Driving next to an 18-wheel truck can be terrifying, not knowing if you’re going to get hurled across the road into a chaotic pileup. Unfortunately, when truck drivers hit vehicles with the trailer, they don’t always feel it. This means a lot of people are left in the lurch with damage to themselves and their vehicles. If you’re asking yourself what you need to do if you’re involved in a tractor-trailer incident, then you’re in the right place.
Note Down the Company Name
When you get hit, you’re going to be flustered and left feeling vulnerable. However, if you can, you need to write down the name of the company the driver was working for, even if you don’t catch the number plate or anything else. Legally, the driver should stop and you will do an exchange like in any other accident, but that’s not always the case. If you have the name of the driver’s company, your insurer and reputable tractor trailer accident lawyers can get in touch with them and find out the details of the driver who was at the location of the crash.
Call 911
As with any accident, you need to call 911 to register an incident number and receive any medical attention required. Even if there is no visible damage to yourself or your vehicle, you need to generate an incident number to help with your insurance claim. If you don’t get checked out by a medical examiner at the scene, make an appointment after the event. Often, injuries sustained from crashes aren’t apparent straight away.
Take Photos
As with any other crash, you should take pictures of the scene. Make sure you capture the scene from different angles and try to get the tractor-trailer in the shots. Your photos and videos will be vital for insurance evidence. They can detail road conditions, damage, skid marks, and any other tells that make it difficult for a different story to be spun.
Write Down Everything That Happened
The further you get away from an event, the hazier details become. On top of taking pictures, you should write a detailed account of everything that happened. You can call back on this when you’re asked to do so by your insurance company or injury lawyers.
Contact Your Insurance Company
Once you get the opportunity, you need to contact your insurance company and generate a claim number and find out who is assigned to your case. Do not divulge any information over the phone about what may have happened. All phone lines to insurance companies are recorded, and you don’t want to say something that may damage your claim. The best people to talk to are your injury lawyers, who will have the expertise to talk to your insurance company and land you a win.
Essentially, accidents with tractor-trailers work the same way as any other road collision. You get as much information as you can about the driver, contact the police, take pictures/take notes, and contact your insurance company/injury lawyers.