What to do After a Truck Accident
As a truck accident lawyer College Park MD drivers hire for legal help, Cohen & Cohen has a few recommendations about what you need to know immediately following an accident. As a regular driver, being involved in an accident with a truck can be traumatic. With a larger profile, bigger blind spots, and potentially hazardous hauls, trucks can pose a serious threat to the cars around them. If an accident does occur, you need to be prepared:
What to Do After Your Car is Involved in an Accident with a Truck
1. Call 911 if you’re able to do so.Don’t assume someone else has already called for help. Almost any truck accident lawyer in College Park MD will tell you that when an accident occurs, many people panic and in the confusion; they may all assume that someone else has made a call to the police. If you are unable to use your phone, but are coherent enough to speak, choose a bystander and tell them to call for help on your behalf.
2. Do not admit blame or apologize to anyone.Apologizing can constitute an admission of guilt. Even if you simply want to express empathy, don’t do it. Almost any truck accident lawyer College Park MD drivers hire may remind you to not discuss your opinions of the accident with anyone, including first responders. When speaking with the police do not volunteer unnecessary information. Stay factual and do not offer theories or conjecture. Here’s why:
- You don’t know yet what exactly happened because an investigation has not been conducted. A good truck accident lawyer College Park MD drivers choose to represent them may conduct their own post-accident investigation to make an independent determination of what happened.
- Because there hasn’t been an investigation yet, you don’t know who is to blame, or if blame should be shared.
- Anything you say can be held against you in court and may also adversely affect a settlement negotiation on the part of a truck accident lawyer College Park MD has to offer.
3. Follow up with the police to verify that an officer filed a report on the accident you were involved in. Without the police report, you may have difficulty filing a claim if injuries or significant property damage occurred.
4. Don’t refuse medical treatment. Not all injuries present symptoms immediately. Shock is very effective at masking pain. These can include internal injuries, spinal cord injuries, neck or back injuries, and many more. It’s important to get checked out and document any conditions that have resulted from your accident, even if your symptoms develop later on.
5. Contact a College Park MD truck accident lawyer immediately. Cohen & Cohen has more than two decades of experience dealing with vehicle accident cases on behalf of our clients. Our attorneys have handled more than 5,000 personal injury cases. We realize that accidents don’t always occur during business hours, so we can be reached 24/7. It is important to contact us right away so that your Cohen & Cohen attorney can protect your rights from the very start.
6. Contact your insurance company and notify them that you have been involved in an accident. Don’t offer details about the accident in terms of how it happened or who is at fault. If you hire a truck accident lawyer College Park MD trusts, provide them with your insurance company’s contact information. Give your insurance company your attorney’s name and let them know your attorney will contact them.
While the above suggestions can help you avoid costly complications to your case, nothing can substitute the personalized counsel of an truck accident lawyer College Park MD drivers rely on.
Contact Us Today
There are several reasons why it may be in your best interest to hire an experienced truck accident lawyer College Park MD believes in. Unlike many insurance companies, we have your best interests at heart. Your attorney may be able to negotiate on your behalf to make sure you receive the maximum reimbursement and benefits to which you are entitled. Or, if your insurance company balks at paying you an amount that will cover your accident costs, delays payment to you, or–in the worst case scenario–denies your claim, a Cohen & Cohen attorney may be able to give you legal recourse.
At Cohen & Cohen, we are available 24/7 to set up an initial consultation between yourself and one of our attorneys to discuss your case. This meeting will not obligate you to hire our firm, and you will not be charged for it. We feel confident that Cohen & Cohen will be your legal firm of choice. Call us when you need a top truck accident lawyer College Park MD has to offer.
