, seek the medical attention you need. Even if you don’t feel that your injuries are severe, see a doctor after an accident. What may seem like a minor issue could grow worse over time, and if you cannot produce medical records indicating that an issue developed immediately after and as a result of an accident, you could have difficulty linking those injuries to your accident claim and recovering damages for that treatment.
Whether or not anyone has incurred serious bodily injuries, make sure that a police report documenting the crash is created. This report will be useful in making your claim, and your insurer may even require you to produce a police report.
You may receive pressure from the truck driver’s insurer to offer a statement, even as early as at the scene of the accident. Do not make a statement or sign anything immediately after a collision. The adjuster may make it seem as though you’re required to give them your side of events and explain who was responsible for a crash right away, but this isn’t the case. Many drivers, still in a state of shock, might imply that they were responsible or apologize for an accident occurring, even when they know it was the other driver’s fault. These thoughtlessly-made statements can come back to haunt you later, making it best to wait until you can discuss the accident with an attorney before making a statement to insurance adjusters.
In order to ensure you receive the compensation you deserve for your injuries, contact an experienced lawyer as soon as possible. Filing a claim for damages resulting from an accident with a large truck is much more complex than a claim resulting from a car accident. There are usually a number of different defendants to each lawsuit, including the transportation company and the company whose goods are being transported, both of which are likely to be large corporations with robust legal departments. Additionally, there are many state and federal laws governing long-haul trucking which do not apply to everyday drivers. Restrictions on when and how long a driver can be on the road, when rest is required, what sort of maintenance a truck should regularly undergo, and how a trailer must be loaded can give rise to a new legal argument in a claim for damages. This makes it critical that you hire a lawyer who understands these arguments and can make them on your behalf, ensuring you receive the full compensation for which you’re eligible.
If you’ve been hurt in a tractor-trailer, 18-wheeler, or other large truck accident in Kentucky, get the money you need to recover with the help of an experienced truck accident lawyer, and call the Central Kentucky personal injury attorneys at Davis & Haymond for a free consultation on your case, in Richmond at 859-624-3380, and in Irvine at 606-726-9991.
