If you have been involved in a truck accident in Washington, DC the following are the primary steps you should take in order to ensure that you put forth the strongest claim possible. For more information on actions you can take to strengthen your claim call and schedule a consultation with a DC truck accident lawyer today.
Steps to Take Following a Truck Accident in Washington, DC
Here are the steps you should take as soon as you are involved in any accident involving a truck, in order to maximize the strength of your claim:
#1 Assess Your Health & Contact Police
The first thing that someone involved in a truck accident should do is assess their own condition and the condition of the other drivers and ensure that no injuries have been sustained. An ambulance should be contacted if necessary and then police should be contacted as soon as possible as well.
#2 Leave Accident Scene As Is
After you have determined that you are not injured and have contacted police, you should maintain yourself in your vehicle. It is important to try and not move any of the vehicles so that police can document the placement of the vehicles when they arrive. On that note it is also important that you try your best to be cooperative with police.
#3 Do NOT Make Any Statements
Often when there is a truck involved in an accident, due to the federal regulations trucking companies are subject to, they may send their own investigative agencies to investigate the crash. It is important that you don’t make any statements, because not only is there no obligation to do so, but it can end up hurting you later on.
#4 Document Evidence
To the extent possible it is important that you document the crash and compile as many picture and other evidence as possible. Any pictures that document the placement of the vehicles, any debris, and any damage to the vehicles should be gathered and stored. The police may also be engaged in that depending on the case. Regardless any information you can provide on your own can be very helpful.
What Are The Biggest Mistakes To Avoid in a DC Truck Accident Case?
There are a number of different mistakes someone can make after being involved in a truck accident however the two biggest are making statements to representatives of the trucking company and failing to document the accident properly.
Making statements are a mistake because there’s no obligation to do make any statements, and the trucking company representatives are not looking out for the injured party, they’re looking out for their own driver and their company. This is also why one of the most important things for an injured party to do is contact an attorney for representation because that cuts off any direct communication with the injured party by the at fault party, their insurance company, or any of their representatives.