It’s a Sunday evening. You and your family spent the day shopping and grabbing dinner at your favorite spot. The clouds begin to roll in and the highway grows dark as the storm encroaches. After driving a few miles, the skies rip open and you find yourself cautiously navigating the poor conditions. A semi-truck appears and a jarring collision rattles you and your passengers.

You’re in shock but check to make sure everyone is ok. But then what? What do you do?

The First Things to Do

After you collect yourself and gather your thoughts, there are some immediate steps that you should take directly following the accident. Later down the line, you may need to consider a truck accident lawyer. But… immediately following –

  1. Call Emergency Services - The shock of it all may cover up some serious injuries. On top of that, you may be blocking the road and you may not know what’s happening with the truck driver. As soon as you’re able to, make the call. Emergency services will dispatch the necessary resources to assess the situation and mitigate any further problems.
  2. Controlling the Scene - Emergency services will take a look at everyone involved to determine if there’s a need for an ambulance. Police will also arrive to assess the situation and work on clearing the road if necessary. The police will also begin compiling an accident report and perform an intake of information. Considering calling a truck accident lawyer may be on your mind at this point. However, that can be addressed once the situation settles.
  3. Information Collection - After determining that all parties involved are ok and stable, everyone involved legally needs to exchange information following the accident. Make sure to jot down the police’s accident report number for future reference. Pull out insurance cards and exchange them with the truck driver (and obtain their information as well). Collecting names, addresses, and insurance information is critical since all involved parties are at the scene.
  4. Sharing Insurance & Contact Details - It may be common sense to you. However, one element to collecting information should not be overlooked. Gather as much information about the scene as possible. This will help you down the line, especially if you need to involve a truck accident lawyer. Take pictures of everything – your car, the truck, the surroundings and conditions at the time of the accident.
  5. Contact Your Insurer - Do this directly following the accident. Determining fault may be a tricky situation involving truck accidents. And regardless of fault, the insurance company needs to be involved from the beginning to properly work the claim.
  6. Consider a Truck Accident Lawyer - Butler, Vines & Babb Law has the experience and know-how when it comes to working with clients on truck accidents. This group will advocate for you and keep your case as a top priority. Truck accidents are often serious, if not catastrophic, and you may need a truck accident lawyer on your side.

Common Contributing Factors That Can Lead to A Truck Accident

An array of reasons may lead to a truck accident. Some may even be a combination of events. Here’s a quick rundown of common contributing factors that lead to truck accidents –

  1. Driver error. The problem could come from either side… the truck driver or the passenger vehicle. We’re all humans and no one is immune to these errors. A driver could be drowsy, drunk, distracted, or under the influence of a drug. If you suspect the truck driver was at fault, you should consider contacting a truck accident lawyer.
  2. Vehicle maintenance problems. Truck drivers should be checking their rigs regularly for normal wear and tear. But it happens… brake pads wear, stones kick into windshields creating cracks that impede a driver’s view. After thousands of miles, it’s inevitable that these vehicles need maintenance and sometimes problems need to be addressed but are not discovered until after an accident.
  3. Bad weather. Mother Nature doesn’t play favorites and ease up for anyone. It doesn’t matter the season; weather can be harsh. Those on the road sometimes pay the price whether it be from unexpected snow and ice to forceful winds and hail. Inclement weather conditions can create a problem, and accident, for any driver.
  4. Mistakes with cargo loading. Trucks haul hefty loads. Drivers need to be aware of regulations and requirements for their vehicles when carrying their items. If a load is improperly secured, this could make the truck unstable and create a recipe for an accident. Hiring a truck accident lawyer can assist you with determining if this is a factor to your collision.

Vehicles take to the roads in droves. You can’t travel an extended number of miles without seeing a truck or large vehicle. As you’ve read above, various factors can lead to a major accident. If you find yourself involved in a collision with a truck and you follow the first steps following that accident, hiring a truck accident lawyer like Butler, Vines & Babb Law will may be your next step. They will walk with you through the difficult process of dealing with a truck accident.

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BVB

Butler, Vines and Babb is a leading law firm in Knoxville, TN, with extensive litigation experience in Medical Malpractice Law, Birth Injury Law, Trucking Accident Law, Personal Injury Law, and Business Law. Contact us today at www.bvblaw.com or call 865-637-3531.

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