Truck accidents involving 18-wheelers differ from standard car accidents. The sheer size and weight of these vehicles mean the consequences are often more devastating, resulting in severe injuries, significant property damage, and emotional trauma. For many survivors, the aftermath can feel overwhelming as they face a confusing legal process, mounting medical bills, and difficulties dealing with trucking companies and their insurance companies.
If you’ve been hurt in an accident caused by a negligent truck driver, you’ll want to know the steps that can protect your health, your rights, and your ability to seek compensation.
Steps to Protect Yourself & Interests After an 18-Wheeler Accident
- Medical attention: Your priority after an 18-wheeler accident is your health. Get medical attention as soon as possible, even if your injuries feel minor at first. Some types of injuries, such as soft tissue damage or internal issues, may not be immediately apparent. Seeking urgent medical care may allow for a clearer understanding of your condition while also marking in your medical record that you were in a truck accident.
- Police intervention: If 911 was not called at the time of the crash, you will need to contact the authorities in a different way, such as calling the local highway patrol office. An official police report forms the foundation of many injury cases, outlining details such as the truck driver’s information, vehicle conditions, witness statements, and accounts of how the accident occurred. Request a copy of this report for your records later, as it may be invaluable when presenting your case to insurance companies or during legal proceedings.
- Evidence collection: Time and safety permitting, gather as much information as possible from the 18-wheeler accident scene. Photographs of vehicle damage, visible injuries, and any conditions that may have contributed to the crash. It is also helpful to capture identifying details such as the truck’s company logo or license plate. Witness information is equally important; ask bystanders for their names and contact details to strengthen your claims with their accounts if needed.
- Attorney representation: Be cautious when speaking about the crash. Hiring a lawyer early can help. While it is natural to feel shaken, avoid making statements that could be interpreted as accepting blame, fault, or liability. Focus on facts when speaking to authorities and allow your attorney to handle any sensitive conversations with insurers or the trucking company.
How Legal Investigations Uncover the Facts
Truck accident investigations are complex, often involving multiple parties and layers of evidence. Trial attorneys can use their experience, resources, and knowledge to dig into the details and uncover the facts, though, which is why it is always advised that anyone who has been in an 18-wheeler accident hire an attorney right away.
A trial attorney investigating the circumstances of an 18-wheeler accident might take these steps:
- Check truck logs: Federal regulations impose strict limits on how long drivers can operate without rest. Overworked or sleep-deprived drivers are a major risk on the road, and driver logs can provide revealing details if these rules were violated.
- Truck inspection: An attorney might inspect the 18-wheeler themselves or hire a third-party expert like a mechanical engineer to perform an inspection. By examining key mechanical components and the vehicle’s maintenance records, a legal team can determine whether poor upkeep, such as neglected brake systems or worn tires, contributed to the crash. Additionally, access to onboard technology like black box data and GPS tracking allows lawyers to reconstruct the events leading up to the accident, such as the truck’s speed, brake usage, and other critical movements.
- Witness interviews: Witness accounts gathered at the scene or in the aftermath of the crash add another layer of insight that truck accident lawyers can use for client cases. Witnesses offer unbiased perspectives and can confirm or challenge claims made by the truck driver or their employer.
- Trucking company review: A review of the trucking company might be a significant part of a truck accident lawyer’s investigation process, too. Employers bear responsibility for keeping their fleet safely maintained and for making sure all drivers are licensed, insured, and trained. Investigating the company’s hiring and training practices, as well as its internal compliance with safety regulations, can expose corporate negligence.
Acting Quickly After an 18-Wheeler Truck Accident
Truck accident cases require quick action. Delays in contacting an attorney can make evidence collection more difficult, which, in turn, could weaken your case overall.
Two time-sensitive matters to consider regarding a truck accident claim are:
- Evidence collection: Evidence like driver logs, maintenance records, and black box data is often time-sensitive. Many of these records are only retained for a limited period before they are overwritten, lost, or even destroyed. Further, memories fade, and witnesses can become harder to locate as time passes.
- Insurance company interaction: Insurance companies for trucking firms act swiftly, often dispatching their own investigators to manage liability and limit payouts. Without experienced legal counsel standing up for you, it’s possible to be pressured into an unfair settlement that doesn’t reflect the full costs of your injuries and other losses.
Hilliard Law Helps Injured Drivers in Texas
Hilliard Law and our team of trial attorneys have the experience and resources needed to handle the legal complexities of 18-wheeler truck accident cases across Texas. Our attorneys are committed to securing justice for our clients and their families, not just because it is our job but also because it is our passion. We have seen firsthand in many cases how much effort trucking companies and insurers will do to avoid paying a dime to a driver who was hit by an 18-wheeler. Throughout representation, though, we’ve been successful in securing major wins throughout our decades of experience, including a $50 million settlement and a $20 million settlement for two truck accident clients in 2021 alone.
If you need an 18-wheeler accident attorney in Texas on your side, speak to us right away. Call (866) 927-3420 and ask for your FREE case review.