Motor accidents of any kind can be some of the most deadly occurrences, with 32,675 US citizens losing their lives in 2014 alone. The weight and size of a truck, however, can greatly increase the injury and fatality rate of the driver, passengers and even pedestrians involved in the crash. Whilst it’s easy, and natural, to panic in these situations, the most important thing to do is to stay calm and follow these 4 easy steps to make sure that you and everyone else involved is correctly cared for in an emergency. If you are looking for professionals to aid you in case you are involved in DWI incidents, you can check the new jersey dwi lawyer online.
Call the Emergency Services
Immediately after the accident has happened, the first thing that you should do if you have access to a phone is to call the emergency services. If you don’t have access to a phone, attempt to find someone who does, as time really is of the essence. The first service that you should ask for is always the ambulance, but make sure that you call for the police also, as they can assess if there was any foul play such as drunk driving.
Seek Immediate Medical Attention
When it comes to motor accidents, not all injuries are present as soon as the collision happens, and not all injuries are external either. Make sure that you seek medical attention for you and any others involved as soon as you can, as internal injuries are just as bad as (and sometimes even worse than) ones you can see. Some injuries may not become apparent until days or sometimes even weeks after the accident. If you are examined by a health professional and deemed to be physically well, make sure that you look out for headaches, neck and shoulder pains, back pain and memory loss in the upcoming weeks.
File a Report
Once the emergency services have been called and everyone has been medically assessed, you need to file a report with your insurance company. If the accident wasn’t your fault, they should cover the costs of truck repairs and even contact the other driver’s insurance to secure a payout. It’s vital that you take pictures of the accident so that you can use these as evidence, along with gathering contact information and statements from any witnesses. Regardless of who is at fault, a truck accident will affect the cost of your insurance payments, but if you’re at fault, the cost will generally increase more than if you were the victim.
Hire an Attorney
No matter whether you’re at fault or the victim in the situation, you should always hire a Truck Accident Attorney if you or any others involved choose to take the case to court for reasons such as injury, repairs cost or, the worst case scenario, if there were any fatalities involved. It’s important that you recruit the help of a seasoned professional to make sure that you get the compensation and justice that you deserve.
Truck accidents can be terrifying and often fatal, but in that terrifying scenario, there are still important steps that need to be taken to ensure the further safety of anyone involved. Whether you are at fault or not, it is vital that you contact the right people.
A professional writer with over a decade of incessant writing skills. Her topics of interest and expertise range from health, nutrition and psychology.