How can a lawyer help you with your accident involving an 18 wheeler?
While hiring a lawyer in the immediate aftermath of a serious truck accident may not be your first priority, the clock is ticking, and essential evidence saving measures should be implemented immediately.
WHAT TO DO IF YOU'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN AN 18 WHEELER ACCIDENT
Accidents involving 18 wheeler trucks pose a much greater certainty of injury and/or fatality, than those involving smaller vehicles. If you or a loved one have suffered a serious injury or death due to an accident with an 18 wheeler truck, the following information could help you with your case.
The following information should be taken into consideration if you have been involved in an accident with an 18 wheeler truck:
1.Report the accident to the authorities
- Call 911 to alert the police department and emergency vehicles, so that they can assist you at the scene of the accident. Failure to report a serious accident that you've been involved in and leaving the scene, is a serious crime.
- If you drive for a living, contact your employer as soon as possible.
2. If you have a camera or camera phone, take pictures of the scene and vehicles
- Pictures of the scene, as close to the time of the accident as possible, could end up being key evidence in a trial.
3. Get the names and numbers of witnesses at the accident scene
- Eye witnesses often play a key role in vehicle accident cases.
4. Preserve the scene and the vehicle
- First and foremost, make sure the vehicle is preserved. While it is normal to grieve during a loss of a family member or serious injury, if the vehicle is destroyed or lost by the family or insurance company, sometimes it is impossible to prove a products liability case. Some judges will not allow an injured victim or the family of a lost loved one to pursue their lawsuit if they have failed to act to make sure the vehicle is not destroyed or lost.
5. Visit a doctor
- Medical attention is key to helping you recover from or discover any injuries you may have received due to the accident you were involved in. Some injuries are not obvious to us and can pose serious danger if they go unreported.
6. Contact an 18 wheeler truck accident lawyer
- Proper legal counsel will help you to understand your rights, legal options and liabilities.
An experienced lawyer can assist you or your family in gathering and preserving evidence to protect your legal rights. Other must dos in an 18 wheeler accident case are as follows:
- An immediate site inspection by a qualified accident investigator/accident reconstruction engineer. This is important because skid marks, roll marks, gouge marks and other important pieces of evidence on and off the roadway may disappear in days or weeks after an accident.
- Gathering statements from witnesses, vehicle occupants, law enforcement individuals, EMS personnel and other first responders.
- Obtaining a bio mechanical or biomedical engineer to determine what part of the vehicle caused the injury or death.
- Pulling together the victim's treating physicians, together with hired experts such a life care planners and other consultants to ensure the victim gets the care they need after the lawsuit is resolved.
Contact A Truck Accident Attorney
If you or someone you know has been injured in a truck accident, you should contact a personal injury attorney immediately. Those who have questions or who may have been injured in an 18 Wheeler-related collision should contact the attorneys at Miller, Curtis and Weisbrod for further information or click here for a free case assessment |
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Miller, Curtis & Weisbrod LLP
11551 Forest Central Drive
Suite 300
Dallas, TX 75243
1.888.987.0005
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