To begin with, common sense should
prevail and the utmost priority needs to be given to ensuring that everyone
involved in the truck accident is safe. Emergency calls will need to be made to
911 dispatchers to receive emergency help/treatment, etc.
While these are the basic procedures in
any accident, there are some things you should do and should not do just after
being involved in a truck accident which will help you in any litigation that may
consequently arise out of the accident itself. Even if you plan to file a
lawsuit yourself to recover damages, these steps will greatly propel the
chances of you winning your lawsuit and receiving an appropriate amount of compensation for
your accident claim and Mineola, NY truck accident lawyers know this
from first hand experience.
Steps to Follow after a Truck Accident
Keep in mind that one of the most pivotal
factors that will determine the outcome of a truck accident lawsuit is the
evidence available. The more evidence you have and the more concrete and
irrefutable this evidence is, the greater your chances of proving
your claims and winning your accident lawsuit.
A New York truck accident attorney can
help gather, organize, and effectively present evidence after an accident by
procuring journey logs from the trucking company involved, etc. but some of the
most vital evidence will be available right after a truck accident occurs.
Therefore, after making sure that your
medical condition is stable, legal experts emphasize that you need to look for
and collect the following evidence:
Now that most people have camera phones,
you can really put it to use. You should take pictures of the accident site,
the resulting debris and also ensure to take photographs of license plates of
all the vehicles involved in the crash including your own.
The next fundamental piece of
information you need to gather is the full names, addresses, and a contact
phone number for everyone who is germane – involved in the accident.
When responding law enforcement officers
show up at the scene, collect their badge information and names too. That
information will be on the police report but still, try to write down as much
information as possible.
If there are any witnesses willing to
testify then you can either take a written statement including their personal
information from them or you can record it on the voice recorder or video
camera application on your smart phone. Ask them if they have some sort of business
card too – their phone number will be on it and their name as well.
What not to do after a Truck Accident
Have you seen the awesome high school
football movie Friday Night Lights? Did you see the way Boobie Miles (Derek
Luke) acted when the doctor told him he was not going to be able play football
and resume the season? Boobie went berserk and accused the doctor for stating
this opinion/fact of working for another high school that was in the same
league as his (Permian). Ridiculous!
If you are in a truck accident, do not
lose your temper and start attacking people. That will not go over very well
when the police arrive.
Minneola, NY truck accident lawyers
stress that it is critical not to apologize after a truck accident. Supposedly,
a lot of people have a habit of saying sorry to the other parties even though
the accident was not their fault. It should be noted that an apology will be
considered as an admission of guilt for all legal purposes and this can
essentially make you liable for the truck accident and the resulting damages. Even
if you should not be!
It would also be wise to not answer some
questions posed by law enforcement officers and instead just politely refer
these questions to your legal counselor and when they say “do you have one?” –
you can respond by saying “I will soon enough”. Remember that anything you say
can and will be used against you in a court of law.
If
you are the victim of a truck accident and need to know what your
legal options are to recover damages, make sure to consult with a New York
truck accident lawyer as early as possible. If you already told the police
officer you were going to find one soon enough that should be all the
motivation you need. The police officer may not know about this site (Truck-Accident.USAttorneys) but now you do!
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