Nobody wants to be involved in a road accident, especially not when you are driving a heavy truck. Unfortunately, if you spend a lot of time on the road the chances of you being injured do go up. You can be as careful as possible but you are not in control of how everyone else drives. If you do find yourself in the unfortunate position of being injured after a heavy truck accident then there are a few things you should do. This article aims to tell you how to stay safe after suffering a heavy truck injury.
Hire A Lawyer
Safety comes in different forms and legal protection is a very important one. If you are injured in a road accident then you should seek legal advice. Your best bet is to find a company local to your area. For instance, you should be able to find a specific truck accident lawyer in Baton Rouge without too much trouble. Regardless of how serious the accident was, you need to know where you stand legally. You might be due compensation if it was a work-related accident, or you might be able to claim on your medical bills due to the injury not being your fault. Hiring a lawyer is one of the best ways to keep yourself safe after a heavy truck injury.
Make Sure You Clear The Road
Immediately after the accident, unless you are unable to move, you need to clear the road. This is an important safety issue as if your vehicle is left in the middle of the road, the chances are it may cause another collision when the next car comes by. In terms of collecting any debris, you best wait until the police arrive as they may need to photograph it for evidence. Once you have made sure that you are okay and that the vehicle is safe to move to the side of the road you must do so. Then put your hazard lights on and turn off the engine. Making sure you clear the road as quickly as possible after a road accident is really important for keeping you safe.
Call The Police
Once you have checked yourself and any passengers for injuries you need to call the police immediately. All road accidents have to be reported, regardless of how minor they may appear to be. If this accident involved another driver then you need to inform the police so that they can check everyone’s driving record. It is unlikely, but there is the potential that the other person driving does not possess a valid driving license. It is your responsibility to keep yourself and others safe by calling the police as soon as you can after being injured in a truck accident.
Exchange Details Will Others Involved
Once the police have been called and you have made the road safe for other drivers, you need to exchange details with all those involved. This is so that everyone’s insurance companies can be contacted for any claims that need to be made. It is also important to document the result of the crash by taking pictures of both of your vehicles. You should encourage the other driver to do the same so that all the evidence of what happens matches up. Being calm and collected after an accident can be a real challenge but do your best. To make sure that you are covered by the other driver’s insurance, you need to exchange details with them.
Do Not Admit Fault
Lastly, to keep yourself safe from any litigation, you should not admit fault. Even if you do so in an apologetic way, that is not really an admission of guilt, this can be used against you in court. It can be almost a reflex to say sorry and try to take ownership of what happened, it is a very human thing to do. Unfortunately, you need to be less kind in these situations and maintain a more neutral facade. By not admitting any fault in the accident then you are keeping yourself safe from any unfair lawsuits against you.
Stay Safe
Accidents that happen on the road are really scary and often result in injuries. No matter how serious the injury or how big the crash is, there are certain steps you need to take. Hopefully, by following this article you should now be in a better position to understand what you should do if you suffer an injury from a heavy truck accident.