Even a small accident with a trucker could prove especially dangerous due to the immense size of most vehicles that are used for trucking. If your vehicle was struck by a much larger one, you may have sustained significant property damage or personal injuries. If the accident was not your fault, you may be able to file a lawsuit or negotiate a settlement in hopes of obtaining financial compensation. Here are some tips to keep in mind after a bad run-in with a trucking company.
Follow the Usual Post-Accident Plan But Jot Down Additional Detail
First things first, you will want to follow the same plan for the immediate aftermath of a car accident that you would if the other party was driving a normal vehicle. In other words, you still need to obtain basic information on the driver and exchange insurance information. Because it is a trucking company you are dealing with, you may want to make note of some additional details. The trucker may have a specific license number or there may be a special vehicle number on the license plate area of the truck. You should also make note of what kind of cargo the trucker was carrying. You can use this data to make sure the trucker was transporting their cargo legally in your area and also search for a history of previous accidents.
Visual Evidence Could Prove Especially Useful Here
Usually he or she with the best visual evidence following a car accident has a good chance of winning in court. It can be helpful for a judge or jury to actually see the physical damage sustained by your vehicle after it was struck. This is especially true for trucking accidents. Big trucks tend to do significant damage to anything they hit while traveling down the road, even if they weren't going that fast. While having your car totaled is never desired, you can use the destruction to your advantage. Document your vehicle and any other surrounding property that has sustained serious damage from multiple angles. These photos can be blown up in a courtroom to really drive home your point.
Contact Legal Counsel ASAP
But even if you have good visual evidence and a story to tell, you still might not get very far without a good attorney. Trucking companies usually fight hard to protect their reputation following an accident, which means receiving a payout will be easier said than done. An experienced trucking accidents lawyer will be able to get you on the right path towards a successful negotiation or verdict.
Contact a firm, like St Martin & Bourque LLC, for more help.
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