Follow This Checklist After a Trucking Accident

trucking accident checklist

Follow This Checklist After a Truck Accident

If someone you love has been seriously hurt in a truck accident, they need your help. They’re most likely too injured to protect their rights, but if you act quickly, you can help their legal case using this checklist. 

The Truck Accident Checklist 

For your convenience, you can download and print the checklist for free: 

Download Your Free Truck Accident Checklist

We have also posted the checklist below: 

Truck Accident Checklist  

  • DON’T Let Them Sign a Release or Give a Statement to the Insurance Adjuster
    The adjuster for the truck driver’s or trucking carrier’s insurance company is not there to help your loved one. In fact, they will use anything your loved one says — including statements that may be influenced by grief, shock, and medications — against them later. Let your loved one know they have no legal obligation to talk to anyone from the insurance company and shouldn’t do so until they’ve contacted a lawyer.
     
  • Seek Help From an Experienced, Board-Certified Truck Accident Lawyer
    A truck accident lawyer can protect your loved one’s rights, deal with the insurance companies, keep the trucking company from covering up important evidence, and more. But you need to contact them right away. Make sure the lawyer you hire has experience handling truck wreck cases. One way to tell whether an attorney is experienced is to see if they’re board-certified as a truck accident specialist by the ABA-approved National Board of Trial Advocacy. Truck wreck claims work much differently than car accident claims, and a car accident lawyer may not have the resources and experience needed to handle your truck wreck case successfully.
     
  • Tell Your Auto Insurance Company About the Crash
    Call your loved one’s insurance agent to report the accident. You may also be able to file a report online if your insurance company provides this option. If you’ve already hired a lawyer, they can help you with this step.
  • Call the Police Department and Get a Copy of the Police Report
    The police report from the crash may not be available until a few days after the accident, but it can be a critical piece of evidence in your loved one’s case. Again, if you’ve already hired a lawyer, they can help you.
     
  • DON’T Trust the Insurance Company
    Employees from the insurance company will probably try to play nice with your loved one and your family after a trucking accident, pretending to help you. Meanwhile, they’ll have people preserving only the evidence that’s helpful to them. Eventually, the company plans to make your family a minimal offer for compensation that doesn’t begin to pay for your loved one’s massive medical bills and other costs. By that time, some of the most important evidence that could help your loved one’s case will be gone. Don’t fall victim to these tactics. Instead, get help from an experienced truck accident attorney who can move quickly to fight the insurance company and protect your loved one’s rights. 

Contact the Seattle Truck Law Team and Get a Free Consultation With an Experienced, Board-Certified Truck Accident Lawyer

If you or a loved one has been injured in a crash involving a large truck or bus, Seattle Truck Law Attorney Morgan Adams is here to help. With years of experience and a sole focus on large truck and bus crash cases, Morgan Adams is a powerful advocate for trucking accident victims and an experienced trial lawyer who won’t hesitate to fight for your rights in court. 

Please contact Seattle Truck Law at (866) 580-4878 or fill out our quick and easy online contact form if you need legal representation or help of any kind after a devastating truck wreck. We offer free initial consultations, and we also handle cases on a contingent fee basis, so you won’t pay attorney’s fees or case expenses unless we help you recover compensation for your injuries.  

The content provided here is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice on any subject.