The injuries suffered by people in truck accidents tend to be more severe than those in car accidents. It isn’t difficult to understand why that is as you are dealing with a larger vehicle with a lot more mass that can cause more damage.
When you have a big truck against a smaller passenger car, the person in the smaller vehicle is usually injured more seriously.
If you ever get into a truck accident – here are your rights to know, especially regarding the rights of truck occupants.
What Are Immediate Steps to Take After a Truck Accident?
When it comes to insurance, there is usually one or more layers of insurance because it is a cab, which is the truck itself, especially if it is an eighteen-wheeler. Then, the semi-truck itself might have a different insurance policy, especially in crashes involving large trucks.
The first thing you should do after a truck accident is call the police, as they are crucial in documenting the incident involving large trucks.
After you have called the police, if you are not feeling well, go to the doctor or the hospital. You could go to the emergency room or your private physician after a crash involving large trucks to ensure your health and safety.
It would help if you also took pictures of the accident site, damage done to your vehicle, and damage to the truck. Also, take photos of the locations of the trucks and your car.
What Damages Can You Cover?
If you have been involved in a crash with a large truck, you are entitled to collect damages for your pain and suffering. This aspect is also known as the effect that your injuries have had on your life and your potential or ability to do the things that you used to do, such as running errands and having a job, especially after a fatal crash.
You can also collect any medical expenses you have had and might have in the future. You can also collect for any lost earnings you have suffered in the past and potentially in the future.
On that note, the potential damage you can recover in a truck crash claim depends on the vehicle’s insurance policy – whether there are one or two policies. The possible damages you can cover in a truck accident also depend on the damages.
Putting these two aspects together depends on how much you can collect.
Who Can You Sue in a Truck Accident?
You should know whom you can sue in a truck accident. In the case of a truck accident, you can sue the driver and the owner of the truck. Of course, any knowledgeable truck accident lawyers can guide you and ensure that all at-fault parties are sued.
Now, there can be a difference because there is the cab, which is the central part of the truck, and whatever the car is hauling can also be owned by a separate entity, complicating crashes involving large trucks. So, you can sue the driver and the trucking company involved in the truck crash.
The trucking company that the trucker worked for during the crash can also be sued in accident cases involving truck occupants. On that note, if you have been involved in a truck accident, call a lawyer so the professional attorney can help you figure out who the involved parties are and ensure that you are making your claim against the right parties.
What Are the Most Common Causes of Truck Accidents?
Regarding truck accidents, you should know that the most common cause of a truck accident is speeding truck drivers, often leading to fatal crashes. Truckers usually have to get from one place to another in a certain amount of time, so they drive in a rush.
Also, driver fatigue is a common cause of fatal truck crashes. Truckers driving their trucks must go long distances, accumulating truck miles, and they want to do their jobs efficiently. More often than not, truckers fall asleep at the wheel or lose their focus and stop paying as much attention as needed.
Of course, there are laws against driver fatigue – but – they are not usually enforced strictly in cases of large truck crashes. Usually, truck accidents are investigated in a few ways. Firstly, lawyers try to get the video of the car or the truck involved in the accident cases. A lot of trucks today have videos in their cabs.
Also, another reason to get in touch with a lawyer as soon as possible after you have gotten into an accident is that the lawyer will send out their team of investigators to investigate the car that you were in and the road to see if any markings could potentially help with the case.
Also Read: Critical Steps to Take Immediately After a Car Accident
Why is Investigation the Most Important Part?
Understanding why a reasonable investigation of the accident is crucial if you get into a truck accident is essential. The thing is that the trucker’s insurance company will be sending out their investigators as soon as possible to do their investigations into the fatal crash.
As always, insurance adjusters will only try to do whatever they can to prove that their driver was not at fault. That said, it is essential to collect as much information as possible and as early as possible.
Witness information is essential in accident cases, especially for large truck crashes. Documentary evidence, such as any forms filled out, statements about what happened, photographs, and video evidence about what happened, are essential aspects of early investigation and can help you strengthen your case.
With the help of a lawyer’s team, you can collect all these various forms of evidence as soon as possible so that later on, you can prove that the defendant was at fault for the accident.
Why Take Your Injuries Seriously?
Suppose you get involved in a truck crash. Truck accident: If you’ve been injured, you can sustain severe injuries due to the truck’s extensive and comprehensive nature.
There is also a high chance of fatality in large truck crashes, making safety a top priority for all truck occupants, particularly for those killed in large truck crashes. So, many different claims can be made against trucking companies in accident cases for truck crashes involving large trucks.
So, if you have been involved in a truck crash, call a personal injury lawyer or a truck accident lawyer immediately so that the attorney can represent you and protect your rights.
