Truck accidents usually result in very severe injuries and the only thing the victims can think about is getting immediate medical attention. However, if you were involved in a crash and were lucky enough to come out with minor injuries, you can take the following steps to preserve your rights and protect your legal options later on.
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Seek Medical Treatment
You should call emergency medical responders immediately after the crash. When you contact them, tell them your location, and try to describe your injuries and the injuries of others who have also been affected.
Even if you don’t feel any pain or don’t have any visible wounds, you should still get checked by a doctor because invisible internal injuries may not be painful or show any symptoms immediately. In fact, internal injuries can only be detected through diagnostic testing in hospitals.
Thus, seeking treatment not only saves your life but also proves that the injuries you have were caused by the crash rather than a previous incident.
Contact The Law Enforcement Officers
You need to call police officers so you can record a police report. A police report is crucial documentation of the crash that will act as evidence when you file your claim against the liable party later on.
Gather Evidence
You should collect as much information at the scene of the crime as possible. For instance, you should take images of the wrecked vehicles, their license plates, the condition of the road such as skid marks, potholes, and the signs of the weather as well. In addition, you should also collect the other driver’s contact information.
Don’t Post About The Crash On Social Media
You should not post anything on social media that might indicate your current emotional or physical condition because even an innocent post can hurt your case in court. However, you can inform your friends and family about the incident directly or offline. Furthermore, you should contact a truck accident lawyer in North Carolina and get legal counsel on how to avoid mistakenly jeopardizing your case.
Get your Vehicle Appraised
It may look like your vehicle only sustained minor damages. However, like the human body, sometimes the wreckage is internal and not visible. Thus, getting your vehicle assessed by a professional mechanic can help you know all the damages it sustained and the full cost of fixing it. You can then include the vehicle repair costs in your insurance claim.
Collect Information from Witnesses
Witnesses can be anyone who was involved in the crash, a bystander, or someone in a nearby vehicle who was not involved in the crash. You can approach a witness and request their contact information like their phone number or their email address. Witnesses may have valuable information that might be useful to your attorney or the police if they are conducting investigations.
Conclusion
Last but not least, you should call an attorney to represent you. An attorney could mean the difference between winning or losing your claim. After all, they have a lot of experience in dealing with similar cases in the past and can use that wisdom to help you win the case.